Q:

I am building a new house and would like to cover the exposed foundation with a brick veneer. How should the foundation be built so that the brick ends up nearly flush with the siding above?

Craig Wilson, Dunkirk, MD

A:

John Carroll, a builder and mason in Durham, North Carolina, replies: There are a couple of ways to build the foundation you want. In both cases, however, the brick is more than just a veneer. Instead, it is integrated into the structure of the foundation.

The first method, called brick and block, is used quite often here in North Carolina. The bottom course of block is 12 in. wide, and the subsequent courses are 8 in. wide, forming a ledge for the brick. As the brick is laid, the collar joint between the brick and the block should be filled with mortar. Filling the collar joint keeps water from collecting behind the brick, prevents termites from building hidden tunnels and joins the two wythes of masonry together in a solid front to resist the lateral pressure of the soil. In most areas, code requires that you use type S or M mortar for masonry foundations. These types of mortar have a greater percentage of portland cement for higher compressive strength. Metal ties set in the mortar joint between the courses of block reinforce the brick-to-block connection. If you live in an area with expansive soil or an area subject to frost heaves or to seismic activity, you should reinforce the block portion of the wall with steel and concrete.

A brick face can also be used on a pouredconcrete foundation. In this case an integral 4-in. ledge would be formed in the concrete wall just below grade for the brick. Again, special care should be taken to keep the collar joint between the poured concrete and the brick filled with mortar.

With both of these foundation methods, the mudsills overlap the joint between the brick and the block or concrete. The siding does not end up perfectly flush with the brick face. Instead, it should be lapped over the edge of the brick to direct rainwater to the outside of the building envelope.

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