Beginning a garage addition with a second floor. Foundation will be 12″ block, stepped back to 8″ to accomodate a brick veneer “kneewall”. The exterior siding would transition from brick to fiber cement once the brick are 3-4 courses above grade. I’d like the fiber cement siding to overlap the brick, which would require the sill plate and stud framing to sit flush with the brick face. My first thoughts are to install a 2×12 sill plate and go from there. I’m concerned that this will cause problems since the wall will essentially be sitting on the brick and not the 8″ block.
Anyone have a suggestion or alternative? I really didn’t want the siding to be stepped back from the brick. I’m located in western PA and stepping back the siding would require additonal flashing and I’m not crazy about how this would look either.
Scott
Replies
Hi W,
You have raised some really good questions. I have a similiar project that I need to start before winter...I will be watching and waiting for some great replys from these guys! Best of luck on your project!!!
Just make your brick part of your footer. Bring your slab level with the brick and sit your bottom plate/sill plate on the brick.
Or. Go the way you described and build another false wall at the brick line to carry the F/C.
Brick is a structural material that generally has more compressive strength than concrete! The Monadock Building in Chicago, completed in 1891, is 16 stories high and made from unreinforced brick walls. My house, built in 1949, sits on a 8-in. thick brick foundation which is still in great shape. Brick and block foundations are common here in North Carolina. These are made with solid walls as opposed to cavity walls. Usually the brick wythe is tied to the block wythe with steel ties and the collar joint is fully grouted with mortar. The two wythes can also be tied together with brick courses turned into the wall, which overlap the interior block courses. This second approach was common in the past and accounts for the row of headers every third or sixth course in many older buildings.
Edited 7/10/2002 8:55:55 AM ET by John Carroll
Edited 7/10/2002 5:13:15 PM ET by John Carroll
Check out BIA TechNotes 28 and 28a: http://www.bia.org/html/frmset_thnt.htm. For garage stem walls and foundations, I fill the collar joint with mortar up to the top and tie the two wythes together with steel every other course of blocks (and every sixth course of bricks). I waterproof below grade as I would with any foundation.
Edited 7/15/2002 2:05:06 PM ET by John Carroll