If you are installing brick veneer on the exterior of your homes,
please be aware of code requirements. Codes (for example, CABO
1995, sections 703.7.3 and 703.7.4) typically require flashing
beneath the first course of masonry above finished ground level
and at the top and bottom of openings for doors and windows. Generally,
this flashing goes from the exterior sheathing across one inch
of air space behind the brick veneer and through the brick course.
Weepholes in that course then drain any accumulated water. Without
the flashing and weepholes, water could leak into the home during
a long period of wind and rain that saturates the brick, or if
the mortar in the brick cracks and allows water to leak behind
the veneer.
Ensure that contract specifications address these brick veneer
flashing requirements, and that your masons are aware of them.
The Brick Industry Association strongly recommends close attention
to these flashing details. For additional information call the
Brick Industry Association at (703) 620-0010 or visit them on
the Internet at www.brickinfo.org (see Technical Note series 28 and 7 in the Technical Notes section).