Originally Posted by
AG0504
Thank you that is very helpful. I think I will get in touch with a mason for this.
Your lucky day Im a mason by trade
(What appears to be a hole might only be a shallow void due to an air bubble when the bricks were laid )
Sorry smoothy…. Laying bricks since 1976 and never seen an air bubble in one mortar joint yet, striking using a jointer takes caré of that void unless the joint wasn't filled in while struck, but air bubbles doesn't exist
AGO504
To test this you need to run the hose away from windows and hose the brick veneer to get a reaction
I've seen 6 core wire cut brick itself leak like a sieve in time.
As far as mortar joints missing they need addressed and that's you first test area
I don't know how old your house is but with pointing old mortar from the 40s fore you need to use lime base mortar, Today's mortar is to strong to point beside lime base joints. The water runs off that newer hard mortar and erodes the older softer lime base mortar beside it causing more joint erosion
Again don't know how old your house is. Real old houses the brick are clipped behind the face when laid against a wood window jamb. Sometimes that clipped part sets back only an 1" behind that wood jamb. When the mortar gets iffy there it tends to leak at the brick jamb
Carefully look at all mortar joints at jambs to see if they still have full joints.
You may just be at the point you need to seal the whole façade, but before that you need to point all bad shallow or missing mortar joints. To properly do that you need to spot grind that spot to get a good depth void so pointed mortar is deep enough. Also pre wet grounded spots before pointing so mortar doesn't dry out too quickly and powder
PS if you mechanically grind out joints ware saftey glasss and a good mask mortar has silica in it