[AG0504]

Hello,

We have a rainwater leak that comes through the front brick façade and drips through the downstairs window between the exterior wall and the window edge. We checked the roof, the seal around the upstairs window, the downstairs window. It appears to be coming from the brick veneer. What can we do to figure this out? And How do we fix it. Really frustrated!

[joypulv]

Did you check the attic?
Do you have ice dams where you live?
What kind of eaves/soffits do you have?
When you say 'seal' around window, what about drip edge at top of window, a metal or vinyl shaped piece that forms a lip over the edge of the window trim?

Water down the inside of a wall is usually either from ice dams or from water dripping down a rafter from a roof leak further up.
But I had one once that was from a tiny misting leak in a cast iron baseboard heating pipe. The only clue was constant air in my heating system, and then someone from the oil company showed me where ice was forming under the vinyl siding, not really noticeable.

[AG0504]

We don't have ice dams since we live in warm climate. It doesn't seem to be the roof because we experimented with a hose on the roof edges. No drip but when we hosed around the brick veneer near the window (without water going into the window), the water came in. I will check the seal on top of the window but I think we have that sealed already.

[smoothy]

If its anywhere else on the brick veneer... cracks in the mortar joints should be visible. YOu will need a ladder to be able to examine them thouroughly. YOU can't see all of it from teh ground as most mortar joints are recessed.

Its doesn't take much for water to get in.

[AG0504]

I think you may be right. We do see some small holes on the mortar. We are going to try and patch them up and see if that makes a difference. Fingers crossed.

[smoothy]

Use a flashlight... what appears to be a hole might only be a shallow void due to an air bubble when the bricks were laid and exposed when the pointing was done. THose typically don't leak.

A true hole would have leaked from the day the house was built... a crack can form decades later froma number of things.

[AG0504]

If we seal around that area, presumably, it will catch the crack right?

[smoothy]

You need to find the crack first... you have to be careful how you do it and what you use... it can easily create a situation than makes further repairs much more difficult

[AG0504]

Can you explain more? I certainly don't want to make the situation worse.

[smoothy]

I don't feel I'm qualified to offer the best repair solution to that situation, there are others here that will offer better solutions than I can... but most times one would widen and deepen the crack... clear out any debris and force in fresh mortar after wetting the area with water... but actual best repair methods would be dependent on exactly what you find.

A large crack would indicat a situation that needs correcting elsewhere as well...

What you don't want to use is caulk or silicone as they will age and fail due to sun and the elements.. but also impregnate the surface making bonding of other materials more difficult or impossible.

[AG0504]

Thank you that is very helpful. I think I will get in touch with a mason for this.

[21boat]

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

[smoothy]

21boat... not a mason myself... I've laid only brick and block a few times... but I've seen examples of what I described not only on my own house but that of my parents... the voids I talked about were smaller than a pea... not big... (I said bubble as they where spherical) and nothing that would have caused a problem into the facing of the mortar (less than the thickness of the mortar joint itself). I wasn't clear about that in my post.. and agree anyone laying brick for a living would never leave a large void.. so perhaps it was not the best choice in terms not being a tradesman in that field..