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• Brick Foundation Defects listed, described & explained
• Types of foundation damage organized by foundation materials
• Photographs of foundation damage patterns and types

Here we discuss How to Recognize & Diagnose Brick Foundation & Brick Wall Defects & Failures such as damage due to impact, settlement, frost or water damage, and other causes. Types of foundation cracks, crack patterns, differences in the meaning of cracks in different foundation materials, site conditions, building history, and other evidence of building movement and damage are described to assist in recognizing foundation defects and to help the inspector separate cosmetic or low-risk conditions from those likely to be important and potentially costly to repair. Also see this close companion article: FOUNDATION CRACK EVALUATION which discusses in detail the process of evaluating foundation cracks and signs of foundation damage by examining the crack size, shape, pattern, and location. © Copyright 2008 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

How to Recognize & Diagnose Brick Foundation & Brick Wall Defects & Failures

Examples of structural & other failures in brick walls & foundations

Brick wall settlement: These photographs of a Canadian brick structure show what is probably old and recurrent structural damage to a brick building in its above-ground walls. We suspect there has been ongoing foundation settlement below these problem areas. Further inspection and investigation were warranted. Any movement in a structural brick wall which risks having broken the bond courses in the wall, and any movement in a brick veneer wall whch has broken or loosened the connections between the veneer to the underlying structure are potentially dangerous and risk collapsing masonry!

Structural brick wall collapse: This historic brick structure in Saugerties, NY, had already begun to collapse when we inspected its condition. The root cause of failure was water from roof leaks and at the building right side (not visible) in-slope grade and surface runoff which soaked the structure's lower foundation walls and permitted frost damage. As bond coursed break and walls bulge, structures of this type are unstable and dangerous. It is likely that considerable portions of this structure will need to be removed before repairs can begin. Inside we observed other evidence of collapsing foundations below other walls and we considered this building dangerous to enter.

Structural brick foundation collapse: We can see that this collapsed brick wall was a structural brick foundation, and the soil piled up suggests it was done in by pressure from wet earth - a drainage or roof drainage problem may have been the root cause of this collapse. [Three photographs courtesy of Alan Carson, Carson Dunlop, Toronto] Some common brick foundation wall or brick structural wall defects to be observed and reported include:

A catalog of types of brick foundation and brick wall damage and defects is presented here

• Bulging brick walls: this is likely to be a bond-brick or bond-course failure - potentially extremely dangerous and very urgent - can presage sudden catastrophic building collapse!
• Cracks and Bulges in brick walls: frost and earth loading - can push a below-grade brick foundation wall inwards. Often the wall is bulged inwards as well as showing horizontal and step cracking and loose bricks over the bulged area. Damage occurs from slightly above ground level to roughly the frost line.
• Cracks and loose bricks: frost, settlement, expansion, usually diagonal or stair-stepped, often at building corners where roof spillage is concentrated.
• Loose bricks and missing or lost mortar: and movement where mortar is severely washed-out by roof spillage or other water movement against the foundation. Loose and lost bricks may also occur where wood blocks, originally set into a wall to permit nailing of interior components, is damaged by insects or decay. Similarly, if wood joists are damaged and bend excessively or collapse (insect damage, rot, fire) the collapsing joist can, as its in-wall end moves, damage the foundation or building wall. (Fire cuts on wood joists in brick walls were intended to minimize this damage source by angling the end of the joist where it was set into the wall pocket.)
• Sand-blasted bricks which have been "cleaned" of old paint, algae, or stains using high pressure sand blasting or possibly even very high pressure water blasting can be permanently damaged by loss of the harder surface of the bricks which had been provided by their original firing. Once the softer internal brick has been exposed, the bricks will be more inclined to absorb water and to suffer water and (in northern climates) frost damage. Sandblasting brick is considered a poor practice in building renovation and maintenance.
• Spalling bricks: spalling is caused by water and frost, such as water leaking into a brick structure at any entry point: a crack, a brick which has lost its hard surface, or at openings by window and door penetrations. But beware about caulking brick - review our next item.
• Exfoliating-rust damage to brick or other masonry walls(improperly) ocurs when brick walls have been improperly caulked where caulking should have been omitted. The most common example of this defect is the damage that occurs to a brick wall when a steel lintel over a window or door is caulked tightly between the brick and the steel. Moisture penetrating the brick wall through cracks or mortar joints is trapped around the steel lintel. Rust developing on steel lintels has tremendous lifting power as the rusting exfoliating metal expands, sufficient to crack and damage bricks around lintel. We inspected a Manhattan apartment building which suffered multi-million damage to its brick exterior after a new "super" insisted on caulking tightly all of the steel window lintels.
• Improper repair mortar used durikng "repair work", tuckpointing bricks, or re-pointing bricks can cause surface spalling of bricks if the mason uses a too-hard mortar high-portland content mortar on soft brick in a climate exposed to freezing weatehr. The high portland content means that the mortar will be not only harder, but more waterproof than the surrounding brick. Water trapped around the hard mortar can freeze leading to surface spalling of the bricks. This is particularly likely to be seen when a wall has been tuckpointed using hard high-portland mortar where originally a soft high-lime mortar was used and where the original bricks were soft.

FOUNDATION CRACK EVALUATION discusses detail the process of evaluating foundation cracks and signs of foundation damage by examining the crack size, shape, pattern, and location.
FOUNDATION BULGE or LEAN MEASUREMENTS explains a simple method for determining how much bulge or lean is present in a foundation or wall,
FOUNDATION MOVEMENT ACTIVE vs. STATIC helps determine if the foundation movement is ongoing,
FOUNDATION DAMAGE SEVERITY discusses how we decide the severity of foundation damage and the urgency of further action.
FAILURES by FOUNDATION TYPE & MATERIAL describes the types of foundation damage, cracks, leaks, or other defects associated with each type of foundation material (concrete, brick, stone, concrete block, etc.).

We continue discussing how to inspect and diagnose brick foundations and walls at: Brick Thermal Expansion Cracking and how to recognize and evaluate it, and what causes thermal cracks in brick foundation walls or building walls is discussed and illustrated at Brick Thermal Expansion Cracking.

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FOUNDATION DIAGNOSIS Chapter Index

To continue reading this building foundation inspection, diagnosis, and repair guide, use links to the document chapters at left or below. Links shown in green font indicate where you are in this document.

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Technical Content Reviewers

for Foundation Crack and Movement Damage Evaluation, Diagnosis, & Reporting

• Daniel Friedman - ASHI (1986-2006) - author of this website and article, building failures researcher.
• "Concrete Slab Finishes and the Use of the F-number System", Matthew Stuart, P.E., S.E., F.ASCE, online course at www.pdhonline.org/courses/s130/s130.htm
• Sal Alfano - Editor, Journal of Light Construction*
• Thanks to Alan Carson, Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, for technical critique and some of the foundation inspection photographs cited in these articles
• Terry Carson - ASHI
• Mark Cramer - ASHI
• JD Grewell, ASHI
• Duncan Hannay - ASHI, P.E. *
• Bob Klewitz, M.S.C.E., P.E. - ASHI
• Ken Kruger, P.E., AIA - ASHI
• Aaron Kuertz aaronk@appliedtechnologies.com, with Applied Technologies regarding polyurethane foam sealant as other foundation crack repair product - 05/30/2007
• Bob Peterson, Magnum Piering - 800-771-7437 - FL*
• Arlene Puentes, ASHI, October Home Inspections - (845) 216-7833 - Kingston NY
• Greg Robi, Magnum Piering - 800-822-7437 - National*
• Dave Rathbun, P.E. - Geotech Engineering - 904-622-2424 FL*
• Ed Seaquist, P.E., SIE Assoc. - 301-269-1450 - National
• Dave Wickersheimer, P.E. R.A. - IL*
• *These reviewers have not returned comment 6/95

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More expert information on this topic

More Information on Building Diagnostic Inspections and Repairs

FOUNDATION CRACK EVALUATION discusses detail the process of evaluating foundation cracks and signs of foundation damage by examining the crack size, shape, pattern, and location.
FOUNDATION BULGE or LEAN MEASUREMENTS explains a simple method for determining how much bulge or lean is present in a foundation or wall,
FOUNDATION MOVEMENT ACTIVE vs. STATIC helps determine if the foundation movement is ongoing,
FOUNDATION DAMAGE SEVERITY discusses how we decide the severity of foundation damage and the urgency of further action.
FAILURES by FOUNDATION TYPE & MATERIAL describes the types of foundation damage, cracks, leaks, or other defects associated with each type of foundation material (concrete, brick, stone, concrete block, etc.).

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