# No brick ledge with poured walls



## ZTMAN (Feb 19, 2015)

Was a brick ledge drawn on the construction drawings?

What is your architect's recommendation about a solution? 

What you are proposing would hold the brick, atleast for a short period of time, but I would be worried about what would happen four to ten years from now.

There is an old saying, architects make it pretty, engineers make it stand up. I would want whoever screwed up on the brick ledge to hire an engineer to design and sign off on the repair


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## Tscarborough (Mar 31, 2006)

If you have room on the footer to lay up a 4" CMU ledge, that will work just fine.


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## jomama45 (Nov 13, 2008)

We've laid 4" block from the footing up a number of times, and it is acceptable as long as you have enough footing, and it sounds like you'll be safe. The other option is to have a brick ledge sawn into the existing wall, which would keep your house dimensions the same as they are now. This is quite a process though, and anchor bolts will likely need to be replaced with epoxy anchors in this case...........


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## stadry (Jun 20, 2009)

i would never install brickwork below grade


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## Tscarborough (Mar 31, 2006)

Why not? It is extremely common to make foundations out of brick.


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## stadry (Jun 20, 2009)

still these days ? my experience's based on retro waterproofing - never saw any below-grade brickwork sufficiently waterproofed to protect it,,, bear in mind the $$ are very good when we do find repairs necessary :thumbup: i will say its about the same for cinder block & conc block fares better yet nothing beats conc impo


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## jomama45 (Nov 13, 2008)

I'm pretty sure the OP is suggesting running CMU up to within inches of grade, and then starting brick. It's very common to backfill the first course of brick, or part of it. The most important part is to "slug" the back of that course (in our enviroment due to frost heave/push), start the base flashing above grade, and install weeps above the base flashing.........


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