# Leak where brick wall meets vinyl siding



## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

That's as good as your going to get with it built like that.
Just need to use a better caulking.
http://www.osipro.com/products.pl?id=QUAD


----------



## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

that should be flashed, caulking alone will fail over time it should have a metal flashing thats set into caulking at the brick, then a peel and stick flashing tape on the metal onto the house wrap.. from there the j channel goes back on


----------



## jason.shaffer (Feb 2, 2013)

Thank you for the replies. woodworkbykirk, would you be able to reference any documentation/images/instruction that describes the technique you're describing? I've been searching through siding installation instructions online and haven't found something to reference this situation although it seems common at least in my area.


----------



## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

aluminum coil stock is the most economical flashing you can use. the peel and stick membrane is self sealing so any nail holes that are made from the siding trim wont leak

blueskin, vycor, resisto, 3m flex flash are all types of peel and stick membrane.. unfortunatley i dont have any pictures at this time


----------



## jason.shaffer (Feb 2, 2013)

I think I can visualize what you are describing. Anyone know what the piece is called that is caulked to the brick behind the downspout?


----------



## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

J moulding


----------



## hand drive (Apr 21, 2012)

to properly flash that you will need to remove the downspout and that J channel moulding and remove siding back to the joints up the entire height of the brick section of wall. flash properly and then put it all back up on the wall...


----------



## jason.shaffer (Feb 2, 2013)

Peeked behind one of the seams in the siding and found my house has no wrap over the OSB. Thinking if I just recaulk it the protection will be better than the rest of the house!


----------



## HomeSealed (Jan 3, 2008)

You mean you don't want to take off half a wall worth of siding instead of simply maintaining a bead of caulk?:laughing:
Kirk's method is correct and ideal, but I would have to agree with your conclusion given the circumstances: Just caulk it.


----------



## woodworkbykirk (Sep 25, 2011)

caulking will only seal it if the water is coming from off the face of the chimney itself.. if theres water getting behind the siding higher up the caulking isnt going to stop that


----------



## HomeSealed (Jan 3, 2008)

woodworkbykirk said:


> caulking will only seal it if the water is coming from off the face of the chimney itself.. if theres water getting behind the siding higher up the caulking isnt going to stop that


Who said there is a leak? ...or that this is a chimney? 
I believe that the first post states that it is a front brick wall. Any exposed interface above would most certainly need flashing, and as I mentioned, it would be ideal here as well, but probably not worth the effort if there is no existing leakage issue... particularly if it is under an overhang.
A couple more pics would probably give a better idea of the situation.


----------



## hand drive (Apr 21, 2012)

HomeSealed said:


> Who said there is a leak? ...or that this is a chimney?
> I believe that the first post states that it is a front brick wall. Any exposed interface above would most certainly need flashing, and as I mentioned, it would be ideal here as well, but probably not worth the effort if there is no existing leakage issue... particularly if it is under an overhang.
> A couple more pics would probably give a better idea of the situation.



outside corners are certainly candidates for leaks from the wind blowing the moisture around the corners, on most houses some corners are worse than others.. good point on what is above the corner and how much moisture is the corner exposed to, over hangs etc...


----------



## hammerlane (Oct 6, 2011)

I think the poster posted the photo kind of sideways. Think he is describing this situation where one face of the house is brick veneer and the adjacent face is vinyl siding.


----------



## hammerlane (Oct 6, 2011)

I rotated the posters original photo 90 degrees clockwise


----------



## jomama45 (Nov 13, 2008)

Sounds like a "recipe for disaster", OSB w/o any WRB, brick on one side, vinyl siding on the other.......................


----------



## HomeSealed (Jan 3, 2008)

The lack of a WRB is the most troubling part to me. I don't know how that OSB isn't completely swollen up if that is the case. Vinyl siding inherently design for some moisture behind it, so to suggest that any small amount that would get in past that caulked vertical j-channel would be a big deal is a bit overstated IMO. That is why proper window and door flashings (and WRB) are so critical on vinyl sided homes, because moisture is going to get back there one way or the other.
Are you sure that you have nothing but vinyl siding just installed over OSB? No house wrap or insulation board back there?


----------



## jason.shaffer (Feb 2, 2013)

The house has no weather wrap behind the siding. It was build in 2004 and all in my neighborhood were built this way. The newer ones have wrap. Here is an image of what is above the corner.

Last fall a wind storm blew off some shingles above and also the valley flashing on the roof. Had a lot of water come in the home. Fixed the roof, opened up the wall cavities, removed the insulation, let it try, put new insulation in. It's been sitting this way for a while through some windy storms and haven't had any water come in. Last weekend went to put drywall back on and noticed moisture/frozen water. Think this may be due to cold temps and wind blowing through that crack in the caulk.

What is surprising to me is that this is a very common scenario (brick front, siding side) but I cannot find any documentation describing how the corner should be flashed and transitioned from the brick to siding.


----------



## hammerlane (Oct 6, 2011)

Keep an eye on those window sills you have. Those are called rowlocks.

I had a mystery leak. My culprits were the window sills which were a rowlock course of brick on each of the windows on the front brick veneer of my home.

I ended up having all seven rowlock sills replaced with solid limestone sills on front of house.

Look under those sills and see if you have any voids in either the head or bed joints for weep holes. The weep holes will allow any water that gets behind to veneer to "weep" out.


----------



## jason.shaffer (Feb 2, 2013)

Yes, I have a leak under that front window, I believe since the house was built. When I opened up the side wall from the roof leak I also opened up the front wall underneath the window and the OSB is completely rotted out. Can practically push right through it. Not sure what to do there either in terms of finding where the leak is...


----------



## jason.shaffer (Feb 2, 2013)

Was really excited to see this underneath the bottom of the roof valley flashing...


----------



## Duckweather (Mar 26, 2012)

Looking at the second picture that looks like an outside corner cut to the brick, or the brick is on top of an outside corner. You might see the sheathing in the space between brick and wall. If you don't intend to do more than re caulk, then at least use a good elastomeric calking. Sticks to everything, stays elastic, re seals itself if cut, can be painted and re calked over itself, and most have a 50 year guarantee. Just make sure to get the one that has a flammable warning, not a latex.


----------



## hammerlane (Oct 6, 2011)

Duckweather said:


> Looking at the second picture that looks like an outside corner cut to the brick, or the brick is on top of an outside corner. .


 What 2nd picture are you referring to?


----------



## hammerlane (Oct 6, 2011)

jason.shaffer said:


> Yes, I have a leak under that front window, I believe since the house was built....


Is this the outside vs inside view??


----------



## jason.shaffer (Feb 2, 2013)

hammerlane said:


> Is this the outside vs inside view??


Yes. That is an outside/inside view of the front window.

I also have a different leak (or leaks) on the vinyl siding side of the house which is where to OP comes in (caulking up the side of the brick) and the horrible roofing job.


----------



## hammerlane (Oct 6, 2011)

jason.shaffer said:


> which is where to OP comes in (caulking up the side of the brick) and the horrible roofing job.


No idea what that means.


----------



## hammerlane (Oct 6, 2011)

jason.shaffer said:


> Yes. That is an outside/inside view of the front window.


Check the window sills on that leaking window. 

Here is a video of rowlocks leaking. From the camera view it may look like the water is running off the front face of the brick but I assure you it is not. All the water is being drawn into that mortar joint, running down behind the brick veneer and ending up leaking out the top of the bay window.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCapxd9AixQ


----------



## Duckweather (Mar 26, 2012)

hammerlane said:


> What 2nd picture are you referring to?


Sorry, lost track of which picture. The closeup of the calked joint


----------

