Handmade Wood Frame with Brick Facing

Construction

• Masons install brick veneer walls adjacent to, but not contacting, the wood frame of the home. The brick rests on a ledge or offset of the foundation, which creates a space of about 1 inch between the brick and the wooden exterior wall. Unlike in solid-brick walls, masons do not use headers -- bricks placed in a course with the short sides facing out -- in veneer walls. All veneer bricks usually have their long sides showing.

Connection

• The bricks connect to the wood frame by means of metal ties that the mason sets into the mortar. The other end of the ties is anchored to the sheathing and studs by nails. The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends ring-shank nails -- nails with grooves running down the length of the shank -- as the best fasteners for the ties. FEMA also advises that the tie extend at least 1-1/2 inch into the mortar.

Space

• Brick veneer can allow water to enter the home due the porosity of both the brick and the mortar. This vulnerability increases in areas that have lots of wind-driven rain. The 1-inch gap between the veneer and the wood frame helps mitigate this problem by letting any water that gets through the brick drain away without contacting the wood framing. Holes deliberately left in the mortar, called weep holes, channel the water away from the house.

Insulation

• The veneer method of construction enables workers to add extra insulation to the home. Additional insulation can go into the cavity between the brick and the wood frame, leading to energy savings for heating of up to 35 percent, according to the Home Energy Advice Team, an Australian government advisory group. Install the insulation in existing homes as well as new construction. The insulation also acts as a noise barrier, reducing the amount of noise you hear from outside as well as limiting any sounds coming from inside your house.