connection of downspouts to historic brick 1

[SLTA]

What is your preferred way to connect commercial-sized downspouts to historic brick? The brick is from around 1900 (and stop sniggering about the "historic", all you Old Country folks) and is that lovely red-clay rolled brick we have in the American south. There's already a lot of spalling issues with the brick, so I'd like to suggest something appropriate to the building owners.

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[JAE]

I would be tempted to drill into the mortar and install an adhesive anchor like Hilti's HY70.
I would use as deep an embedment as possible because the mortar in older structures is typically very soft.

Anchors like the HY70 use a screen tube such that the adhesive extrudes out of the screen and builds a sort of bulb anchor inside the voids in and around the brick elements.
They come in fairly small (1/4") diameters. For a downspout - 1/4" is probably way more than you need but it may be the smallest you can get that does this sort of anchoring.

This way you don't damage the old brick units themselves. Easier to patch mortar later vs. holes in brick.



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[racookpe1978]

Good idea about the mortar holes.

Use stainless or aluminum screws and fastener inserts: No rust to stain the brick walls.

 

[SLTA]

Thanks! Excellent.

Please remember: we're not all guys!

 

[Ron]

Agree with JAE...good solution. If multi-wythe construction, as many historic buildings are, even better.

Another possibility is to mechanically fasten top and bottom, then use adhesive in between. Foam adhesives for tile attachment have good strength values; however, you obviously have to consider freeze-thaw in your area.....I don't have that issue!