sagging outside brick wall 6

[lubos1984]

hello everyone,

I recently did an inspection of a old victorian home in Toronto. While doing the inspection i noticed that the outside brick wall has sagged around the archway windows and in some areas of the wall. Upon closer examination there were no lintels installed in the window arches and I think that contributed to some of the settlement you can see on the pics.
The brick settlement seems to extend above the lintel as well however as you can see from the brickline above the window.

The house is constructed with two rows of brick on the outside wall. I didn't see any settlement at the foundation level although the outside wall seems to have concrete parging.

The client wants to know what the best recommendation is to repair this issue and if there are any underlying structural problems. They are considering a re-work of the outside brick veneer but wanted to know if there are any foundation issues. Any opinion on what some of the causes of the brick settlement may be and what other clues I can look for ?

Thank you!

 

[LittleInch]

Did the slip coincide with what appears to be building a basement set of steps and a door?

That new piece of concrete wall looks mightily suspicious to me.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[KootK]

FWIW, I'm on board with Tomfh's theory as well.

 

[r13]

I don't follow the green line. One is at the bottom of the window sill, the other one is on top.

 

[dauwerda]

r13, exactly.
That green line is highlighting a course of bricks that is made up of smaller bricks. The green lines should be in line with each other and they are not.
This is also apparent with another similar course of smaller bricks at the bottom of the picture, the bottom yellow reference line has the small brick course below it on the left side of the window and above it on the right hand side of the window.

 

[LittleInch]

The 20 courses arrows count 20 courses.

But they are not the same 20 courses...

The lines need to break either side of the windows and step up on course on the RHS to match the original lines of bricks.

also look at the horrible reducing "wedge" of bricks in the middle of the repaired section

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[lubos1984]

Thanks everyone for such great insights! Especially pointing out things I didn't notice initially in the pictures!

The client wants to resolve this issue. They are willing to do a rework of the entire sidewall bricks from foundation up to align the brick line. My concerns is that I'm not sure what kind of opinion I can provide on the cause of this settlement based on this limited information available ? I'm very reluctant to do so although the client will want to understand what is happening here! What additional information would be helpful to collect to understand any underlying issues without doing extensive intrusive work ? What recommendations can be provided to the client ?
If there is differential settlement of the foundation, perhaps it has stabilized over time. The house is over 100 years old in an old area in Toronto.

Thanks again everyone for all your great help! Truly appreciated!

 

[phamENG]

If they're going to go to that much trouble, get a geotechnical engineer involved. I don't think the settlement has stopped. Look at this picture. The crack next to the window has opened even more than the full course of mortar that's been shoved in there.

 

[r13]

The 20 courses arrows count 20 courses. But they are not the same 20 courses...

The lines does not lie, they all match brick joints on both side. The mess up is at the repaired area, somehow some of the old mess is still left in there without straighten.

 

[phamENG]

r13 - I have to disagree. Look at the bricks in the courses. As you know, in multiwythe brick walls, ever so many courses the bricks are turned 90 degrees to create a header course. Those header courses typically align all the way around the building. See the green line:

 

[r13]

Again, a straight/leveled line can be drawn connecting brick joint on the two ends. The mess in the middle has distort the view badly.

 

[Tomfh]

The lines does not lie, they all match brick joints on both side.

Yes the courses line up on both sides. This is because one side has settled by 1 whole course, meaning the two sides are back in alignment.

 

[r13]

Tomfh,

Sorry, I couldn't get your point. Give me some time, may wake up later

To Lobus,

IMO, the bricks to the right side of the second floor window are softening due to moisture and weathering. At one time, the water infiltration was so severe that caused damage above the window (the repaired area). As pointed out before, the brick wall seems have rotated slightly, thus the large crack with mortar filling at the window flashing. You shall also pay attention to the deteriorate bricks just above the foundation. The water may have gotten there too.

 

[dauwerda]

r13, I'm beginning to wonder if you really don't see it or if you are just messing with us all at this point.

 

[IRstuff]

R13, just follow the courses that have the half bricks, which show up in your last picture below your bottommost yellow line on the left of the window; but, on the other (right) side of the window, the half-brick course is above the bottommost yellow line. It would be extremely unusual for that bit of decoration to be off by one course in the design; it's possible but unlikely.

TTFN (ta ta for now)
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[bones206]

First thing I would check is if that original foundation has been replaced with a concrete footing and basement wall or if it's just a parge coat making the original (clearly failing) foundation look pretty.

 

[r13]

dauwerda,

Judge yourself.

 

[dauwerda]

All of the lines I drew follow a course bedding. Your black line (that starts at my bottom blue line on the left) does not, it leaves a bed, goes through bricks and enters a new bed in order to stay straight. This is because the entire left side is one course lower than the entire right side.

 

[hardbutmild]

If there is differential settlement of the foundation, perhaps it has stabilized over time. The house is over 100 years old in an old area in Toronto.

I'd expect the settlement to be fairly over unless some changes in the nearby soil occurred. Has anyone near the house done some work that perhaps required drainage or that may have re-routed the flow of water?
That may be the cause, since you're asking about that.

 

[dik]

Check the header coursing...

Just about the same slope as the window arch...

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik

 

[r13]

This is how the repair was done.