Brick Veneer Question
To the Editor:
Jim Cowie and Mike Wilson's
informative and alarming report on
the deficiencies of brick veneer on
steel-stud walls ("Brick Veneer and
Steel Studs: Performance Questions,"
4/91) raises the question of whether
such deterioration will occur in the
much more common brick veneer on
wood frames. Intuitively, it would
seem that brick-on-wood is just as
liable to suffer all the same problems
as brick-on-steel. Is this the case?
Peter Samuel
Libertytown, Md.
Jim Cowie Responds:
The design requirements for both
wood and steel stud walls are essentially
the same. Wall ties must transfer lateral
wind loads, studs must be supported to
provide structural support for the
veneer, a wall cavity must exist, and an
adequate air/vapor barrier is