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Brick Veneer Cracks Free Here

The first thing to understand is that a brick veneer crack is not a crack in the house . This is the cardinal point of confusion. Structural brick—true masonry—is the load-bearing skeleton of a building. A crack there is a fracture in the bone, a potential calamity. Brick veneer, by contrast, is skin. It is a single wythe (layer) of brick, typically four inches thick, attached to a wooden or steel frame. The brick does not hold up the roof; it holds up only itself. Its job is not structural but theatrical: to manage water, resist fire, and project an image of solidity. When a veneer cracks, it is rarely a sign of impending collapse. More often, it is a sign of something far more mundane and telling: movement.

Today, 90% of residential brick homes utilize . In this system, the structural load is carried by a wooden or steel frame. The brick you see on the exterior is a single layer (wythe) of masonry, typically 4 inches thick, anchored to the wooden frame behind it with metal ties.