Bomber Flashing Detail for the Base of A Brick Wall

You know how I nerd out of my waterproofing details... this is a detail that once I saw it at a trade show I knew I wanted to use it on my house!
Here's a link to the product I'm using.

Huge thanks to our Show sponsors Polywall, Huber, Dorken Delta, Prosoco, Rockwool & Viewrail for helping to make these videos possible! These are all trusted companies that Matt has worked with for years and trusts their products in the homes he builds. We would highly encourage you to check out their websites for more info.

[mycool]

Copper is truly underappreciated. These days copper door knobs n handles would be a blessing, we should really make copper popular again.

[LongRidgeFarmer]

Matt Thanks for showing what’s possible. Promoting new innovations, though expensive now, will become standard and less expensive, all the while is the mother of newer ideas and methods. Thanks

[JaffFree]

Hi Matt!

Why don't you use ventilation gaps between the brick fasade and zip sheet? Leaving 30 to 40 mm gap ( ~ 1, 5 inch?) between them + leaving every third vertical seam from the firts or second brick row without mortar allows airflow and helps the wall to dry.
+ wet brick is not in touch with rest of the wall and when excess mortar is removed from behind the brick there is a little change water even touches zip. (+ wall ties in incline so water does not travel throug them.) This works at Finland at least thou the climate is more like Minnesota than Texas...

[jpb]

Matt
Great video
I am a architect in Massachusetts who works on public buildings. Your videos are great to explain to my younger staff . Can’t wait till the next video

[benjaminrhodes]

This house has EVERYTHING! Thanks for sharing Matt. I love the details.

[Ringele]

I love how Matt glued the rocks to his wall as well...

[jimtarter]

Used mortar net since the late 90's, great stuff against the leaky brick problem the brick manufacturers brought us during the early 90's. Going to the three hole manufacturing process allowed the mortar on the head joint to slump more causing more moisture to enter the housing envelope. For us (Cincinnati Ohio) that always have basements with our projects it also exposed several bad building techniques we were using. Customer began calling us every time it rained with water pouring down their foundation walls. Big learning lesson and a complete change in our building process.

[tedsheldon]

Great video. Showing that doing it right isn’t really that hard, it takes a little time, and it costs a little bit up front. But the longevity and peace of mind far outlasts that temporary pain.

[rossmcleod]

Appreciate the detailing you’ve shown here Matt. That mortar net is a brilliant idea and the copper flashing pure class.

[danrichards]

Same here. I have a “pass it down” mentality and I wish more people before me had it. I bought a 40 year old house built in a development which I was explained the developer builds as cheap as possible for obvious reasons comparing to a custom built home. I had no experience but found no common sense was put into this house. There was an unsealed basement wall with sheet rock nailed to the cynder block, wet sheet rock, and black mold. That I only found out because the shower started leaking into the floor and I tore it out, cleaned up and am currently working on sealing the wall tonight. This video was under suggestions and got my mind going while watching it. I’ve never even thought about what is going on behind the brick wall. A while back I was talking to a friend about doing things the right way and how I wouldn’t want to half ass things even if I was going to sell it.

[conradrichard]

How did you extend the foundation? Re-pour? What was the tie in? Was there a bonding agent used to connect to existing foundation? Or is is "floating?"

[Ptro]

A lot of newer technology in this house. Could end up being a recall nightmare like some of the old building materials of the past

[pedropinheiroaugusto]

I'm a portuguese civil engineer and certified passive house designer. I subbed Matts channel to learn about timber construction, which is still not very common here, together with new materials and technology. I can't help feeling that much of this technology is just complicating or even overlooking simple sound principles of good construction. I would've made a simple flashing on the overstep, down and out, and kept the brick wall way away from the inner wall, about 1, 5" to 2", so no mortar can build up between the two. On the first row of bricks, keep out one out of 4 so to give access to clean any mortar that may have fallen in, then place these without side mortar, so any water may come out and also for venting. Don't forget to make sure the brick wall is mechanically secure to the main frame, keeping in mind any water that seeps through the anchors must drop before reaching the inner wall, in the flashing. Also, use mortar with a bit of latex for the bricks. My humble opinion. Keep up the good work!

[iangray]

Hot damn, that will last 100 years. Best way to keep carbon emissions down is keeping houses out of the landfill. Nice work as always Matt!

[InvaderMyk]

I really like this flashing! The exposed hem, all the sealants in the expected spots... Yeah. If ever I get to build my own house, I’m doing it like this.

[ronsmith]

I love watching the construction on these homes.

[nycdad]

Sweet!! Appreciate all of the shows, most informative and innovative channel on youtube.

[a]

So, driving steel screws through the copper foil. Ain't it a reason of the electrochemical corrosion of the firsts in wet area? Thanks for the vids and stay well.

[leestevens]

I admire the efforts towards long-term durability, but I would have issues with a bunch of the details, as regarding my own builds. Last large job was 2" polyiso continuous exterior with "outie" windows. We used Barritech VP self-sealing (up to 1/4" dia fasteners) liquid applied over 100% of exterior wall sheathing, with compatible embedded fiberglass reinforcing mat (where appropriate at joints and intersections) and primered self-adhering, self-sealing 6" and 12" roll materials. We covered the foam up with a FULL drainage plane/ mat and then 5" bed thickness stone veneer. Any water problems would have huge implications. 
My reservations with this video/ assembly is the lack of a full self-sealing coating, and all the various layers and reliance on bonds and sealants for reverse laps. KISS. With the stuff we used, in this case, I would not goo up the wood-concrete joint with just a sealant. I would rely on the 1 1/2 " step-down in the ledge, and primer a 12" wide membrane that started just on the ledge, and then ran up the wall. If I was really paranoid in this case, I would use something like Waterplug (fast set hydraulic repair cement) to fill on the ledge, up the face of the step, flush with the face of the sheathing. Then the membrane will lay flat, no wrinkles or bubbles. Dr. Joe would love me. Think shingles (not the disease, however). Next the full liquid applied, which laps over the membrane at the base in one clean process. I would also consider a SMALL bead of sealant at the wood sill- concrete interface first, just because. And if I was really paranoid, I would cut a slight slope on the flat of the ledge before I did anything. Cleanliness is next to Godliness. My thing about the membrane on the wood-concrete joint is because the physical properties (thermal and moisture) are so radically different that I want something that I can absolutely rely on structurally. If a small amount of water gets behind the red stuff, you will have failure. Unless you have a flood, the ledge-step does the yeoman's work here: just need to prevent capillary action. I would be sure to keep the polyiso up about 1/2" above the ledge, to insure clear drainage of anything that might get behind. I think the Brillo pads are okay, but it is imperative that the weeps be forever open, either with cotton rope or whatever. Around here, mud-daubers will fill any hole in a house facade: an open weep will get plugged by insects. It is not necessary to have a completely open bed joint on the ledge, concrete is pretty durable when faced with moisture. And I am not sure the actual value of all the layers being built up with this system; I could see it if there are vulnerable materials below, but not the case here. My other reservation is all the voids that are created by use of sealants in parallel lines (not full coverage) in the layers sheet materials, that seem to serve no useful function, but may serve as water traps down the road.
Back to full liquid applied/ self-sealing membrane. If you are concerned about filing overdriven nail holes, then you should be REALLY concerned about masonry ties punching thought the polyiso and then making a ragged penetration in the Zip sheathing. This is a wicking/ leaking scenario waiting to unfold, and you have no clue and no control over the situation, once built. We used, after extensive testing, a commercial stud and wire loop masonry tie, with a rubber-washered shoulder at the wall plane (belt and suspenders). The eye for the wire was just clear of the foam. A test pan with the assembly under 2" of water held absolutely for the 30 day test duration. Only way I slept, covering everything up. And we had the "Brillo mat" (ours had a plastic dimpled backer sheet, basically foundation drain mat) over the entire wall.
So, everyone has to evaluate their own circumstances. You pays your money, you makes your choice.

[brandtall]

As a retired insurance adjuster I've seen it all. More hidden leaks than you can imagine.
One of my all time favorite sayings to our clients was, "your house is not a boat that you can flip over and expect to float." In your case I think it would.
Hope you agent is giving you all the discounts you are entitled to.