You'll be Shocked by how quickly this leaks...

How waterproof is a stone or Brick facade? Find out as Jordan uses a hose and Matt looks inside the wall cavity!
Huge thanks to our Show sponsors Polywall, Huber, Dorken Delta, Prosoco, & Rockwool 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.

[alec]

This will be a good video to show the client "this is why the house wrap needs to be changed". I used to work commercial construction and one time the mason told me if your gonna put stone on the exterior of a building treat it no different then the tile on a shower wall. There's a reason the waterproofing for time happens under it not on top. The dude knew rocks like the dictionary knows words.

[MikeBMW]

That's why weep screeds are important as well as a double layer of vapor barrier (mandatory in Florida).
Properly installed, there should be no issues.

[greenenergyjubilation]

30 years in construction have taught me that all types of cladding leak. It is the house wrap, tar paper peal and stick membranes are the water proofing. Pay a lot of attention to the hidden details.

[derekrosecrans]

Brave man to take over a distressed build. Crazy how much water came in.

[johnnyhimburg]

Matt THANK YOU so much for this video on this problem. This is exactly what I talk to you about the phone one night. I have been telling the homeowner this is the problem with his home.The area that I live in this is a big problem a lot builders don't know or don't care enough to do it right. Thank you again for showing this video well done.

[danielmumby]

99.9995% of people (including me) would just normal expect that stone (or bricks or weatherboard)is naturtally waterproof. Even though i spent 20 years in the building industry and fully understand the need for watersealing around windows and doors, i never imagined that water could enter quickly. i wouldve said weeks, or perhaps days, but not hours or minutes, And seconds? WTF?
Guessing Im going to rethink a couple of my projects

[anonymous.youtuber]

Very revealing! Anyone planning to have a home built should be watching this. Knowledge helps you avoid mistakes. Thank Matt!

[doubledarefan]

There's gaps in the mortar joints. Water should never leak, much less squirt, thru a brick wall. Especially in a matter of seconds. Are you sure the masons weren't being a little hasty in their work?
The 3 streams @5:50 are probably starting at the same head joint and being split up by that mortar blob next to it.

[shtfcom]

Awesome test, thanks to the homeowner for letting you do it; too bad they maybe in litigation with the folks you took over from....Realities! I'm very impressed with your continual clarification of 'barriers', and how to use.

[kniefi]

That is why in Germany we paint those stones with 2 layers of primer and afterwards with 2 layers of Fassadepaint with special properties, diffusion open, but will not let any water in!

Plus in the bottom there will be little "holes" "slits" in the bricks, covered by some mesh, so no insects will go in, but the mopisture/water can come out!

Also we have the walls built as follows:

11, 5cm bricks/Klinker or limestone painted or treated with some silicon anti-moisture, a hydrophobation. then stainless steel anchors with some water drip discs - which for one keep the 16cm insulation (rockwool stonewool) compressed and also attract moisture, which then can drip off and evaporate through the holes.

Outer shell and inner shell will have 2cm gap in betwenn, but are connected with the stainless steel anchors. and then of course the inner wall consisting of 17, 5cm of Aircrete, liky Ytong, or Hebel, or Limestone between 17, 5 - 24cm depending on static requirements. These walls built that way are usually around 50cm +- thick, that is 20 inches. they are very solid, have good insulation values and are very soundproof, wheather resistant, stand for 100years+ if built the right way - and they are fireproof!
absolutely nothing in the above mentioned construction can catch on fire an burn.
Stones don`t burn, nor do the anchors, the stonewool insulation or the inner wall made out of aircrete, the plaster which seals from the inside also does not burn.

maybe, if plastic windows are used, they could burn - but if you have the money there is the option for aluminum windows, although most people - me included - cannot afford that.


Also in the roof, the calssic framing of the roof can burn, which is a downside - but since most floor seperating ceilings are poured out of concrete, it only affects the uppermost ceiling in he house, on the second florr for example.

Of course here in Germany many houses are also built out of wood - prefabricated most of the times, with 4x8 inches thick framing, OSB plated from the inside, then some sort of steam7water vapour barrier, and some Rigidur plates and from the outside sometimes some wood-boards, then some insulation and some armation plus plaster on the outisde of the insulation. with another layer of vapour barrier.

[martyvanord]

I love your building science approach. I remember reading about a test with an 18 inch historic brick wall and the water soaked the inside in around 15 minutes. Masonry walls are referred to as a 'hard sponge' but you already knew that. Nice video showing the challenges in building modern for long term durability.

[scorpio]

I always enjoy your demo videos. This was a perfect opportunity to show a new, flawed wall system that was coming down anyway.

[pats]

Brilliant demonstration of how water penetration occurs.
I’ve watched almost all your videos and this is the missing piece. Thank you!

[johnlysic]

Very interesting demonstration - I really did not expect the water to get through that stone like that - thank you thank you

[BrandonTran]

Oooon, the BUILD Show! Wow that's amazing to see.

[bobrubino]

I am a certified infrared thermographer. My main job was inspecting roof and buildings for water leaks or water penetration problems. A number of times I inspected homes for leaking roof problems, but what I found was the water penetration was due to manufactured or faux stone exterior building veneers. The problem was the installers attached the metal lathe, used to hold the mortar, directly to the wood framing members, there was no air gap. When a strong or heavy rainstorm would come through, the rain water soaked the mortar and traveled into the wood framing.

[BubbleOnPlumb]

Even with his back turned to the camera Jordan does the signature head nod as Matt delivers his signature "On the Build Show" line. 15:27 Awesome!

[hpw]

Remember seeing a article in Fine Home Building doing the same demonstration with a brick wall....same results

[rockerpat]

I rented a building that cost me out the ass and every time it rained I would get a lake inside right were my work bench was located. Everyone kept saying it was a roof leak, until I did a water test on the wall on a cloudless day. Within a couple of minutes water was coming into the shop. Glad I move out. I will never have a brick house or shop again!!!

[BanBiofuels]

Amazing demo. Most home owners have no idea.