Brick Basement Walls New Mexico

Source: MASONRY CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE
Publication date: December 1, 2000

Can brick masonry walls be used for foundation or basement walls? Should these walls be coated?

Although not commonly used for this purpose, brick masonry can be used for foundation or basement walls, but it should be covered with a waterproof or dampproof coating to prevent groundwater penetration and rising damp. This coating should extend above finished grade. It is also important to use a through-wall flashing at the base of the wall above grade so that water penetrating the walls above grade will not enter the top of the foundation walls. Preferably, this flashing should lap over the top of the waterproof or dampproof coating. The Brick Industry Association (BIA), in Technical Notes on Brick Construction 8B and 11E, recommends that Type M mortar be used in brick masonry in contact with earth, such as foundations and retaining walls.

The surface of the walls should be covered with a waterproof membrane or a dampproof coating to help prevent ground water from penetrating the masonry walls. In the past, BIA had provided some guidance in Technical Notes on Brick Construction 7 (from July 1961). This technical note stated that "where soil conditions do not permit a buildup of water, dampproofing the exterior face may be all that is required." These dampproofing procedures included applying one or two coats of cement mortar parging.

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