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Posted: Sep 30, 2008 10:26 AM	cc foam effects on brick Has anyone sprayed the interior of antique brick with closed-cell foam? I am concerned about the foam sticking to the brick long term because the brick will wick moisture from the outside and maybe push the foam away from the brick by hydraulic pressure over time. Also, since the brick & mortar cannot dry from the backside will mold develop in the brick or will it leach lime/sulfur out? thanks.
Jim Coler Posted: Oct 01, 2008 06:08 PM	All good questions but it depends on the wall thickness and ability for the brick/masonry wall to dry out through one side only. I've avoided a couple of these jobs just for this reason. I haven't heard or seen any issue with mold or lime leaching, but have heard of brick faces popping off and cracking. When the moisture gets into the brick and it freezes, the faces can pop off the bricks and they can crack. You could use a program called WUFI to analyze the moisture movement and drying - but keep in mind it's only a program which is susceptible to human error. If you leave an air space behind the bricks, it will minimize the moisture drive through the wall because of this "weep channel". Many masonry wall system use these air spaces to allow air in the bottom and out the top to relieve the moisture build up behind brick.
Gerry Wagoner Posted: Oct 15, 2008 10:18 PM	Spray it and.. quit worryin.
Posted: Oct 15, 2008 10:35 PM	Don't overthink these things, unless it is wet it'll stick. Any even when it is wet, you get a seamless layer so it won't pull away like it could in a stud bay. Tim
Eric Smith Posted: Oct 22, 2008 10:46 PM	Rivernrocks has a point about the freezing issue, however, there seems to be alot of empirical evidence to indicate that it isn't a problem.

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Posted: Sep 30, 2008 10:26 AM

cc foam effects on brick

Has anyone sprayed the interior of antique brick with closed-cell foam? I am concerned about the foam sticking to the brick long term because the brick will wick moisture from the outside and maybe push the foam away from the brick by hydraulic pressure over time. Also, since the brick & mortar cannot dry from the backside will mold develop in the brick or will it leach lime/sulfur out?
thanks.

Jim Coler

Posted: Oct 01, 2008 06:08 PM

All good questions but it depends on the wall thickness and ability for the brick/masonry wall to dry out through one side only. I've avoided a couple of these jobs just for this reason. I haven't heard or seen any issue with mold or lime leaching, but have heard of brick faces popping off and cracking. When the moisture gets into the brick and it freezes, the faces can pop off the bricks and they can crack.

You could use a program called WUFI to analyze the moisture movement and drying - but keep in mind it's only a program which is susceptible to human error.

If you leave an air space behind the bricks, it will minimize the moisture drive through the wall because of this "weep channel". Many masonry wall system use these air spaces to allow air in the bottom and out the top to relieve the moisture build up behind brick.

Gerry Wagoner

Posted: Oct 15, 2008 10:18 PM

Spray it and..

quit worryin.

Posted: Oct 15, 2008 10:35 PM

Don't overthink these things, unless it is wet it'll stick. Any even when it is wet, you get a seamless layer so it won't pull away like it could in a stud bay.

Tim

Eric Smith

Posted: Oct 22, 2008 10:46 PM

Rivernrocks has a point about the freezing issue, however, there seems to be alot of empirical evidence to indicate that it isn't a problem.

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