Masonry Wall Drainage Testing

Rainwater penetrating through exterior masonry wall is a serious problem throughout the country. Trying to identify the cause and origin of water penetrations in concrete brick, clay brick, and stone cladding systems is often a difficult task. Building Diagnostics Group, Inc (BDG) is the leader in cause & origin water infiltration investigations and specializes in utilizing ASTM & AAMA testing standards to identify water infiltrations in building systems.

A typical brick wall system is designed under the assumption that some moisture will enter the cladding system. Any water that penetrates should, in a properly designed/installed system, migrate down through a recommended 2-inch clear air space behind the brick system. Once the water reaches the bottom of the wall it should drain out from the wall system through installed weep holes.

ASTM has developed a standard to test the effectiveness of masonry drainage systems. The ASTM C1715-09 Standard Test Method for Evaluation of Water Leakage Performance of Masonry Wall Drainage Systems describes a standard procedure for determining the ability of masonry wall drainage systems to collect water that penetrates the exterior masonry during rainstorms and to direct this water back to the exterior surface of the wall via drainage systems.

This test requires small ½-inch holes in the exterior brick façade. Plastic tubing is then inserted to the inside edge of the brick wall system. It is important that water does not contact interior wall system. Water is then applied at a low-volume consistent flow into each of the holes. During the test we document the ability or inability of water to exit the wall system via the weep drainage hole(s).

This testing can be used to identify improper building and/or design of drainage systems, document cause and origin of water infiltration(s) for potential building defect cases, or quality assurance for new construction. The time and expense of performing an initial, well-focused evaluation will save the building owner money in the long run and result in repairs that extend the service life of the building. Contact our office today for more information about all of our forensic water testing services.