The featured photograph shows a lintel that was removed from over a door opening. The brick wall is about 45 years old and faces west. The age of the brick veneer and the lintel are not known with certainty, but… Read More
Category Archives: Case Studies
The Importance of Allowing Room for Expansion and Contraction
While waiting at an exit on I-71 for a traffic light to change, I noticed a large vertical split in one of the posts for the guardrail (see feature photo). Being of the forensic persuasion, I gave a quick thought… Read More
What Can We Tell from This Photo? (Case Study 15)
The feature photograph was taken of the underside of a roof deck in an attic. This photograph provides helpful information regarding the cause and history of the damage. From this photo we observe the following: The pixelated pattern of the apparent… Read More
Corrugated Brick Ties
How well do those corrugated brick ties perform over time? Not too well. The wall fallen in the featured photograph exhibited severely corroded ties that contributed to the failure of the brick veneer (Figures 1 and 2). The wall was… Read More
What Can We Tell from This Photo? (Case Study 14)
The feature photograph was taken of a chimney that had been clad with manufactured stone veneer. This photograph provides helpful information regarding the cause and history of the damage. From this photo we observe the following: There is no waterproof membrane… Read More
Case Study: Hand Torn Shingles
The dimensional shingles on the roof exhibited many torn and dislodged shingle strips (see featured photo). The shingle strips were well sealed and when they were lifted, the underside of the mat adhered to the underlying shingle (Figure 1). In… Read More
Case Study: A Sagging Roof
The roof of this barn exhibits a sag (featured photo). The roof is framed with rafters (Figure 1). The rafter ties are set very high to allow clearance for interior activities; however, this prevents the ties from adequately restraining the… Read More