TABLE OF CONTENTS Exterior building walls have three roles. The first role is structural resisting wind, seismic, and gravity loads, and then transferring them to primary framing. The second is environmental protecting the building from the elements, moisture, and temperature extremes. The third is architectural the fa ade is the face of the building, as the name implies. Failures can occur in all three areas.
In this chapter, we discuss the main causes of distress in exterior walls and examine the available repair solutions. The first fa ade problem, the most dramatic and difficult to ignore, is basic disintegration of material, caused by aging, deterioration of supports, and freeze-thaw cycles. This problem can be painfully obvious and exposed for everyone to see. In extreme cases, it can lead to the too-familiar story of a brick falling down and injuring or killing somebody. Less dramatically, fa ade disintegration may take the form of crumbling old mortar.
The second cause of fa ade distress is movement of the building structure or differential shortening of the building frame. The typical result is cracked, bulging, or out-of-plumb walls. Foundation settlement can cause not only cracked walls, but also out-of-square doors and windows that don't operate properly.
The third type of fa ade problem is a lack of weathertightness, resulting in water penetration and excessive air infiltration from the outside. The opposite process can also take place: moisture cannot escape from inside the building and produces condensation. Either way, the building insulation and interior finishes may be ruined and energy...
