Installations of Split-face Concrete Block Draw Scrutiny in Chicago - Fine Homebuilding FHB Logo Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter Instagram Plus Icon Close Icon Navigation Search Icon Arrow Down Icon Video Guide Icon Article Guide Icon Modal Close Icon Guide Search Icon Skip to content
Main Menu
Subscribe

In every issue you'll find...

  • Expert insights on techniques and principles
  • Unbiased tool reviews
  • Step-by-step details to master the job
  • Field-tested advice and know-how
Subscribe Now!
Subscribe
  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Videos
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcast
  • Join
  • Log In
Main Menu Subscribe
Building Business

Installations of Split-face Concrete Block Draw Scrutiny in Chicago

By Richard Defendorf
Article Image
Many homes in the Chicago area built with improperly installed split-face concrete block have been having exterior-wall moisture problems, including water damage to drywall and, more critically, rot where wood beams come in direct contact with the masonry, says area home inspection specialist William Decker. The truss ends, in this case, were seriously rotted.

With the range of weather conditions exterior-wall systems face in many parts of the country – especially in the mountain states, the Midwest, and the Northeast – it’s no surprise that defects in materials and/or installation can make themselves known fairly quickly and prominently in these regions.

 

Recently, reports have surfaced that a growing number of homeowners in the Chicago area are struggling with wet spots, rot, and mold problems on exterior walls that feature split-face concrete block, the architectural and decorative concrete masonry unit whose rough, stone-like texture is created by splitting a block during production. The material is available in various configurations for load-bearing and non-load-bearing uses. 

 

“For the last four or five years, the major problem we saw was water coming in, and mold and stained walls,” William Decker, of Decker Home Inspection Services, told ABC-TV’s Chicago affiliate, WLS. Decker and another Chicago-area home inspector, Kurt Mitenbuler, added that over the past five years the problem has grown more serious as water condensation – exacerbated by temperature disparities between the block on the outside and the interior wooden surfaces of a wall system – eventually caused wood roof beams to rot where they come in contact with the concrete blocks. 

 

The fact that wood beams are resting directly on the masonry of many of the houses he has inspected, Decker told Fine Homebuilding, suggests the problem likely is widespread among homes with split-face block exteriors. The biggest concern, he added, is that the roof-to-wall system will fail.

 

Sorting through the evidence

“I’ve seen some (beams) that you can put your finger through them, they’re so soft. The weight of the roof just breaks them off,” Decker told WLS. “Come this winter, especially with the snow loads we’re used to in Chicago, I’m very concerned.”

 

In its overview of split-face concrete block, the NAHB Research Center’s Toolbase.org website does in fact note that the material, which is more widely used in commercial building than in residential projects, “shares some disadvantages with standard CMUs, such as mortar susceptibility to long-term water penetration, high thermal transmission, low tolerance to freeze/thaw cycles, and dust collection when used as an interior finish.” 

 

The Chicago Department of Buildings says, however, that it has not received reports of damage to roofs due to improper installation of walls featuring split-face concrete block, noting that “when properly constructed and maintained, split-face block does not cause a safety threat to the structure or occupants of the buildings.”

 

Decker told Fine Homebuilding that fixing the problem means, in addition to replacing the rotting wood, properly sealing the masonry (with, for example, elastomeric paint) and installing flashing between the masonry and wood surfaces to prevent moisture transfer. 

 

We’ve also contacted Mitenbuler for his observations (he promises to get back to us soon) and asked a couple masonry manufacturers tiny_mce3-2-1-1/themes/advanced/langs/en.js?20101122″ type=”text/javascript”> for feedback. 

 

 

Sign up for eletters today and get the latest how-to from Fine Homebuilding, plus special offers.

Sign Up

Many homes in the Chicago area built with improperly installed split-face concrete block have been having exterior-wall moisture problems, including water damage to drywall and, more critically, rot where wood beams come in direct contact with the masonry, says area home inspection specialist William Decker. The truss ends, in this case, were seriously rotted.

Water damage was evident elsewhere on the trusses. 

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

×
X
X

New Feature

Fine Homebuilding Forums

Ask questions, offer advice, and share your work

View Comments

  1. rltarch | Nov 27, 2010 10:06am | #1

    Bad detailing is bad detailing, regardless of the materials. Typically, untreated wood can't touch masonry anyway; I wonder how this was missed in this example?

  2. abhot | Aug 09, 2011 06:33am | #2

    .http://voguecatch。com
    Online Store,Get Name Brand Fashion From 12USD Now!
    Lv,Gucci,Prada,Coach,Chanel Women sandal is $30
    DG,JUICY,Lv,Gucci,Coach Hand-bag price is $35
    Polo,Locaste,Levis,EdHardy,Bape,Christan Audigier AF,COOGI Tshirt price is $12
    Jeans price is $34
    Paypal accept,Door to Door services!
    5 days arrive your home or you

  3. mikejones4 | Apr 18, 2020 05:52pm | #3

    Awesome explanation of split-faced block!
    http://www.ensureinspections.com

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Sign up Log in

Become a member and get full access to FineHomebuilding.com

More Building Business

View All
  • Marketing in Place

  • Check Construction Estimate Profit First for Contractors

    Checking Your Construction Estimate

  • Top 4 Things We Learned in 2018

  • 7 Benefits of Paid Online Ads

View All

Up Next

Featured Story

FHB Podcast 317

Podcast 317: Natural Air Changes, Flashing Windows in Brick Walls, and Cleaning Construction Messes

Rob, Kiley, and Patrick hear from listeners about going all-electric and air-sealing adventures before taking listener questions about natural air changes, flashing windows in brick openings, and how clean a job site should be.

Featured Video

Builder’s Advocate: An Interview With Viewrail

Learn more about affordable, modern floating stairs, from design to manufacturing to installation.

Related Stories

  • Fast, Flexible Car Charger

  • Fine Homebuilding Issue #297 Online Highlights

  • How to Install Flared Sidewall Shingles

  • Timeless Tip: Tunneling Under Slabs

Discussion Forum

Recent Posts and Replies

  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
View More Create Post

Highlights

  • Fine Homebuilding All Access
  • Fine Homebuilding Podcast
  • Tool Tech

    Plus, get an extra 20% off with code GIFT20

  • "I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.

    Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

    Sign Up See all newsletters

Video

View All
  • flared cedar shingle siding detail

    How to Install Flared Sidewall Shingles

  • FHB Podcast 317

    Podcast 317: Natural Air Changes, Flashing Windows in Brick Walls, and Cleaning Construction Messes

  • FHB Podcast 316: Pro Talk With Dennis Bessette

    Podcast 316: PRO TALK With Dennis Bessette

  • FHB Podcast, Episode 315

    Podcast 315: Perfect Roofs, Heated Decks, and Multifamily High Performance

View All

BOOKS, DVDs, & MERCH

Shop the Store
  • Fine Homebuilding Magazine Slipcase

    Buy Now
  • Code Check Building 4th Edition

    Buy Now
  • Musings of an Energy Nerd

    Buy Now
  • 2020 Fine Homebuilding Archive

    Buy Now
  • Shop the Store

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 297 - February/March 2021

    • Foundations for Success
    • Staircase Renovation
    • Ditch the Hose
  • Issue 296 - Dec 2020/Jan 2021

    • Insulating Glass Keeps Getting Better
    • Simple Way to Make Old Walls Straight and Plumb
    • Making Sense of Minisplits
  • Issue 295 - Kitchens & Baths

    • Condo Kitchen Reimagined
    • Row-House Remodel
    • Rise of the IAQ Monitor
  • Issue 294 - Oct/Nov 2020

    • Schoolhouse Reimagined
    • Tool Test: Folding Sawhorses
    • A Better Way to Build Tall Walls
  • Issue 293 - Aug/Sept 2020

    • A Practical Guide to Fall Protection
    • Installing Frameless Cabinets
    • Make Any Tablesaw Safer

Fine Homebuilding

Follow

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Sign Up See all newsletters

Membership & Magazine

  • Online Archive
  • Start Free Trial
  • Magazine Subscription
  • Magazine Renewal
  • Gift a Subscription
  • Customer Support
  • Manage Preferences

Taunton Network

  • Green Building Advisor
  • Fine Woodworking
  • Fine Gardening
  • Threads
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
  • Copyright
  • Terms of Use
  • Accessibility

© 2021 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

    Main Menu

  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Video
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Reader Projects
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk
  • Account

  • Log In
  • Join

    Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk
  • Popular Topics

  • Kitchens
  • Business
  • Bedrooms
  • Roofs
  • Architecture and Design
  • Green Building
  • Decks
  • Framing
  • Safety
  • Remodeling
  • Bathrooms
  • Windows
  • Tilework
  • Ceilings
  • HVAC

    Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Magazine Index
  • Subscribe
  • Online Archive
  • Author Guidelines

    All Access

  • Member Home
  • Start Free Trial
  • Gift Membership

    Shop the Store

  • Books
  • DVDs
  • Taunton Workshops

    More

  • FHB Ambassadors
  • Reader Projects
  • Podcast
  • Customer Support

    Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Sign Up See all newsletters

Follow

Join All Access

Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.

Start Your Free Trial

Subscribe

FHB Magazine

Start your subscription today and save up to 52%

Subscribe

We hope you’ve enjoyed your free articles. To keep reading, become a member today.

Get complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.

Start your FREE trial

Already a member? Log in