Wood framing in contact with masonry = Rot?
RooferBill
| Posted in General Discussion on
So, a wall was framed directly in front of a brick and mortar fireplace. The wood framing members are in direct contact with the masonry, no barriers or anything between the wood and insulation, and the brick. The framing is rotten, but we haven’t fully demoed the wall yet to see the extent of the damage. Could the brick being in direct contact with the wood framing cause that wood to rot? Customers are thinking its a roof leak, but seeing how it was framed and how rotten it is (roof was just done with last 2 years) im starting to question if a leak is what caused this rot. Can anyone confirm or deny the possibility of the brick/wood contact being the cause of the rot? Than you
Replies
As a roofer you know the importance of flashing. Its purpose is to direct water away from points of entry. Too often builders go with what looks good and is easy.
One possibility is chimney flashing. That’s at the top. Water gets in, works its way down and if it exits and the wood dries, it can take years for rot to get to the point of failure.
Do you use kick out flashing at the bottoms of dormers or other roof sidewall penetrations to direct water away or into eaves troughs? Great points of entry.
Caulk can keep water out as well as hold it in. Another good place to look .
You have any pictures you can post of the problem areas?
We had a problem when wind driven drain saturated the chimney bricks and the water leached through to the face of the fireplace. Don't know what your structure looks like.
I had the exterior bricks water sealed to prevent the saturation.
Another possibility is the chimney crown has cracks. I redid our roof with metal and knew the flashing was in perfect condition and working. Had a period of rain for days and then a little spot appeared in the ceiling adjacent to the chimney. I finally figured out it was cracks on the crown, with water seeping down through various pathways, and coming out through the brick face onto the ceiling drywall. I had crown guard applied and the problem disappeared, even with more intensive and long periods of rain.