That's a good perspective. But from a cost standpoint, do you think investing in higher-quality veneer construction ends up being more affordable long-term compared to maintaining solid brick walls? Curious what your experience has been...
"do you think investing in higher-quality veneer construction ends up being more affordable long-term compared to maintaining solid brick walls?"
Honestly, from what I've seen, veneer might save upfront but can get tricky later—especially if moisture gets behind it. Solid brick needs repointing occasionally, sure, but properly done it lasts decades without major headaches...
"Solid brick needs repointing occasionally, sure, but properly done it lasts decades without major headaches..."
Fair point, but honestly, from experience, solid brick isn't exactly maintenance-free either. I've worked on interiors in older homes with original brick walls—gorgeous, yes, but sometimes a nightmare when moisture issues set in. Veneer can be tricky too, especially if installation's rushed or waterproofing details are skipped. If you're leaning towards veneer, here's what I'd suggest: make sure there's a proper drainage plane behind it, use high-quality flashing materials, and double-check the weep holes are clear and correctly placed. Skip any of these steps, and that initial cost-saving evaporates fast once moisture damage kicks in.
I've seen both systems work beautifully and both fail miserably—it really boils down to installation details and maintenance practices. Curious though, has anyone here had to deal with veneer water damage repairs firsthand? I'd be interested to hear how that turned out compared to solid brick maintenance...
Had veneer on my last place and ran into moisture issues after a few years—mostly due to sloppy flashing. Fixing it was definitely a headache, but nowhere near as tedious (or expensive) as repointing solid brick walls in my current home...both have their quirks, honestly.
"Fixing it was definitely a headache, but nowhere near as tedious (or expensive) as repointing solid brick walls in my current home..."
Funny you mention repointing—I tackled that on my folks' old place a few summers back, and yeah, it's a grind. But honestly, I'd still take solid brick over veneer any day. Veneer always feels like you're just waiting for something to go wrong behind the scenes. At least with solid brick, the issues are usually right there in front of you...no nasty surprises hidden behind layers of siding.
