Cavity Walls

6/29/2020

Masonry Cavity Walls Are A Durable Solution

Exterior Masonry Cavity Walls consist of a weather-resistant exterior wythe of brick or stone or similar material and an inner wythe of concrete block. The cavity aids in preventing water penetration by draining any water out the base of the wall.

The door penetrations of the wall require special care shown immediately below (windows too).

The wall base condition is shown at the bottom.

Head Detail

Jamb Detail

Exterior Masonry Door Details in Cavity Walls require attention to closing off the cavity and controlling any water that may have entered the wall above the door.

The key features of the detail are the:

cavity vent that prevents mortar droppings from clogging the bottom of the cavity
masonry flashing to direct any moisture to the exterior
weep vent to let moisture out of the cavity and to equalize air pressure in the cavity with the outdoors (a similar vent is often placed at the top of the cavity)
method for closing off the cavity above the door.
reference to the structural lintel needed.

Base Detail

Masonry backup of concrete block offers the advantage of being a load bearing structure, although it can be non-load bearing. The cavity can accommodate significant insulation with masonry mass on the interior.

The key features of the detail are the:

continuous cavity vent that prevents mortar droppings from clogging the bottom of the cavity
masonry flashing to direct any moisture to the exterior
weep vent to let moisture out of the cavity and to equalize air pressure in the cavity with the outdoors (a similar vent is often placed at the top of the cavity)
And identifying other components of the wall