Q&A: Brick Veneer Anchors

CONNECTORS, ANCHORS and Fasteners

By Paul Curtis

When is a wall considered a veneer?

What about water penetration?

Under what conditions can I use the Prescriptive Requirements for Anchored Veneer?

• Velocity pressure 40 psf or under.
• Buildings with a preservative-treated wood foundation height not exceeding 18 ft.
• Wood backup framing 30 ft. or less, or 38 ft. or less at a gable.
• Cold-formed steel framing backup walls 30 ft. or less, or 38 ft. or less at a gable with veneer supported each story above the 30 ft. height.
• Interior veneers with wood backup weight of 40 psf or less.
• Exterior veneers with an installed weight of 40 psf or less and a 12-ft. maximum height supported by wood construction. (Horizontally spanning element deflection from dead and live loads cannot exceed 1/600 or 0.3 in.)
• Openings where anchored veneer is not self-supporting must have non-combustible lintels or supports attached to openings.
• Maximum distance of 4 1/2 in. between the inside face of the veneer and the outside face of the solid sheathing/framing.

Five types of anchors are listed in the Code. What are they and where can I use them?

1. Corrugated sheet metal anchors. These are the smaller/thinner, field-bendable anchors typically found in residential brick homes. Minimum requirements are 22 gauge (0.3 in.) x 7/8 in. wide. They can be used only with wood backup walls with a 1-in. airspace. Larger airspaces require the sheet metal anchors below. The corrugated sheet metal anchors are not allowed in CMU backup walls! The nail or fastener into backup must be within 1/2 in. of the 90° bend.
2. Sheet metal anchors. These anchors are factory bent and must be a minimum of [caption id="attachment_13603" align="alignright" width="300"] Figure 2.[/caption] 7/8 in. wide and 16 gauge (0.06 in.). Sheet metal anchors can be used with wood backup. Note that sheet metal anchors can be corrugated, but they are not the same as the corrugated sheet metal anchors above. The difference is the thickness of 16 gauge instead of 22 gauge, as well as being factory-bent.
3. Wire anchors. These must be a minimum of 9-gauge wire (0.148 in.) and must have the horizontal bends in the veneer bent a minimum of 2 in. Wire anchors can be used with masonry backups and wood backups [caption id="attachment_13604" align="alignright" width="300"] Figure 3.[/caption]
4. Joint reinforcement. Can be either ladder-type or pintle/eye-type and be a minimum of 9-gauge wire (0.148 in.). Wire ties will be spaced 16 in. on center. Used with CMU backup only.
5. Adjustable anchors. Sheet metal components must be a minimum of 16 gauge (0.06 in.), and the wire portion a minimum of 9 gauge (0.148 in.). Maximum clearance between connecting parts is 1/16 in., and the maximum [caption id="attachment_13602" align="alignright" width="300"] Figure 4.[/caption] offset (above or below the plain of the backup anchor) is 1 1/4 in. Adjustable anchors are used with wood, steel framing, masonry and concrete backups.

How often are the anchors spaced and how thick are the joints?

• Spacing. Adjustable anchors, 9-gauge wire anchors and 22-gauge corrugated [caption id="attachment_13600" align="alignright" width="300"] Figure 5.[/caption] sheet metal anchors require one anchor for each 2.67 ft of wall space. All other anchors are spaced one anchor each 3.5 ft. Maximum spacing is 32 in. horizontally and 25 in. vertically, not exceeding the maximum square foot area. Additional anchors are required around openings over 16 in. in either dimension. Anchors should be placed within 12 in. of the opening.
• Joint thickness. The mortar bed needs to be at least twice the thickness of the anchor (3/16-in. diameter anchor requires a 3/8-in. joint)

What about seismic zones?

What do I do in high-wind areas?

What do I do if my building doesn’t fit into the Prescriptive Requirements or if there is a new product that doesn’t fit in any of the code requirements?

What about adhered veneer?