In short: A slab edge standing proud of the frame looks minor. It narrows the cavity that keeps the brick veneer and the frame apart.
The cavity has a job
In brick veneer construction a gap separates the bricks from the timber frame. It lets water that gets through the bricks drain away and keeps the frame dry.
What we recorded
At a frame inspection in Aintree the concrete slab extended more than 20mm past the timber frame along a wall. That reduces the cavity below its minimum width once the bricks go up.
The fix
The slab edge is trimmed back before bricklaying. Once bricks are laid, the problem is built in.
What else frame stage shows
The same visit recorded brace straps short of nails, a load-bearing plate cut without a fix and walls out of plumb. All of these are quick to correct with the frame open.
Written by our local inspection team from work carried out in Deanside. Licensed building practitioners, Building & Plumbing Commission registration CDB-U 53425.
