Both will work if designed by an engineer. The difficulty with the angle is that it will have to be above grade unless it is stainless steel and the detailing of the lower part of the wall can be difficult in terms of the structure and the appearance. I couldn't tell you more without an accurate wall section.

I talked to a technical guy from Redland Brick (who makes our brick) and he did not recommend the angle iron. Plus the other side of our foundation wall is a completed home theater so no way would be rip down interior walls.

There is a product out there called Tru-Brix from Redland that uses brick veneer which is real brick and does not require a brick ledge as it adheres to the exterior walls with a channel system. They claim you cannot tell the difference. It is more expensive than a standard brick application but cheaper than digging and installing a brick ledge.

Has anyone used this system?

"brick veneer" is what is on the existing brick cavity walls. What you are describing is usually called "thin brick". I've never used it.

Thanks so much for your help.

According to Case#2, you have to get those anchor iron into the foundation somehow. How does that happen?

I also got the following suggestion from an online expert (Bruce Johnson):

Hi Susan, digging down to the existing footer is the best method. Next would be to drill and epoxy rebar into the existing foundation wall and pour an attached footing at a higher elevation say 8" below grade, install one course of masonry to bring it to grade and then start your brick. The angle iron will work but it would have to be hot dipped galvanized and pre drilled prior to galvanization and installed with galvanized fasteners. Otherwise it will eventually rot away leaving the brick unsupported. I hope this information helps, please feel free to write again regarding this or other matters.

That would address the issue of how it looked finished under the angle iron, I would think.

THe Tru-Brix system does not allow for adhering brick directly to the wood sheathing. There is a steel channel system installed first and then the bricks are slid onto that and then mortared into place. There is an installation video at their site at tru-brix.com.

The Tru-Brix guy, naturally, says digging to the foundation risks disturbing your tile system and gravel which I don't want to do. Access to the interior side of the wall isn't possible as it's my husband's home theater and not even my love of brick would allow that room to be distrubed. So it seems it is Tru-Brick or the angle iron and I'm not thrilled to have holes drilled into my foundation (interior leaking).

Your thoughts on this are appreciated.

My concerns with the Tru-Brix would be: 1) any detailing necessary to drain water from behind the surface. ( I don't see any reference in their installation instructions.); and 2) the long term durability of the steel channel system that the thin bricks rest in.

If I were using thin brick on an exterior application, I'd prefer to use more traditional installation methods.

I've seen the ledge method used. Unless the ledge is well covered by shrubbery, it just looks like a mistake to me. But since I saw a spec builder change his mind and substitute masonry on a shelf for stucco and sell the home for $1.77m, I guess that's only my take on it.

detailing necessary to drain water from behind the surface

Tru-Brix does use a drainage channel housewrap that should work even with face-applied materials. It also says that water that penetrates the brick and mortar will accumulate in the corners of the steel rails. What I don't see is where and how the water in the rain channels and the steel rails will be evacuated.

Thanks, worthy, for your comments. It is so aggravating to me that when we were building we just didn't have the foresight to just add a brick ledge everywhere just in case. If hindsight was 20-20....

The Tru-Brix system does in corporate a way to drain water. I didn't notice it initially until I found their FAQ page:

Where does water go when it gets into the system?

The majority of the water that hits the masonry wall will run down the face of the brick. When the wall is saturated with wind-driven rain, water may be pushed into the system, where it typically collects in the rail. The water will then drain to the corners of the rail and flow down to grade.

Are weep holes necessary in the bottom course?

No. A properly installed job will drain down to grade because the Tru-Brix system is designed to use the Tru-Brix building wrap to allow the collected water in the rail to travel to grade behind the steel rail and not penetrate the building. You can view the ASTM testing results for more information.

They key is to talk to people who have had this system for a few years.

When you say "traditional methods", which method of applying thin brick are you referring to?

I agrre that the ledge method that shows the angle iron above the foundation would be unsightly. I think the suggestion from Bruce Johnson about the galvanized steel angle iron below grade would be a more aesthetic solution. But, we are still intrigued by the Tru-Brix system and are definitely going to seek references and do more research on it. I'm anxious to see it actually installed.

Hi Susan,

I am in the same boat a you now. When we built our home because of budget constraint we only had bricks in front of the house, not on the sides and back. Our home is on top of the hill with no trees surround and the winds are unbearable. Our poured foundation is 8" as well with no brick ledge (would I have known this when founding was poured??????).

What method did you do to your house? How did it turn out? Would you please share? I appreciate your help.

Thanks.

For wind protection I would add 18" tall cedar shingles with a 5" exposure for a triple layer of coverage. Brick on the front wall and cedar shingles on the other 3 walls is a handsome southern tradition if detailed well.

I'm considering using Tru-Brix also because we don't have a brick ledge. I would love for someone who has had it installed for a few years to please give their thoughts on this system.

Thanks so much!

Did you end up using the Tru-Brix method? I have an existing stucco home that does not have a brick ledge that I also would like to brick over. Any suggestions?

Sounds like you should just use a thin brick with proper air gap and drainage plane. If your worried about disturbing the drain tile and wall. It will be a much “simpler” installation.