How to Transition From Brick to Siding
Brick and siding are often mixed together on a single house -- usually by laying several courses of bricks around the bottom of the house and installing siding on top. One of the challenges of mixing siding and brick in this way is addressing the issue of the transition, or the area where the siding and the brick meet. If the transition is improperly handled, rain water will run off the siding and pool on the brick. Standing water can damage the brick, especially if it seeps into the mortar and freezes. A properly installed transition will consist of a sloping layer of stone that is angled away from the house in order to allow water to run off without doing harm to the brick.
Step 1
Install flashing to the sheathing, starting 4 inches above the top of where the transition will be. The bottom of the flashing should form a 90-degree angle and line the top course of bricks. The drip cap should extend past the edge of the top course of bricks and slope downward to point rain away from the building. The type of nails you use to install the flashing will depend on the type of metal your flashing is made from. Some metal nails react poorly with some flashing materials, so follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully.
Step 2
Secure the angled sill stone to the sheathing with construction adhesive.
Step 3
Install flashing to the sheathing above the sill stone. The drip cap should cover a portion of the top of the sill stone, just far enough that it will extend beyond the siding when it is installed.
Step 4
Install the siding according to the manufacturer's instructions. The bottom edge of the siding should meet the drip cap on top of the sill stone.
References
Tips
- There are a couple terms that you should be familiar with if you are going to attempt this yourself. "Flashing" is a surface meant to carry water away from the walls of your house. Flashing may be made from different materials, take different shapes and may be used in different locations on your home. Flashing for transitions will have a "drip cap," which is an angled edge that points downward and away from the house. "Sheathing" is a part of the core of the walls of your house. Sheathing is found between the interior of the walls and the exterior of the walls. It can be structural -- meaning it adds to the structural integrity of your house -- or nonstructural.
Writer Bio
Leslie Rose has been a freelance writer publishing with Demand Studios since 2008. In addition to her work as a writer, she is an accomplished painter and experienced art teacher. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in art with a minor in English.
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