Maybe thin veneer isnt always the lazy choice after all

Met a guy named Dale at the supply yard last Tuesday, been laying brick since 1979. He flat out told me that anyone doing thin veneer over existing brick is just taking the easy way out. I've always felt the same, though I never said it out loud. But then he started talking about how some old foundations are too cracked to carry real brick weight, and how veneer can actually save a wall from coming down. That got me thinking about a job I did in Portland where the homeowner wanted real brick but the footing was shot. I pushed for a full rebuild and it cost them 9 grand. Dale said he would have done veneer for 3,500 and it would have held fine. Maybe I've been too stuck on tradition and not enough on what actually works for the situation. Has anyone else changed their mind about veneer after hearing a good reason for it?

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daniel_lane302mo ago

Dale's been laying brick since before I was born, but that doesnt make him right about this. Veneer is a bandaid, and the moment that old brick behind it shifts or the crack spreads, youre hiding a problem instead of fixing it. Ive seen that 3,500 dollar job turn into 15 grand of repairs a few years later, so yeah, sometimes the expensive route is the honest one.

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