Houston Home Inspections

Visuals of 1 Common Thing
Copyright© 2019
By: Fred Willcox

When I teach the Inspections for Realtors class, I talk about adobe brick and the lack of drain planes at wall penetrations. I thought it would be helpful if I gave you visuals of both.

Adobe brick is simply sun-dried brick. Adobe brick is commonly called “Mexican brick” where I live as it seems to be the thought the only Mexico produces sun dried brick. Adobe brick is actually produced in many states in the United States. I have been to a brick making facility in Pennsylvania that made adobe brick.

Adobe brick is made to use in a dry climate. As the brick has not been “cured”, it shrinks and swells greatly with changes of water. If the brick expands when exposed to water, such as rain or water from a sprinkler system, the brick expands and pops the face of the brick off. The inner part of the brick rapidly deteriorates as the inner part has not been dried or “cured” at all. There is absolutely nothing wrong with adobe brick so long as it is used in a dry climate. When it is used in a wet climate, it has very little chance at all of operating.

I hear that President Trump is unhappy with the a/c system that the previous administration installed. Trump should have hired a good real estate inspector before he moved in!