Red bricked arch over front doors (leaking)!

doityourselfno

Have a 1940's semi-detached 3 bedroomed house.Over 12 months ago we had new double glazed front doors put in.We had the red bricked arch above the doors replaced at the same time because it was rough and tatty and would have looked out of place with the new doors.When they took the arch down it came down in two big lumps either side of the granite keystone in the middle.Between the arch and the cavity blocked wall above it,was a membrane,a black sheet of something or other.The builder said,thats why the bricks fell down in two lumps because the membrane was stopping the bricks adhering to the blocks and it should not have been there..The question is :-Should they have put a membrane between the red bricks and the wall above and is that whythe red bricks are getting wet inside and dripping inside the doors?They have given the red bricks two coats of Thompsons sealer but it hasn't made any difference.Please help.We are wetter now inside than we were with our old rotten wooden doors.The arch wasn't leaking before we had it replaced.Only the doors leaked.Thanks.

concretemasonry

The arch was not properly designed and built.

The original lasted about 70 years and just did not look right.

It sounds like no moisture control or planning. Was it done by a real, experienced contractor or just a DIY guy that said he could do it cheap because he needed the work?

Arches have stood for centuries in the past (probably carrying much more load than yours).

Dick

stuart45

doityourselfno,
from your description I am guessing that you are in the UK. If so and you have a standard brick/cavity/block wall they used to usually have a piece of 18 inch DPC put over the top of the arch to prevent water runnig down the inside of the external skin and inside from the top of the arch. Arches have always been a problem in cavity walls in the past.
However nowadays your builder should have inserted a purpose built cavity tray as shown below. The fact that it now leaks shows that it has been incorrectly rebuilt. Putting a sealer over the arch is just a bodge.

jomama45

Just wait Stu, are you saying that people in the UK really rely on products like Thompsons Water seal to fix stuff too?

All I know is a sealer like that is merely a temporary patch for a wall that should outlast every single person on this form, and their grandchildren.

stuart45

Next to beer I'd say it's the most popular liquid in the building trade.
Probably tastes better than some of our stuff as well.

itsreallyconc

isn't that why they use brick ties & ledges ? even silicone siloxanes're just maintenance materials & NOT repair materials,,, no personal knowledge as to taste of s/s, tho

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if you hear it from a guy in the apron store, be VERY suspicious the mtl/method will work,,, when it time to build something together, they won't answer phones NOR help
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stuart45

Heard it's a bit like Georgia Moonshine.

doityourselfno

Thanks very much 'stuart45' I think your right. A good job hasn't been done. I shall confront the builder with your suggestion. He says he will put it right even if he has to take it down again. Thanks once again.