Solid brick and brick veneer look almost identical from the street. Both show the same visible warning signs: cracked joints, efflorescence, spalling brick faces. But they are fundamentally different construction types that carry loads differently, fail through different mechanisms, and require different repair approaches. A contractor who treats them the same will do sound work on one and create problems on the other.
Solid brick, in the Chicago context, means multi-wythe masonry where the brick wall is structural. Brick veneer is a single non-structural course of brick attached to a framed wall with metal ties, separated from the structural frame by a drainage cavity. This post covers how to tell which construction type you have, how each one fails, and what that means for repair.
The Quick Diagnostic: How to Tell Solid Brick from Brick Veneer
You do not need to open a wall to determine your construction type. Three field checks give you the answer.
Wall thickness at a window or door opening. Go to a window and measure the depth from the outer brick face to the interior finish surface. On a solid multi-wythe brick wall, this measurement is typically 8 inches or more. A standard two-wythe solid brick wall runs about 9 to 10 inches including interior plaster or drywall finish. A three-wythe wall runs thicker. On a brick veneer wall, the measurement at the window reveal is typically 4 to 5 inches - one course of brick, a small air gap, and the framed wall behind it.
This is the fastest check. Stand at a window, look at the depth of the reveal, and measure. If you have an older home and the reveal is clearly deep, you have solid masonry. If you have a post-war home and the reveal is shallow, you have veneer.
Header bricks. Look at the face of the wall from arm’s length. In solid multi-wythe construction, you will periodically see header bricks: bricks laid with the short face visible, perpendicular to the wall, tying the inner and outer wythes together. In a standard running bond veneer wall, every brick shows its long face - all stretchers, no headers. Visible header courses are a reliable indicator of solid multi-wythe construction. Some solid masonry uses metal ties between wythes rather than headers, so the absence of visible headers does not conclusively indicate veneer, but visible headers do conclusively indicate solid masonry.
Weep holes. Look at the base of the exterior brick wall, typically at the first course of brick above the foundation or above a horizontal flashing line. If you see a series of vertical joints left open without mortar, or small tubes protruding from the joint line, those are weep holes. Weep holes are designed features of brick veneer construction, as specified in IRC Section R703.7, allowing moisture from the drainage cavity to exit. Solid masonry does not need weep holes because there is no drainage cavity. Visible weep holes are a definitive indicator of brick veneer construction.
For context on what weep holes do and why they matter, see Weep Holes in Brick Walls: Drainage Explained.
Solid Brick: Construction Type and Chicago Context
Solid multi-wythe masonry was the standard residential construction method in Chicagoland before approximately 1950. Winnetka, Wilmette, and Evanston represent the dense concentration of pre-1950 solid brick on the North Shore.
Winnetka homes from the 1920s through 1960s were built with soft Chicago common brick in standard multi-wythe construction. Median build date in Winnetka is 1942. The documented top problem there is prior Portland cement repairs damaging the original soft brick - a pattern where the harder repair mortar traps moisture inside the brick, which then freezes, expands approximately 9 percent by volume, and pops the brick face. The repair becomes the cause of new damage.
Wilmette’s median build date is 1948, with a housing stock concentrated in the 1920s through 1950s. The documented top problem is efflorescence on basement and foundation walls, driven by the high water table and lake-proximity humidity. Efflorescence is the white salt deposit left when moisture migrates through the wall and evaporates, carrying dissolved mineral salts to the surface. On solid masonry it signals that water is moving through the full thickness of the wall - not a cosmetic problem, but evidence of ongoing water migration through structural masonry.
Evanston is the oldest residential stock on the North Shore, with a median build date of 1939 and a substantial portion of the building inventory pre-dating 1920. NPS Preservation Brief 2 is explicit: mortar used to repair historic masonry must be softer than the masonry units it contacts. Soft common brick requires Type N mortar (ASTM C270 minimum compressive strength 750 PSI) or Type O (350 PSI minimum). Using Type S (minimum 1,800 PSI) or harder Portland-based mortar on soft common brick traps moisture inside the brick, initiating a freeze-thaw spalling cycle that is irreversible once established.
Evanston greystones add a layer of complexity: they use Indiana limestone facing over common brick backing, meaning the limestone joints and the brick joints on the sides and rear require different mortar formulations. Different faces of the same building have different specifications.
For a systematic treatment of brick types and how they age, see Brick Types Explained: Common, Face, Pressed, Clinker.
Solid Brick: How It Fails
Solid multi-wythe masonry fails through three main mechanisms, and they are not independent.
Mortar joint erosion. Mortar joints erode over time through physical weathering. Rain impact, freeze-thaw cycling, and carbonation gradually reduce the mortar depth below the brick face. When joints erode past approximately 1/4 inch from the face, water enters the joint freely and freeze-thaw cycles within the joint accelerate the erosion. On a solid masonry wall, this water is now inside the structural wall assembly.
Freeze-thaw spalling. Water that has entered eroded joints freezes in winter. The expansion forces the mortar joint and eventually the brick face. On soft common brick without proper lime mortar, harder surrounding repair mortar concentrates this stress into the brick face rather than the joint. The face spalls off, exposing the more porous interior of the brick to direct water contact, and the process accelerates.
Header brick deterioration. In solid masonry, header bricks connect the outer and inner wythes. These bricks are exposed to moisture on the exterior face and potentially to condensation on the interior face. After 80 or 100 years, header bricks in some Winnetka and Evanston homes have deteriorated to the point where the connection between wythes is compromised, appearing as bowing or bulging at the wall face. See Bowing and Bulging Brick Walls for the full diagnostic.
The repair for solid masonry starts with identifying the mortar type mismatch if one exists, removing incorrect Portland mortar carefully without damaging the soft brick, and repointing with a matched lime-based specification. Joint removal depth must meet the minimum 3/4 inch standard per BIA Technical Note 7B. Shallow joint cuts - the most common failure point of tuckpointing on older solid masonry - allow the new mortar to pop out within a few seasons because there is insufficient surface area for bonding.
Brick Veneer: Construction Type and Chicago Context
Brick veneer became the dominant residential construction method in Chicagoland’s suburbs after approximately 1950, accelerating through the 1960s through 1980s as suburban growth demanded faster construction. The system allows a framed structure to be clad with a single course of brick at a fraction of solid masonry’s cost.
Northbrook, Glenview, and Palatine best represent this shift.
Northbrook’s primary era is documented as the 1950s through 1980s, with hard machine-pressed brick as the common brick type. Median build date is 1968. The hard, factory-produced machine-pressed brick that dominates in Northbrook is distinct in hardness from the irregular handmade common brick of the pre-war period. Homes in Northbrook’s split-level and ranch developments from the 1960s through 1980s are predominantly brick veneer construction over wood framing, with Type S mortar (ASTM C270 minimum compressive strength 1,800 PSI) as the correct specification for this harder brick. The BIA Technical Note 3A reference on brick material properties establishes why hardness match between brick and mortar is not a post-war preference but a specification requirement.
Glenview follows the same pattern. Primary era 1950s through 1980s, hard machine-pressed brick, median build date 1965. Both Northbrook and Glenview are documented as having builder-grade mortar reaching end of service life - a consequence of production-speed construction during this era.
Palatine represents the later end of the veneer spectrum. Primary era 1970s through 2000s, median build date 1980. Palatine’s documented top problem is manufactured stone veneer installation failures on homes from the 1990s through 2000s: moisture behind the veneer corrodes the metal lath and degrades the scratch coat, causing stones to loosen and fall.
Brick Veneer: How It Fails
Brick veneer fails through mechanisms that do not apply to solid masonry.
Tie corrosion. Metal wall ties connect the brick veneer to the structural frame at roughly 16-inch vertical intervals and 24-inch horizontal intervals, per IRC R703.7. These ties are the only structural connection between the brick skin and the wall it clings to. They are embedded in mortar joints and pass through the drainage cavity. Over time, particularly when the drainage cavity retains moisture due to blocked weep holes, these ties corrode. Corroded ties lose tensile strength. The veneer, which weighs 30 to 40 pounds per square foot, is now connected to the wall by compromised attachments.
The warning sign for tie failure is subtle in early stages. Brick sections may shift slightly out of plane. Stair-step cracking may appear across multiple courses without corresponding foundation movement. The brick sounds hollow when tapped because the connection to the backing has loosened. On Northbrook homes from the 1960s through 1980s, ties installed 50 to 70 years ago are at the age where corrosion assessment is warranted. For the full scope of wall separation consequences, see Brick Wall Pulling Away from House.
Blocked weep holes and cavity moisture. The drainage cavity behind brick veneer collects moisture penetrating through mortar joints and directs it out through weep holes at the base of the wall. When weep holes are blocked by mortar during repointing, insulation pushed too far during construction, or debris accumulation, the cavity loses its drainage function. Water that cannot exit pools at the base, accelerates tie corrosion, and saturates the wall sheathing behind it.
Glenview and Northbrook homes inspected by our crews show blocked weep holes on a significant proportion of brick veneer facades that have been previously repointed. Opening blocked weep holes during a tuckpointing project is part of the scope - not an optional add-on.
Mortar failure and joint profiles. On brick veneer, mortar joints erode by the same mechanisms as on solid masonry. The joint must be removed to minimum 3/4 inch depth per BIA TN-7B and replaced with matched mortar. On veneer, the correct specification for post-war hard machine-pressed brick is Type S. Using Type N on hard machine-pressed brick in a veneer application is insufficient for the exposure; using Type S on soft pre-war brick is too hard. The distinction matters. For the full treatment of mortar joint profiles and how they affect water shedding, see Mortar Joint Profiles.
Why the Distinction Changes the Repair Approach
On a solid masonry building, the contractor is repairing a structural system. On a brick veneer building, the contractor is repairing a cladding and water management system. The structural frame behind the veneer is unaffected by the masonry repair, but errors in that repair - specifically blocked weep holes and incorrect mortar at the cavity base - directly damage the structural frame they were supposed to protect.
Solid masonry inspection priorities: mortar hardness relative to brick hardness, joint erosion depth, header brick condition, evidence of previous Portland repointing, and signs of moisture migration through the wall thickness.
Brick veneer inspection priorities: weep hole condition, tie condition where accessible, cavity moisture evidence, flashing at the base of the veneer, and caulk condition at all penetrations. On newer Palatine-era construction, also check whether stone veneer sections have shifted out of plane.
The consequence of applying the wrong diagnostic is real. Applying Type S mortar to a soft-brick Winnetka home from 1932 causes irreversible spalling. Ignoring weep holes on a Northbrook veneer home from 1968 leads to cavity moisture accumulation and accelerated tie failure.
For additional context on how the wrong mortar causes spalling damage, see What Causes Brick Spalling and How to Prevent It.
Pre-1950 North Shore Homes: What You Are Dealing With
If you live in Winnetka, Wilmette, or Evanston in a home built before 1950, the construction type is almost certainly solid multi-wythe masonry with soft common brick, and mortar compatibility is the central maintenance concern.
Winnetka’s documented top masonry problem is original lime mortar failure on 80-plus-year brick. At that age, the mortar has done its job and needs replacement with a matched specification. East-facing facades take direct Lake Michigan exposure - documented lake-effect freeze-thaw on east walls means those facades need earlier attention than the protected south and west sides.
Wilmette’s documented top problem is spalling brick on north-facing facades driven by lake-proximity humidity. The north wall stays damp longest, shows mortar erosion earliest, and is where we start every solid masonry Wilmette inspection.
Evanston has the most complex version of the solid masonry challenge. Documented top problems include 100-year-old lime mortar at end of service life, prior Portland cement repairs causing spalling, and multi-unit building deferred maintenance - all on the same building stock. The oldest pre-1920 Evanston buildings need Type O mortar (minimum compressive strength 350 PSI) because the brick is extremely porous and soft.
Northfield also fits the pre-1950 category for its Tudor Revivals and Colonials. Northfield’s documented top problem is Portland mortar damage on pre-war homes repointed in the 1980s and 1990s with incorrect mortar that is now causing visible brick face spalling. The North Branch Chicago River corridor elevates humidity near the floodplain, which means shaded north-facing walls in Northfield never fully dry between rain events - a condition that accelerates mortar joint erosion.
Post-1950 Suburban Homes: What You Are Dealing With
If you live in Northbrook, Glenview, or Palatine in a home built in the 1960s, 1970s, or 1980s, the construction type is almost certainly brick veneer over wood framing.
Northbrook’s builder-grade mortar reaching end of service life is the primary masonry concern at the 40 to 60 year mark. The hard machine-pressed brick used in Northbrook construction from this era has decades of remaining life. The mortar joints are the element requiring maintenance. Type S is the correct specification, joint removal to 3/4 inch minimum is the depth requirement, and weep hole condition is checked before closing out every Northbrook job.
Glenview follows the same pattern. The chimney flashing failure documented as a top problem for Glenview homes is a separate issue: decades of thermal movement loosen the metal flashing at the roof-chimney junction, and deteriorating mortar joints above that line allow water into the roof structure. This is a chimney-specific problem but appears on the same veneer homes. See Why Your Chimney Leaks When It Rains for the flashing failure diagnostic.
Palatine represents the newest end of the veneer spectrum. The manufactured stone system uses metal lath and a scratch coat rather than traditional mortar-bed ties, and when moisture penetrates through failed caulk at penetrations or corners, the lath corrodes and the scratch coat degrades. Stones loosen. The diagnostic: look for sections shifted out of plane, feel for loose stones, inspect at penetrations and corners. Repair involves removing affected sections, replacing the substrate, and reinstalling with a proper moisture barrier.
Getting an Assessment on Your Home
Delta - Masonry and Tuckpointing has served Chicagoland’s North Shore and northwest suburbs since 1987. Solid multi-wythe construction from Winnetka, Wilmette, and Evanston, and brick veneer construction from Northbrook, Glenview, and Palatine, are part of our regular work. The distinction between these systems is the first step of every inspection we perform.
For homeowners in Winnetka and Wilmette with pre-1950 solid masonry, the mortar compatibility question is the central issue. We test brick hardness and existing mortar hardness before specifying repair material.
For homeowners in Northbrook and Glenview with post-war veneer construction, the weep hole and tie assessment is part of the standard inspection scope.
For Palatine homeowners with manufactured stone veneer from the 1990s and 2000s, the diagnostic starts with the substrate: is the scratch coat sound, or has moisture compromised the lath?
For brick repair and tuckpointing in the Chicagoland market, pricing starts at $8 to $25 per linear foot for standard tuckpointing work, and single brick replacement runs $50 to $150 per brick depending on brick sourcing requirements. A written estimate requires an on-site assessment.
Call (847) 713-1648 or contact us online to schedule a free inspection. We will give you a definitive answer on construction type based on what we see in the wall, along with a condition assessment and scope recommendation.
Measuring wall thickness at a window opening is the fastest diagnostic. Solid multi-wythe construction runs 8 inches or thicker. Veneer construction runs 4 to 5 inches at the reveal.