The Problem
The owners of a 2003 brick estate home in Saddlebrook noticed the garage front elevation bowing outward. Sighting along the wall face showed a bow of roughly 1/2 to 3/4 inch across an 8-foot run centered on the left bay. At the base of the affected section, several head joints had opened slightly.
The cause was tie failure. Probing from inside the garage confirmed corroded galvanized wire ties in the affected zone that had lost their mechanical connection to the stud framing. With no restraint, thermal expansion had pushed the veneer outward.
Compounding the problem, every weep hole along the front elevation was blocked with mortar droppings from the original 2003 pour. No water could exit the cavity, which accelerated the tie corrosion from inside.
Our Solution
We dismantled the bulging section brick by brick, numbering courses and preserving each unit for reinstallation. The specific texture and color of 2003 Saddlebrook estate brick would be difficult to match with new production, so recovering the originals was the priority.
The corroded galvanized wire ties were removed and replaced with stainless steel helical screw ties mechanically fastened to studs at correct spacing. Stainless ties resist cavity moisture that destroys galvanized wire, and the helical profile provides better pull-out resistance than a straight hook.
Original bricks were reset in order using Type N mortar with full bed and head joint coverage. Each course was checked for plumb before the next was set. After initial set, we repointed the reset zone plus two adjacent courses on each side to create a consistent transition. Along the full front elevation, we cleared every blocked weep hole with a narrow pick tool and wire brush, confirming each location was open to the cavity before finishing.
The Result
The front elevation reads flat across both garage bays. The reset section aligns with the surrounding veneer and joints match in color and profile. Weep holes are clear along the full front elevation. The homeowners have written documentation of the tie replacement type and location.