In addition to proper repair or replacement of a brick veneer, the use of water repellents are a common method of keeping water out of the surfaces of the brick veneer. Older homes and unfortunately many of the newer homes today, have been exposed to the sun, air, wind and inclement weather that the surfaces and of the brick unit itself, will absorb water - much like a sponge will accept and absorb a volume of water. Bricks, over time will become more and more porous and a casual inspection of any building during a rainy day will demonstrate this principle (ie absorption or water entrainment in the brick).

Water repellents are made up of silanes or siloxanes (a fancy way of saying silicone) that return a large degree of watershedding ability to the brick surfaces. The repellent is applied (after thoroughly cleaning the surfaces to be coated) using a weedsprayer or it is rolled on, so that the material saturates onto and absorbs into the brickwork. The silicone then dries on the surface and “beads up” so that exterior water cannot entrain (go in) or be absorbed. This is also an effective method of deferring future maintenance costs and will save thousands of dollars in remedial work or repairs. Simple but effective. Todays repellents are “breathable” and thus will not trap water in the brick.