Cracks in masonry walls can have multiple causes including construction defects or the settling of the foundation. Determining the accurate cause will take some careful investigation.
Figure 1 is a view of an insured's brick wall that started cracking near the base (upper arrow). One of the lower masonry units had fallen out, leaving the gap as indicated by the lower arrow. One may suggest that this is typical settling of the foundation wall, but no such downward deflection was noted in the foundation. There appeared to be a problem with the steel support of the brick veneer.
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