Stone veneer – blocked or missing drainage slots (bottom of wall)

Causes

Slots blocked by dirt, soil, foliage

Slots sealed/blocked during previous maintenance work

Ground level or paving built up to cover slots

Drainage slots not originally provided

Listed under: Exterior, masonry, stone, cladding, walls, moisture, mortar, wall cladding, solid stone and stone veneer

Cause

Slots blocked by dirt, soil, foliage

Repair

  • as with brick veneer walls, stone veneer walls need drainage slots at the bottom for their successful performance and to avoid potential problems with leaks and weathertightness issues. Address the blockage as soon as you become aware of it
  • if necessary, remove foliage and lower the garden level at the base of the wall
  • using a bent wire or other tool, clear out the soil or other blockage until the drainage vents are clear and can do their job

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Cause

Slots sealed/blocked during previous maintenance work

Repair

  • if the blockage is reasonably easy to clear, use a bent wire or other tool to clear out the soil or other material until the drainage vents are clear and can do their job. Lower the ground level if necessary
  • if the blockage cannot easily be cleared and the maintenance work was done within recent years by a tradesperson, call them back to fix it up
  • if the maintenance work was done more than 10 years old, or the practitioner is no longer around, contact a stonemason for advice. Look for a mason who has completed an apprenticeship, is well experienced and ideally holds a qualification such as the New Zealand Certificate in Stonemasonry. There is also a New Zealand Stonemasons Association who can help you find a mason

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Cause

Ground level or paving built up to cover slots

Repair

  • as for the first repair above. Paving may need to be broken up

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Cause

Drainage slots not originally provided

Repair

  • if the stone veneer was constructed within recent years, call the mason back. Under the Building Act, from the date that building work is complete there is an automatic 12-month period for the client to identify defective work. The contractor must remedy, within a reasonable timeframe, any defects notified by the client in writing. You can also take action for up to 10 years after building work is completed if implied warranties set out in the Building Act have not been met. These include requirements that work be done with reasonable care and skill
  • if the stone veneer is more than 10 years old, or the mason who constructed it is no longer around, contact a stonemason for advice. Look for a mason who has completed an apprenticeship, is well experienced and ideally holds a qualification such as the New Zealand Certificate in Stonemasonry. There is also a New Zealand Stonemasons Association who can help you find a mason

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