This ranch home was built in upstate NY in 1960, occupied for the last 30 years by a couple, five years ago the husband passed away, wife was 92, it was vacant for a year prior to my purchasing it. The roof was replaced two years ago. There is evidence of a past mouse infestation in the attic.
Today I investigated loose, broken and spalled bricks at the front corner of the home. Here the brick front meets the vinyl siding on the side. I chiseled away mortar, removed several bricks. I can see the sill plate which has some insect damage (seems to be no current activity in that area) and rot, the outer sheathing and tar paper? are gone up about a foot from the sill plate, tiny bits of insulation came out of the wall (as if mice had gotten into it), and I could see the back side of the drywall.
What I believe contributed to the damage:
The gutters/downspouts were full of rotted leaves and probably hadn't been cleaned in years.
The sidewalk along the brick front, which is just one foot away from the wall and all along its length, had sunk so that water was directed towards the home rather than away. Soil on the other side of the sidewalk had built up over time, so that it was higher than the edge and acted as a dam to keep water/snow/ice on the sidewalk - and against the wall? - rather than draining away.
Soil had built up under the downspout area, keeping moisture against the brick, and letting roots get in.
The downspout was attached to the brick with nails, at top and bottom. Where the nails were, the mortar seemed to be failing.
One of the bricks near a lower downspout nail was different from the rest; it had one rounded corner. This was facing inward so it wouldn't show.
How should this wall be repaired?
Does the brick need to be removed all the way up the wall (if so I would try to save some cost by doing this part of the job myself).
Once the sheathing is replaced, what sort of vapor barrier should be used?
I purchased some bricks that matched fairly well, however they are not solid like the old bricks. Is this a problem?
