Alright, let’s talk about them brick cill things, you know, the things under the windows. I ain’t no fancy builder or nothin’, but I’ve seen enough houses gettin’ built and fixed up to know a thing or two.
First off, what’s a brick, right? It’s just a dang ol’ block of clay, baked hard like a biscuit, only you can’t eat it. They use ’em to build walls and stuff, even them fancy sidewalks in town. Sometimes they make ’em outta other stuff too, but mostly it’s just clay, good ol’ dirt turned into somethin’ strong.
Now, them brick cills, they gotta be tough. They sit right under the window, catchin’ all the rain and snow. If they ain’t done right, water gets in and then, oh boy, you got trouble. Rot, mold, the whole shebang. Nobody wants that.
I seen them builders doin’ it different ways. Sometimes, they make the corner pieces, what they call “quoins”, real pretty. They make ’em the same length on both sides, like two or three bricks long, and they go up a few rows, maybe three, maybe seven. Makes it look nice and strong, you know?
And then there’s them overhangin’ cills. Them’s the ones that stick out a bit, so the water drips off instead of runnin’ down the wall. Smart, ain’t it? They even got special pieces for the ends, to make it look finished and keep the water out. You gotta have that overhang, or the water just sits there and soaks in. That’s why they say you need a good “drip detail”, means the water can drip off clean.
- Water ain’t no friend to a house, lemme tell ya.
- It’ll find any little crack and get in there.
- So you gotta make sure them cills are done right.
Sometimes they use them brick tiles, they call ’em “Corium” or somethin’. They look like bricks, but they’re thinner. Like a thick tile, they say. I guess it makes it easier to put ’em up, maybe cheaper too. But they gotta be strong, just like regular bricks. Don’t want no flimsy stuff on your house, that’s for sure.
And them cills, they gotta be held up good. If it’s a long window, they might need extra anchors, you know, things to hold it in place. They stick ’em into the brick on the sides, so it don’t go nowhere. And they gotta leave a little space for the bricks to move, ’cause they swell up a bit when it gets hot and shrink when it gets cold. If they don’t, the whole thing can crack. They call it an “expansion joint”, fancy talk for a little gap.
I seen ’em buildin’ them columns too, the things that hold up the porch roof. Sometimes they’re brick, sometimes they’re somethin’ else. But whatever they’re made of, they gotta sit on somethin’ solid, like a big ol’ concrete pad. You can’t just put it on the dirt and expect it to stay put. It’ll sink right down, and then you got a crooked porch, and nobody wants that.
So, there you have it, a little bit about them brick cills. It ain’t rocket science, but it’s important. You gotta keep the water out and make sure everything’s strong and solid. That’s how you build a house that’ll last, that’s what my old pappy always said, bless his soul.
Remember, good materials and good work, that’s the key. Don’t skimp on the important stuff, or you’ll pay for it later. And that’s the truth, whether you’re buildin’ a fancy mansion or just a little shed out back.
Tags: [Brick, Cill, Detail, Construction, Masonry, Window, Building, Home Improvement, DIY, Waterproofing]
