Common Brick or Brick Veneer?

Most brick houses are actually stud-framed with a brick veneer. Look for a masonry header to indicate structural brick.

A collage of four diagrams of common superstructure construction techniques. Top left: Insulating Concrete Form (ICF) with vertical wood framing and concrete and rebar placed between two layers of insulated foam. Note: Exterior finish not shown, but might be brick veneer, stucco or siding. Top right: Common Brick with vertical non-structural wood framing, with mortar placed between two parallel walls of brick. Brick ties are placed to connect the walls. A masonry header of bricks laid across the walls is placed at the top. Note: If there is a gap, it should be filled with mortar. Bottom left: Masonry superstructure with vertical wood framing and concrete masonry units (CMU) with steel reinforcing (rebar) placed in the holes. Bottom right: Stud framed superstructure with vertical stud framing, exterior sheathing, building paper (vapor barrier), and bevel siding.