I'm starting a small addition on my house and have to build a brick curtain wall around the foundation piers.
I will have to have the mesh to tie the wall onto the piers and was wondering what the proper name for it is.

 

metal lath .

 

Sounds perfect.

Thanks.

 

How do you use metal lath to brick to concrete? Normally you would use corrugated wall ties.

 

The local inspector was doing a quick check of my plans at application time and reminded me that to tie my curtain wall to the "concrete block" piers, he wanted to see mesh ties, as opposed to the straps. I understood what he meant but then had trouble locating the material during my estimations.
I just needed the proper name of the stuff.

 

You do not use metal lath as a tie. I thought you had concrete piers, for CMU, you use this:



From:

http://wirebond.com/meshties.html

 

Ok. Better yet. Guaranteed to be a product Home Dump or Slowe's desn't carry.

Thanks for the web site. That's usually the kind of thing I find for reference but didn't have much luck this time.

 

Buy hardware cloth and cut it up.

 

These things, including your picture, are all examples of metal lath. how are they different? its metal, it comes in different patterns and weights/guages. although its is most commonly associated with plaster and those cheesy lick n stick veneers. you could use those plastic rings that come on six packs of cans and never live to see that brick fall over

Beer 4U2

 

Metal lath is expanded metal, and as such has no ability to withstand deflection and compression. Hardware cloth is welded wire and has the required strength.

 

OhioDraft. There 2 ways to do something:

The right way, which always works, and the half-assed way, which may or may not work.

As a proffesional, I would never give half-ass advice, nor would I give advice on anything that I did not have knowledge of. I would advise you to consider the same.

 

well, you're correct about one thing, except in this case there is more than one right way, as always. i said this before, there are different weights of lath or expanded metal. its cheaper, and will work just as well. Claiming that it has no ability to resist lateral forces (which is what i'm assuming you're referring to when you say deflection and compression) especially a heavier weight, is pretty much just ignorance.


so, FTW...I know you won't take my word for it, take a look for yourself.
http://www.weldedwiremesh.net/metal_...metal_lath.htm

"Expanded metal reinforcement has numerous applications in all types of building where
extra strength and stability is required"

"Expanded metal reinforcement is easy to handle, and when laid embedded in the mortar joining
between brickwork or blockwork courses, forms an integral structure of great tensile strength
which assists in the resistance, vibrations and thermal changes."

Key word above...tensile. meaning, horizontal.

As an aside, "half ass" is a bit abrasive and quite an overstatement in this case, after all it's not like i suggested using duct tape. lighten up chief, it's friday.

 

That is wire lath used as horizontal reinforcement sir, not as an anchor.

 

In addition, it is not approved for that use in the United States for even that application.

 

Let me also tell you why it is so important to only give advice when you are certain that is correct.

Assume the OP took your advice and used metal lathing to tie the brick to the CMU. When inspected, it would have to be torn down and redone. That Sir, is what I mean by half ass advise.

 

The web site with the mesh ties looked a lot like hardware cloth to me.

I have a roll of that in my spare material pile. It'll pass the inspection?

 

It turns out that they wanted me to use ladder wire. I set it at the brick course even with the top of the the first pier block and ran it around the entire perimeter of the curtain wall. The want them in every other block. It looks like now matter where I accidentally back my car into it the little wall will hang onto the piers as it's supported all the way around.

 

Did you use Block or Brick? The mesh ties are for brick, ladder wire is (generally) for block.

 

It looked funny but that's what he said a couple of times. My plans even indicated brick on the lines for the curtain wall.

As long as it passes, I don't have a preference but the ladder wire was tricky to work aroung a couple of times.