Looking at a house to buy for a rental. For the most part it looks good except for this wall. The brick extends past the foundation a little bit. Should this be a major concern? Also, I'm assuming that vertical cut was intentional?

Not the best work on the brick vs foundation. The vertical cut looks like an intentional expansion joint.

I'm just wondering if the wall pushed away from the foundation. I've always seen it flush.

BrazosDog's right: It has no effect on structural integrity because the brick's purely aesthetic.

My guess is that the brickledge (small depression in the exterior forming for the foundation) was supposed to be formed with a 2x4 laid flat, and instead they used two 2x4's vertical. Less-than-stellar concrete formers. so it ended up with a 2 15/16" deep brickledge instead of a 3 1/2" brickledge. And then the mason was lazy and didn't notch the first layer of bricks to compensate. The gap between the interior framing and the brick veneer might be an extra 9/16" wide, but this shouldn't matter.

My house in Tomball was like that (and others around me). I thought it was for water to get out. Just like the bottom piece of siding will stick out past foundation. I had the vertical lines too, those are break/expansion joints.

Like said above, the brick is veneer, not structural.

Cromagnum said:

---

Not the best work on the brick vs foundation. The vertical cut looks like an intentional expansion joint.

---

This. Looks like that expansion joint needs to be cleaned up and caulked. Might want to run up it with a diamond blade to clean up some of the mortar to get backer rod in and give cleaner lines when you're done.

Dr. Venkman said:

---

I'm just wondering if the wall pushed away from the foundation. I've always seen it flush.

---

As others have stated, no. If you look below the brick, I'd be willing to bet that all of the mortar beneath the first course is intact and looks fine. That's how you know it is intentional.

You will see that happen if the exterior concrete form Is not straight or if the plate was cheated in order to create square and parallel framing or for plumbing.