Split Face Block Construction Problems: Water is penetrating through vertical and horizontal structural cracks during directional rains causing through-wall leaks at various locations. This particular crack is due to a structural defect and actually extends a total of 18 feet down the wall.
Water is entering the wall above the window angle irons, thus rusting the lintels and causing leaks above the windows.
Concrete block is very porous by nature and is typically used as an interior back up wythe, not as a facade. Due to its high porosity, it soaks up water/moisture readily so any excess will spill over into the interior without proper back up. This photo shows a high saturation content within the block as evidence of the efflorescence.

Split Face Block Construction Solutions: In order to stop the water penetrating problem on this building, ARROW had to first grind out all vertical and horizontal mortar joints. All ground out joints were primed with a caulk primer then sealed and tooled with a polyurethane caulk to match the existing color and profile of the original joints. Once the mortar joints were sealed, the block itself needed to be waterproofed. ARROW chose to use an elastometric coating (a heavy duty rubberized paint which can be tinted to match the color of the block) due to the extreme leaking. This particular method repels water for up to 15 years. Another option would have been to seal the block with a silane based clear waterproofing agent which lasts for up to 5 years. The difference between the two is cost. The former option costs approximately 3 times the latter.

Brick Wall Problems:          Open mortar joints, cracks and separations between the mortar/brick allow water to pass through to the inner walls (drywall). The condition of this masonry is indicative of a building over 50 years old however the building is only 2 years new. Either the original mortar mixture was too weak, the brick was too dry or the masons were in a hurry.

This building is only 6 months old and is already showing signs of moisture problems due to the massive amounts of efflorescence. The original brick was probably not stored properly or the masonry wasn't allowed to dry completely before it was cleaned.

Brick Wall Solutions: For both of these buildings, the proper way to repair these problems would be to grind out all vertical and horizontal mortar joints, then tuckpoint them completely using a mortar color and profile to match the existing as close as possible. Once all tuckpointing repairs are completed and allowed to dry, the walls should be sealed with a silane based waterproofing agent.