Dear James: I am using recycled brick over a wood-framed wall for my new house. Should my builder take any special precautions to ensure the old bricks do not crack over time? —Rosie H. Dear Rosie: There are not many solid brick houses built today, so if some bricks do crack, the house will not collapse. The house construction your builder is using is called brick veneer. The wood framing actually supports the entire structure. The brick is basically just siding to protect the framed walls and provide a nice appearance. Most brick feels very hard and strong to the touch, but it actually is porous. Moisture can pass through it and get to the framed wall underneath it. The wall is designed to handle this, but the moisture can gradually damage the brick material itself. This can be even worse for recycled brick because it may already have some …