Hey Micheal E. want to join in on this one?

It is very interesting to see how the tendency is to blame the material.
If not the material, then blame is directed at the people that installed
the material. This is not new, it is regretful when this gets to the
point of major legal action. In building siding materials, many times
before when a new material has shown up on the market. The designers
forget that there are basic requirements of details that must be adhered
to in order to reduce and possibly avoid moisture problems. When stucco
showed up as a covering for framed buildings, the same problems and
issue came up as it did for paneled siding and steel siding, then alum
and vinyl siding. Each time the major problems have been in design
details and the subsequent applications, not material. Maybe every time
a masonry building with wood decay is discovered, a law suit should be
brought against the builders and materials. It is well known in
reasonably knowledgeable circles that masonry construction can easily
produce conditions that are detrimental to wood. Damp walls in masonry
buidlings lead to decay in structural framing. Maybe there should be a
class action law suit against the masonry industry in general. After
winning that everyone can sue the wood industry for fire hazard or the
steel industry for grounding and electric shock hazard.