I am looking at some flooded properties in Houston.  They are in various states of remediation, from nothing to having virtually been ripped down to the studs.

My question refers to outside frame plywood and vapor barrier.  Is there any good or preferred method to get plywood between the existing frame and the brick exterior walls?  What about vapor barrier (Tyvek or similar)?  

Although I'm not a builder or a construction guy, it seems that when the house is built, the frame is put up, then plywood is nailed to the outside of the frame, then, a vapor barrier is put on outside the frame and plywood, then, outside walls (commonly brick, sometimes something else (stucco for example).

But, once the house is already constructed, the ones I'm looking at that have been stripped inside, it seems difficult to replace the plywood and vapor barrier between the frame and the brick.

Any suggestions?

Here you go Capt. Vic

https://www.mtidry.com/flood-remediation

If there are any other methods i would love to know about them, other than building a temp wall and reframing with the osb and vapor barrier attached.

Why are you trying to remove them? Usually a flood only destroys particle board, not plywood. One weather event should not destroy plywood, S4S framing lumber, or building wrap. Don’t assume it is destroyed. It may need to be wire brushed and treated for mold but I would doubt the wood itself is compromised. It usually takes many weeks of prolonged exposure to rot solid wood or plywood. 

Tyler, 

When we are looking at the damaged house, it has been gutted on the inside (all sheetrock torn out), exposing the frame.

But, between the frame and the original brick wall, there is nothing now.  So, from the inside of the house, you are looking directly at frame and brick.

I think during renovation, I should find a way to get a vapor barrier back in between the frame and the brick, no?

Originally posted by @Victor Boyd :

Tyler, 

When we are looking at the damaged house, it has been gutted on the inside (all sheetrock torn out), exposing the frame.

But, between the frame and the original brick wall, there is nothing now.  So, from the inside of the house, you are looking directly at frame and brick.

I think during renovation, I should find a way to get a vapor barrier back in between the frame and the brick, no?

How thick is the brick wall? Are there brick ties (metal clips) connected back to the framed structure? The reason I ask is because you might be looking at a structural brick house where the interior framing does not need sheething and is simply there to provide room geometry within the structure. This would likely mean the interior framing and brick are not part of a system reliant on each other. The reason I suspect this is because I can not fathom how one would remove the existing sheathing without severely damaging the brick veneer.

The plywood was cut out between the studs. The brick ties are there. It's not a structural brick house. The framing needs the plywood to keep it from racking. The sheathing was cut out in between the studs, leaving the 1 1/2" strip of plywood still attached to the outside of the framing. I'm not sure why they cut out the sheathing either, other than to allow drying, but they did. There is about a 4" gap between the framing and brick with the ties still in place. The mtidry.com system allows you to put a vapor barrier back in between the studs and then use spray in foam insulation to prevent racking.

Oh boy! You need to engage a structural engineer immediately. How much did they cut out? The entire house? If not, are the sections they cut out by the corners of the home? Is this a two story house?

Your shear walls might have been compromised which is a huge safety concern! The plywood was resisting shear in the building diaphragm and if they are destroyed, your home could literally topple over. If it’s a two story it is even more dangerous. I would brace the walls immediately with some 2x kickers on the inside of the structure while you are lining out a structural engineer to take a look. 

If the shear walls are destroyed, once your house is safe with temporary bracing, I would then pursue a fix.  From the sounds of it, I think you are going to have to take off the brick veneer to rebuild the sheathing. Without seeing it in person, I can’t offer any other suggestion but the structural engineer might.

Here is some reading on shear walls: http://blog.buildllc.com/2014/05/shearwalls-101-why-you-cant-have-a-window-there/

@Stephen Collins ,   Would there be any chance that you upload a photo to have a better answer?