A brick wall can have many structural purposes, from holding back land and supporting your home to serving as a divider between two properties. Brick walls can also be beautiful works of art, serving as the background to ornate landscape installations and more.
Bricks are great for outdoors, as they can withstand the elements and harsh weather conditions that are thrown at them. For the most part, they are relatively maintenance-free, too, as they don’t require extensive care to keep looking and functioning as new.
That being said, brick walls must be installed properly to withstand the elements so that they aren’t damaged over time. One crucial element that every brick wall needs is a weep hole, as without them, it could succumb to significant damage.
That’s why it’s very important that you hire a masonry contract who has years of experience installing brick walls.
Below, we’ll discuss exactly what weep holes are and why they are critical for your brick walls.
What is Weep Hole?
A weep hole is a crucial part of any brick wall. It’s a small opening in your brick wall that’s done so water can easily escape from the cavity of the wall. They are sometimes referred to as brick weeps or brick breather holes.
These openings are intentionally incorporated into brick walls when they are designed. So, if you see them on other brick walls, know that they are not mistakes or signs that the wall is about to crumble.
Weep holes not only give water a channel through which it can escape, but they also allow air to properly circulate in the cavity walls.
Importance of Weep Holes in Masonry Walls
If you want your masonry wall to last for a long time, you need to have weep holes installed as part of the process. They are critical for keeping your wall both healthy and structurally sound over the long haul.
If water isn’t able to properly escape from the masonry wall, then it could easily do damage to the wall over time. It’s also important that air circulates throughout the wall.
By installing weep holes in your masonry wall, you’ll also be reducing the risk that mildew or mold will grow within the wall cavity. If that were to happen, it would compromise the structural integrity of the wall itself.
How Weep Holes Work
Weep holes are essential escape routes for water. By putting them in masonry walls, they reduce the risk that water will accumulate in them, which then reduces the risk that damage will occur.
They also act as windows for air, allowing it to circulate properly throughout the wall, just as air is allowed to circulate throughout your house. This reduces condensation, which makes it harder for mold to grow.
Since your bricks are directly exposed to the elements, they are very susceptible to water accumulation and condensation, due to the changing temperatures and moisture levels.
Weep holes will typically be installed at the base of exterior brick walls. They’ll be found just above the foundation in most cases.
Types of Weep Holes
There are a few different types of weep holes, each of which are installed in a slightly different way.
An open head joint is a weep hole that’s made from scraping away mortar from the vertical brick joint.
A cotton rope wicking weep hole is made using cotton wicks. These will wick moisture from the outside of the brick wall to the inside of it.
A tube weep hole is created by using tubes that are made of either metal or hollow plastic. They are then cut into the brick wall to allow it to breathe.
In a corrugated plastic weep hole, the necessary holes are made in the brick wall using corrugated plastic to create the proper channels for water to escape and air to circulate.
Location and Installation of Weep Holes
As mentioned above, weep holes typically will be located near the base of brick exterior walls. They’re installed just above where the foundation is to allow the water to escape and air to circulate.
In most installations, weep holes will be placed at regular intervals throughout the wall. They will typically be about 16 to 24 inches apart from each other.
Ideally, weep holes will be installed while the brick wall is being built. However, they can also be added later as a retrofit if they weren’t installed originally.
Problems Caused by Lack of Weep Holes
If there are no weep holes in your brick wall, water could easily accumulate and cause damage to the wall cavity as a result. It’s also easier for mildew or mold to grow within the cavity as well.
With no place for air to circulate, increased condensation can also happen within the cavity wall. All of this creates a higher risk that there could be structural damage to your brick wall, which could cause it to collapse and/or crumble.
Can You Cover Brick Weep Holes?
If you see weep holes in your brick wall, remember that they were put there on purpose. They serve as a vital component of your brick wall and therefore shouldn’t ever be covered.
You can think of weep holes as essentially the drainage system for your brick wall. If you cover them up, you’ll be disrupting the free flow of air as well as preventing water from escaping.
Just as this would cause major problems to other types of installations, covering up weep holes could ultimately cause significant damage to the brick wall and, as a result, to any other structure that it might be supporting.
Maintenance and Inspection of Weep Holes
It’s always a good idea to conduct regular inspections and cleanings of weep holes to ensure that they are functioning properly. You can do this at the same time that you’re conducting regular inspections and maintenance of your other outdoor installations.
What you should be checking for are any blockages — which should be cleaned out if you spot any — as well as if the weep holes have gotten bigger. This could also be a problem and could show that there are other structural problems in your wall.
Securing Weep Holes
If you are concerned about there being open holes in your brick wall, you can secure weep holes by installing different screens or covers. Much like mesh shields over gutters, these screens could prevent debris and pests from entering into the cavity of your brick wall.
Again, it’s essential to maintain the operation of your weep holes so that they can protect your wall from sustaining damage.
Weep Holes are Critical for Brick Walls
If you want your brick wall to last a long time, it’s imperative that weep holes are installed in it. They are a critical component of any brick wall, as they provide a channel for air to circulate and water to escape.
Not only do weep holes need to be installed, but they need to be maintained as well. Inspecting them on a consistent basis and ensuring they are clear of any dirt or debris is necessary to ensure they are functioning properly and protecting your brick wall the way they should.
At All Brick, we know the important role that weep holes play in brick walls. That’s why we make them a part of every new installation we do, and we can also retrofit existing brick walls if they don’t have them.We have mastered the art of masonry for the last 10 years, helping clients just like you get the brick walls of their dream. For more information, or to get a free quote, please contact us today.
