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We are looking at buying this home and working with seller on resolution of issues. The home is 5 years old but never had weep holes installed.
Inspector says he sees it on the overwhelming majority of brick homes these days but that they really need to be there. A lot of cheap untrained labor is part of the problem.
So, there are no signs of moisture penetration in the house ....... but not completely sure you can tell. Suggestion was to have mason create the holes but I am reading that may be more than removing mortar and installing inserts.
Anyone have experiences with homes where weep holes had to be added retroactively and cost, issues, etc? My concern would be rot of underlying framing. How could you assess that?
First of all, most weep holes are not installed properly anyway, they just stick some plastic tubes in the mortar ands call it done.
Unless flashing was properly installed behind the brick, any added weep holes after the fact are nothing more than window dressing. Most of the time, flashing isn't installed properly anyway.
This is a prime example of how the old timers did it is far better than the new guys.
I say, just forget it. You can't really do anything after the fact, and even if they had weep holes installed, they probably were not installed properly anyway.
There are far more important things to really worry about...weep holes are far down the list.
Most solid brick homes have cider block behind the brick and it is always best I am told to have weep holes;I have been told. Most homes now days are venier unless built in hurriccane areas witrh strick codes anyway.I think Florida requires cider block on brick homes on the first floor.
Most such homes here [not hurricane area] would have concrete block foundation and wooden framed outer walls. I am torn as I really like the house and have been looking for a long time for something that meets my other requirements.
I gather there is no way to know if you have a problem until it shows itself and it could be very expensive to resolve. I also gather the only real way to do it right is remove the lower brick courses, install the flashing and the holes.
The brick industry association has some nice technical documents.................
There are very few if any brick homes that are NOT veneer. Even homes built with masonry blocks, that have a brick exterior, are brick veneer. All brick veneer means is it's the finish surface material on a house, like wood siding.
The brick institute has lots of details on how it's supposed to be. Just hardly anyone does it the right way.
The whole idea behind the weep holes is to give moisture an avenue out if it gets between the brick and the wood framed walls.
The walls should be covered with a moisture barrier anyway, so you do have some protection even without weep holes.
If you drilled into the wall cavity at the brick ledge, you would give moisture a way out if it got wet enough in the wall cavity. Not perfect, maybe not all that effective, but you would feel better.
Even the houses I inspect that look like they have proper weep holes, are still probably not done the right way. iF I'm not there when they are putting the bricks up, I have no idea what is gong on behind the wall..
I would take a masonry drill and put some 3/4 in holes, say every 2 ft, just above the concrete ledge into the cavity behind the brick to allow any water leakage or condensation to weep out. Plug the holes with some copper of plastic dish scrubber mesh to keep the bugs out.
Just curious...
If the home is "brick veneer" like the OP indicates, rather than a solid brick home, are weep holes necessary?
Weep holes are absolutely necessary in a brick veneer. Moisture is present in the cavity between the brick veneer and the sheathing/framing, and this moisture must be provided with an exit. Most of the moisture is condensed water vapor, but it's also possible to introduce water via improperly flashed doors, windows, and other transitions. If the moisture is not adequately evacuated, it may cause a variety of problems such as: efflorescence, mold, wood rot, damaged sheathing, and compromised insulation.
Efflorescense is the chalky residue left behind on the face of the brick as moisture migrates through the brick, and then evaporates from the surface, leaving behind the material that it picked up as it passed through the brick and mortar.
If your sheathing is gypsum-based, it can dissolve when wet. Wood sheathing can delaminate and lose its structural integrity as a shear plane (wall stiffener).
Wet insulation is ineffective, which increases utility bills and decreases comfort. It is difficult to dry out insulation that is within a wall. Some forms of insulation will support mold growth if wet.
Bottom line: proper flashing and adequate weeps/vents are necessary in a masonry veneer wall.
[FONT=Verdana]I would take a masonry drill and put some 3/4 in holes, say every 2 ft, just above the concrete ledge into the cavity behind the brick to allow any water leakage or condensation to weep out. Plug the holes with some copper of plastic dish scrubber mesh to keep the bugs out. [/FONT]
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One thing to keep in mind: The space behind the masonry at the flashing line may be completely filled with mortar that fell behind the masonry during construction. So, many of the drilled holes may not actually reach the cavity that needs to be vented. In order to confirm that the cavity has been reached, it may be necessary to remove isolate bricks from that level, to accommodate inspection of the cavity. The proposed drilling can work if the original mason was more diligent than most about keeping mortar droppings out of the cavity. Placing mesh in the voids is a good idea, and there are a variety of products on the market for that purpose.
Most such homes here [not hurricane area] would have concrete block foundation and wooden framed outer walls. I am torn as I really like the house and have been looking for a long time for something that meets my other requirements.
I gather there is no way to know if you have a problem until it shows itself and it could be very expensive to resolve. I also gather the only real way to do it right is remove the lower brick courses, install the flashing and the holes.
The brick industry association has some nice technical documents.................
The location of the home could make the issue less important. If you are in a temperate climate such as Florida or southern CA, I would be less concerned about moisture freezing in the brick (which causes spalling or flaking of the bricks' face). I would also be less concerned about the potential for condensation, and the importance of the insulation. If the house is in an area subject to cold weather, I would be more concerned.
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