Can weep holes be covered?

Can weep holes be covered?

Weep holes should not be sealed to keep pests out. Though homeowners naturally want to block pests, weep holes should not be sealed with caulk or mortar. The holes are still necessary to drain water and to ventilate the air space.

What happens when weep holes are blocked?

As the water passes through the wall, it falls down the back of the wall and, if the weep holes are open, the water passes through them back outside. If they are clogged with mortar that fell behind the wall when it was built, which is common, use a star drill.

How do you cover weep holes in brick?

While you should never fill weep holes with solid material—such as caulk, wood, or mortar—you can put strips of fiberglass screen wire or scouring pad in the weep holes to keep insects out.

How do you keep bugs out of weep holes?

Corrugated plastics and steel wool pieces are also used to deter pests. While this may work short term, it is not a permanent solution. Corrugated plastic leaves spaces large enough for small insects, like termites, or determined insects, like roaches, to pass through the weep.

How do you cover a large hole in the wall?

Use a putty knife to fill them with spackling or wall joint compound. Allow the area to dry, then sand lightly. Anything larger must be covered with a bridging material for strength before patching compound can be applied.

How do you keep insects out of weep holes?

Can bugs get into house through weep holes?

This means any pest entering a weep hole can spread to any part of your home. It’s obvious that small pests such as cockroaches and spiders can crawl through weep holes, but vertebrate pests such as lizards, snakes and even mice can also squeeze through a normal weep hole.

What are weep holes in brick walls for?

-Steven. The small vertical slots near the bottom of brick walls are known as weep holes and are used to allow any moisture from condensation to drain out of the wall as well as air to circulate.

Should I cover weep holes when installing a patio?

Thomas Boni Says: If your home still has more weep holes to protect it (other than the ones covered during the patio installation), you should be all right. Weep holes should never be sealed because bricks always hold moisture and store moisture.

What happens if you have a weep hole in Your House?

However, the best case scenario is to use a filtration system that allows air to come inside (and water to flow outside) the weep hole. Another common problem is bushfires. Basically, weep holes allow sparks to enter the wall and roof cavity, igniting the house ‘from the inside’.

How can I prevent pests from entering my home through weep holes?

To prevent insects and other pests from entering your home through the brick weep holes, we can install brick vents or other weep hole inserts which can cover the holes so that nothing can pass through except water. For more information on weep holes and the importance please read this great article here