Do You Need Weep Holes on a Brick Wall?

Weep Holes Defined

• Weep holes are holes placed near the base of a brick or brick veneer wall. Sometimes weep holes appear as round holes between bricks; other times weep holes look like an area of missing mortar between every third or fourth brick. Weep holes are meant to provide a path for water to run out of the house during times of rain. Weep holes also provide ventilation to the interior of the wall.

Disadvantages

• In general, holes into the home are not desirable. Weep holes provide access to the interior of the house and can invite a host of unwanted pests, including snakes, mice and bugs. Weep holes also can easily become clogged during building of the home, when mortar drips and covers the holes. This renders weep holes nonfunctional.

Options

• Weep holes are only one option for ventilation, but many other options are on the market today. Vents provide good ventilation but may not stop bugs from gaining access to the interior of the home. Another option on the market is called a "weep wick." Weep wicks are made of woven material that carries moisture from the inside of the wall to the outside of the wall without allowing pests to gain access to the house. Weep wicks are not recommended for super-moist climates.

If You Don't Have Weep Holes

• The consequences of improper ventilation are usually expensive, damaging and time consuming. Improperly ventilated brick homes suffer all the ill effects of water damage, including mold and rot. In addition, moist brick will spall after several seasons of winter freezes and spring thaws. This means that proper ventilation is crucial, and weep holes, weep wicks or vents are crucial to the construction of your brick home.