What does a weep vent do?
What does a weep vent do?
Weep vents provide essential ventilation for the internal wall cavity and drainage of water that may have entered the cavity through condensation, building damage or capillary action. Left unmaintained, weep holes can provide access for wasps and bees.
Are weep vents necessary?
The inclusion of weep holes in masonry walls is intended to serve two purposes: Ventilation: They allow ventilating air to the back of a wall to help prevent mildew, dry rot and damp which might otherwise reduce the life or performance of building materials such as cavity wall-ties, cavity insulation and so on.
What are cell vents?
Cell vents are installed in the bottom vertical mortar joint of a brick veneer wall to allow moisture to vent out of a cavity wall. They consist of many small adjacent passageways, which allow moisture to vent from the cavity to the exterior of the building while restricting ingress of insects.
Is it OK to cover weep holes?
Whatever you do, do not fill those weep holes. They’re an integral part of the drainage system to keep water from building up behind the brick. If allowed to contact any untreated lumber, this water will cause serious wood rot, mold and, eventually, structural problems with your home.
How often do you put weep vents?
Vents are required at 450mm intervals and each opening should have at least 2 weep holes.
Do all brick houses have weep holes?
Weep holes can be found on virtually all houses with brick siding, whether they’re brand new or centuries old. Because bricks and mortar are porous, they absorb water that can seep through the bricks and then run down the backside of the bricks.
What happens if you don’t have weep holes?
Badness happens when your walls don’t have weep holes. Without weep holes, water has only one place to go – inside your home’s walls, leading to mold, rot, and unpleasant, expensive structural issues.
Can a house flood through weep holes?
No. Unless your home is a submarine the exterior materials along with doors and windows are not watertight and will succumb to the flood waters. Standing water in contact with brick walls (or other veneers) will inevitably enter the structure and plugging weep holes will not improve the situation.
How do you keep insects 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 should weep vents be installed?
Weep holes must be placed di- rectly above flashing and should be spaced about 16 to 24 inches o.c. maximum. The most common types of weep holes are open head joints, louvered vents, rope wicks, tubes, cellular vents, or a combination of these.
How do you keep bugs out of weep holes?
What is a cell vent?
Description: Mortar Net Solutions Cell Vent. It is economical protection for masonry cavity walls. Cell Vent is designed to helps ensure moisture can migrate out of the cavity, air can circulate into the cavity, and insects can’t enter the cavity through the weep holes.
Cell Vents. The cell vent system ensures positive drainage in all cavity wall construction. Made from durable polypropelene, cell vents are available in a range of colors to match the surrounding mortar.
What is weep hole, weep vents for brick homes?
Masons make weep holes via a variety of methods.
