Table of Contents
What happens when window weep holes are blocked?
Small holes located on the bottom edge of storm-window frames, weep holes are drains for your windows. If they become blocked by debris, paint or caulk and can’t serve this vital function, water can seep into the wood of the sill and cause it to rot. Check weep holes at least once a year, before the rainiest season.
Are window weep holes necessary?
Weep holes are necessary because the vinyl sill is the same shape as the window jambs, so that the tracks holding the window sash collect and contain water when they function as the sill in the lower horizontal frame position. Without weep holes, this water could not drain.
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.
Should 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.
Can water get in through weep holes?
This research demonstrated that even under truly extraordinary conditions water rarely enters the weephole and even if it does it cannot be blown high enough up in the cavity to create internal damp problems.
Can bugs get in through window weep holes?
Newer windows have weep hole covers that function like one-way-doors: they open to drain water but are otherwise closed. Once bugs enter the weep hole, they can climb up through gaps into the window track and into the space between the screen and the windowpane.
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.
How do I keep ants out of my brick weep holes?
Filter material such as that used for fish ponds would allow moisture to escape but would prevent even small ants from getting through. If you are having a new brick home built, you should ask to have plugs put into the weeper holes during construction.
Can snakes get in weep holes?
Rats, mice and lizards will get in the house thru weep holes, and snakes can go ANYWHERE they can go. Usually they will end up in the attic.
Can rats get in through weep holes?
Weep holes help to prevent moisture damage and are necessary for the structural integrity of your brick house. Unfortunately, they are also a very common point of entry for mice and rats. Other pests can also use the weep holes in bricks to gain entry, like snakes, scorpions, lizards, bees, wasps, and spiders.
Why are stink bugs on my window?
Loose entry points are giving them easy access. They also come in through windows and door frames. “If there are a lot of entry points into your home, stink bugs can get in,” Ruiz says.
Why do stink bugs hang around windows?
They are simply looking for a place to stay warm and survive the winter. And as the cool air of fall arrives – so does the home invasion of stink bugs.
Why do picture windows have weep holes?
These are called “weep holes” as they allow water to weep out of the frame of the window. What this tells you is that a double hung window with weep holes allows water to get into the frame of the window.
How do you identify a weep hole?
Therefore, weep holes are at the bottom of brick veneer, just above the top of the foundation, and directly above the termination point of any flashing installed behind the brick. Weep holes also should be located above doors, above and below windows, and above any other openings in the brick wall.
Why do houses have weep holes?
A weep hole is a passage for water to escape a building envelope. Weep holes serve an important purpose of a home; they allow the home to “breathe” as some say. Since there are many chances for water to enter the home, weep holes allow for water exit.
What are brick ants?
Pavement ants, also known as Tetramorium caespitum, are a very common form of ants. They take their name from the most common place they’re seen – on sidewalks and pavements. Pavement ants are very small, about 3 millimeters long. They’re dark brown to black in color with six legs and antennae.
Can ants live in brickwork?
Ants infestation is a common problem under pavements and inside brick walls. They make their nests in the spaces between bricks. If you notice ant trails on the brick wall, take preventive measures before they establish their colonies. The best course of action is to seal all the potential cracks in your brick wall.
How do I get rid of ants in my brick wall?
If you have a thriving ant nest in the walls, you must eliminate it first. You can begin by erasing ants’ trails using a mixture of one part vinegar and one part water or a blend of one part lemon juice and three parts water. This confuses the ants foraging outside of the next.
How do you clean weep holes in brick?
A loop of coat hanger wire will remove dirt that may clog weep holes. If they are clogged with mortar that fell behind the wall when it was built, which is common, use a star drill. A star drill is struck with a hammer (not a nail hammer) or mallet. After each strike, you turn it a little and strike it again.
Why do bricklayers leave gaps?
Those gaps are called “weep holes” — a building code requirement that drains water out of brick exterior walls. Typically, behind the brick is a 1.5-inch cavity or air space and then the wood structure. Some homes with brick cavity walls do not have weeps.
Can you cover brick 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.
