Weep Hole Worries
Weep holes are small vertical slots in the external brick walls, are are as they sound, designed to drain any stray water that may have found its way into the wall cavity outwards. They are usually found above and below window and door openings as these are areas that water can penetrate the building.
As well as draining the wall cavity they also ventilate the wall cavity in a slab on ground construction. Poor ventilation can lead to damp conditions conducive to material deterioration and termite attack.
Common causes for blocking weep holes are; mortar or paving and landscaping being too high around the base of the building. If the house is a slab-on-ground construction, the
Weep Holes Covered by Landscaping
timber wall frames are particularly vulnerable to undetected termite attack. Termites can enter the building over the slab edge and through brickwork especially through weep-holes.
Weep holes should be clear of the landscaping by at least 150mm to enable visual inspection of the concrete slab edge.
Engage a licensed builder or landscaping contractor to rectify.