# How to best cover weep holes on a brick wall



## angus242

Weep holes are there for a reason. I wouldn't cover them up.

As for keeping ants out, I hear they won't cross a line of citrus oil.


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## Tscarborough

Stuff them with stainless steel wool (like scrub pads). Do not under any circumstance close them off to air.


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## sevver

What about rope? That seems to be how I have seen them in the past. I would not think that they are there for air ventilation, more in case water were to get behind there, right? Doesn't the foundation step up behind it where the sill goes?


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## angus242

Yes, on newer construction I've seen rope in the holes that the masons use while laying the brick. I was going to suggest the same (soaked in citrus oil!!!!)


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## smcmurrey

Where do you get citrus oil? I checked at Lowes and they didn't know either.


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## angus242

Perhaps a larger nursery in your area. Also the chemical name for citrus oil is d-Limonene so check for that too.


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## Tscarborough

If you use cotton rope soaked in citrus oil, you are not doing any good. You may as well plug them with mortar. I have already told you the correct way to fix it.


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## smcmurrey

Thanks, I'm planning to try the citrus oil just to see if it will stop the ants. I found some fine stainless steel screen with tiny holes that I cut into patches. I plan to use clear silicone to glue them over the holes. The holes are so small I'm not sure ants can get through it, pretty sure the queen can't get through so they should not nest in the wall. Thanks for all the advice. Stan.


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## angus242

Tscarborough said:


> If you use cotton rope soaked in citrus oil, you are not doing any good. You may as well plug them with mortar. I have already told you the correct way to fix it.


Why do you say rope is like mortar? Or is there something else I'm missing?


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## Tscarborough

Stan, why make it harder than it is? Take some stainless steel wool, twist it down into a pointy rod and stick it in the hole. Done! Forever! No reapplying citrus, no ugly ass silicone patches that peel off in a year, and no mold from clogging the weeps.


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## smcmurrey

I figured I'd add a bit more to what I found through my searches. I couldn't see spending over $100 for store bought covers when I found the SS screen real cheap so the whole job may end up costing $15.

I think this is the best looking store bought product I found. 
http://www.bugoutweepholes.com/articlesquotes.html


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## smcmurrey

Tscarborough said:


> Take some stainless steel wool, twist it down into a pointy rod and stick it in the hole.


Do you think ants can still get through the steel wool? I have some and may try it out. Right now there are so many ants trying to get in that I could put one of each up and see which one keeps them out.


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## Tscarborough

No they won't get through it. Here is an example:

http://stores.sobodistribution.com/Detail.bok?no=411

Do you have head joint weeps or tube weeps (how big is the hole?)


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## smcmurrey

The mortar was left out between two bricks along the bottom row so the gap is about 3/8"x3.5" tall. About every third brick has a hole.


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## Tscarborough

That is fine, so what you will want to do is use a small screwdriver to stuff the wool into the joint. Once it is fullish, use snips to cut it off flush, then ram it in some more.


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## angus242

Well I don't know why you say rope would equate to a mortar-like situation. You should know that it's a common practice to use rope in weep holes when laying the brick. I mean the rope alone should suffice in keeps "things" out.....not even needing citrus.
Are you suggesting that trying to add rope after the fact is a bad idea?


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## Tscarborough

Yes I am. Aside from the silliness of trying to get a limp noodle into a frictious slot, the usefulness of cotton rope is on the inside of the airspace, not in the brick joint or outside the face.

Ants like cotton and will destroy it in short order, and over time unless you maintain the citrus oil.

Citrus oil infused cotton rope is hydrophobic, and will act as a moisture/water vapor plug.


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## angus242

Thank you for clarifying that. :thumbsup:


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## badAdvice

*Steel wool does not work*

Don't do it, this guy doesn't know what he's talking about! A year ago, I followed the advice of sticking very fine steel wool in the 100 or so weep holes around my house. This did nothing to keep the ants out no matter how hard I jammed it in with a screw driver, they would simply find a crack or small crawl space in the mortar that the steel wool did not completely seal. If I managed to seal one, they would move on to the next weep hole and do the same thing. After a month or two I gave up. Of course I was bound and determined not to use pesticides. I'm now considering sealing the weep holes. They are more trouble than they are worth, especially given that my house is overly dry all the time any way, due to A/C and heater sucking moisture out. I certainly don't plan on paying $200 for those tiny little "bug out" covers that look like a small fire ant could crawl through. Weep holes are great if you live in an overly moist area, for the other 95% who don't, they are a headache. My house gets more than it's fare share of sunlight here in Houston, and the temperature anywhere inside my walls during a summer day is 90-100 degrees F. Now if I had the chance of standing water near my house or a lot of shade, sealing them wouldn't be an option. Of course, common sense doesn't factor into building codes.


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## johnnyconcrete

I found this whole thread entertaining. Sort of like a 'Who's on First'. Take the show on the road boys.


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## PoleCat

What is so bad about pesticides? Only bunny humping tree huggers are gullible enough to believe they are pure evil. There is no practical way to mechanically seal out insects in the first place so the *proper* application of an insecticide barrier will send them elsewhere.


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## Arkitexas

1. It's impossible to seal all the tiny holes that an entire army of ants is spending 24/7/52 to find. If they can't get in at the weeps, they will find a path at a door, window, dryer vent, light fixture, soffit, eave, telephone line, hose faucet, gas line, fascia, vent, etc. There are so many 1/16" diameter entry points in a home that you can't humanly find them all.

2. The weeps are in masonry walls to provide moisture an escape path from the wall cavity. They should not be sealed up. Rope weeps are notoriously ineffective in transferring moisture. If you soak the rope in citronella (a hydrophobic substance) the water absolutely cannot soak along the rope and you will have permanently sealed the weep. Besides not sealing every hole in the house, steel wool will rust and leave stains.

3. Your choices are really limited to using some form of pesticide. I recommend Amdro-AntBlock sprinkled lightly around the house perimeter. It will kill many species of both worker and queen ants. It is non toxic to humans and pets. If you are adverse to pesticides, then you need to get used to the idea of ant roommates.

Rick


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## jomama45

badAdvice said:


> Don't do it, this guy doesn't know what he's talking about! A year ago, I followed the advice of sticking very fine steel wool in the 100 or so weep holes around my house. This did nothing to keep the ants out no matter how hard I jammed it in with a screw driver, they would simply find a crack or small crawl space in the mortar that the steel wool did not completely seal. If I managed to seal one, they would move on to the next weep hole and do the same thing. After a month or two I gave up. Of course I was bound and determined not to use pesticides. I'm now considering sealing the weep holes. They are more trouble than they are worth, especially given that my house is overly dry all the time any way, due to A/C and heater sucking moisture out. I certainly don't plan on paying $200 for those tiny little "bug out" covers that look like a small fire ant could crawl through. Weep holes are great if you live in an overly moist area, for the other 95% who don't, they are a headache. My house gets more than it's fare share of sunlight here in Houston, and the temperature anywhere inside my walls during a summer day is 90-100 degrees F. Now if I had the chance of standing water near my house or a lot of shade, sealing them wouldn't be an option. Of course, common sense doesn't factor into building codes.


Well, at least you chose a fitting screen name. Unless brick are less porous and it never rains in Houston, you really are giving bad advice.


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## jomama45

Arkitexas said:


> 2. The weeps are in masonry walls to provide moisture an escape path from the wall cavity. They should not be sealed up. Rope weeps are notoriously ineffective in transferring moisture. If you soak the rope in citronella (a hydrophobic substance) the water absolutely cannot soak along the rope and you will have permanently sealed the weep. Besides not sealing every hole in the house, *steel wool will rust and leave stains*.


Good post overall, but if you reread, you'll see Tscar recommended using stainless steel wool.

As for rope weeps, they're no longer allowed per code here in WI, as it's just as important to allow air in as it is to allow moisture out of the holes.


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## concretemasonry

jomama45 hit the nail on the head, especially about letting the air out at the top under an overhang at the top (often called vents) that are not that common on residential buildings end up closed by later residents. - They do wonders for pressure equalization and minimizing moisture problems. You do see the vents on better residential construction.

This is even for the small "finger gap" on a cheap residential wall but are common on true cavity walls (2") that usually have rigid insulation and are laid with appropriate hardware for cavity width control.

Dick


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## jomama45

Dick,

As part of the most recent code changes here, we now have to weep at the top & bottom of walls. Typical open tube/cellular vent/"brillo" type vent under window openings & partial height walls, and the soffit needs to be held off of the wall sheating 1" when the veneer goes full wall height. I actually like the new codes, as it really should help with moisture issues you can't see, as well as effloresence problems.

Now, if they'd just outlaw adhered veneers w/o a rainscreen system built in............. :laughing:


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## BigJim

badAdvice if you look at the date of the thread it was 2008, thought ya just might want to know.


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