Most homeowners like to think they know what’s happening within their ‘four walls’ however, there is an entry that is often left unguarded.
Every brick home in Australia has gaps left between some bricks in external masonry walls that are known as weepholes. These often go unnoticed by homeowners.
Weepa Products Australia is asking homeowners to educate themselves on the importance of weepholes and the role they play in the home.
Weepa Technical Officer, Mitch Flint explains that “weepholes serve two main purposes: they provide ventilation and drainage of the internal wall cavity,”
“Without ventilation, mildew, dry rot and damp reduce the life of the internal wall studs and other building materials within the cavity.”
“Water can enter wall cavities due to condensation, damaged walls and roofs, or accidental flooding. It needs to escape somewhere and, in these situations, weepholes become the drain,” Mitch said.
“So you can see they are very important but left unprotected, they allow rodents and insects to access the wall cavity,” Mitch said.
“Other insects such as swarming bees and European wasps also love creating nests in cavities while field mice make tracks through the weepholes looking for warmth.”
“Snakes, cockroaches and spiders find refuge and food in wall cavities. Down lights, extractor fans and holes for plumbing or electronics become the internal entry point from the wall cavities and ceilings for these unwelcome visitors,” Mitch said.
“Many homeowners who discover them as an entry point for pests try to block weepholes with materials such as silicon sealants, rolled up paper and steel wool. These materials don’t last, can be ineffective and cause problems with drainage and ventilation.”
Mitch cautioned, “It’s a clear hazard to have your weep holes sealed with materials that don’t allow airflow and ventilation”.
“It can lead to leaky Building Syndrome which is when water penetrates the building envelope and is held between the interior and exterior skins. Fungal growth then literally eats away the wall materials which can leave homeowners with a costly repairs bill,” Mitch said.
Weepa Products have specifically designed a product called the Weepa Protector screen to combat weephole issues. The Weepa Protectors can be easily fitted to keep pests out whilst maintaining airflow. They are also bush fire compliant to stop embers from entering in through the weepholes around your home.
Weepa Protector Screens are an easy DIY product that takes just minutes to install – as you can see from this video – https://youtu.be/28YxkLPM1zM.
Established in the early 1990s, Weepa Products’ focus is on developing innovative-patented products to solve particular problems with weep holes.
Weepa’s commitment to research and industry consultation has seen it grow into a specialised, dynamic company making an important contribution to ‘best practice’ in the building industry.
Weepa also supply weep hole formers and covers for installation during the building process to create highly functional and attractive weep holes in cavity brick walls and rendered panel.
For more information about Weepa Products and the Weepa Protector visit their website – www.weepa.com.au.
