Bricks, Masonry, Asphalt and Concrete - Good bricklayers don't skip weep holes

It has become common practice by builders on many brick homes for the brick layers to leave out the little aluminum brick weep holes along the bottom of the walls and instead jut leave a void for drainage. Unfortunately, mice or possibly something even bigger can sqeeze through those holes, run up between the brick and sheathing and right into walls and your attic. Most people think that their brick is flush against the sheathing and framing behind. That is not so. There is about a 1/2 inch space there for drainage. Those weep holes must not be sealed but blocked with something to prevent mouse entry but allow drainage.

Shortly after moving into our $420,000 home last fall we were invaded by dozens of mice running in the walls and attic. I had to take it upon myself to purchase weep holes and custom fit them into every drainage slot one-by-one. This fall, not one mouse.

There has been a lot of discussion around here about the preferred type of weeps. A couple years ago the Minnesota Masonry Institute stated in a seminar that the cotton rope weep is their preferred type of weep, only because the mortar droppings in the cavity tend to plug up the manufactured weeps if the mason gets sloppy.

Bruce

So you can just fill each void with a piece of cotton rope cut to length? I would think an organic material like cotton rope would rot and disintegrate after a few years?

Sorry I misled you. In your case you have to add the weeps just like you did; my statement about the rope weeps was more informational. If the mice got in thru the holes, I would think they could not plugged with mortar.

I presume the rope does eventually rot out, but the rope is small enough (about 1/4") that nothing gets in. I have often wondered what keeps insects out, but must not be a problem or we would have heard about it by now. Rope weeps have been around for a very long time.

Bruce

i am adding a new brick wall to an existing brick wall, how do i join the two together to avoid them slipping away from each other in the future and having a large gap.