Air bricks, weep holes and cavity trays

[Mr Punter]

I have just had a visit from a warranty inspector and he said I needed a weephole above each airbrick. The airbricks are on the DPC with no cavity tray above or below and they have telescopic vents to the underside of the beam and block flooring. This is brick and block. The cavity is fully filled with rigid insulation which extends down below DPC and is sculpted around the telescopic bit.

 

Should we have the weepholes or are they not required?

[Simplysimon]

as it's brick and block there is the chance of water ingress into the cavity. putting weep holes in will allow it back out. won't harm to have them.

[Mr Punter]

The vents are on top of the dpc so I can't figure out how any water would make its way to a weep hole instead of just running down the telescopic vent and ending up under the beam and block floor.

[Russell griffiths]

If he wants a weep hole, he should say it needs a cavity tray above them to deflect any falling moisture to the outer face. 

In theory he’s sort of right, but in reality it’s never going to get any water coming out of them. 

You might as well say every single wall tie needs a weep hole above it in case moisture drops on the tie and doesn’t drip of. 

[Mr Punter]

It is only brick and block on the ground floor and no big panels. The project is finished and he picked this up on a final inspection.  I may end up cutting down some of those micro weeps and just sticking them in a little way if I have to.

 

I could understand if it was further up the wall, like a meter box or a lintel, where you want to direct any moisture outwards, but these are at DPC level.

[Russell griffiths]

Oh if that’s the case 10mm drill and a couple of hours work to keep the retard happy.