In short: Weep holes let water out of a brick cavity and let it breathe. On Gables homes we keep finding them missing, blocked or spaced too far apart.
None at all
At a Gables handover in August 2026 rendered walls had no weep holes in places. Render applied over brickwork should never close them off, and water in the cavity then has nowhere to go.
Too far apart
On the same visit, where weep holes did exist, some were more than 1200mm apart. Extra openings were needed to drain the cavity properly.
Filled with mortar
At earlier handovers in 2025 we found weep holes blocked with mortar or render, and on reinspection some were still obstructed. A blocked weep hole does nothing.
What to ask for
Weep holes opened or added at the spacing required, mortar cleared out, and render kept clear of every opening before you accept the house.
Written by our local inspection team from work carried out in Gables. Licensed building practitioners, NSW Fair Trading licence 366177C.
