What is a Weep Screed?
posted August 27, 2009 - 10:28amFoundation weep screed is a metal flashing used to allow moisture drainage in porous walls and is required for all framed walls at the framed wall and foundation joint.
Stucco, stone and wood are porous materials, meaning they can absorb moisture. The weep screed provides the water a way of exit that has penetrated the exterior finish, weeping from the walls by gravity to the screed.
The installation of the weep screed is as follows:
Plywood sheeting of wall
Building paper
Weep screed
Building paper and lath or paper backed metal lath
Stucco or other exterior wall finish
The building paper serves as a moisture barrier for the plywood. The exterior finish is applied along the top ledge of the weep screed to provide a directional passage of the moisture from behind the finished wall to exit.
Damage to the weep screed and walls may occur when:
1. Weep screed is improperly installed
2. Walls are in constant contact with water (such as sprinklers)
3. Weep screed drainage holes are blocked with landscaping materials (dirt, grass, bark, etc.)
4. Concrete or other patio materials are installed improperly, blocking the weep screed drainage.
For more information on weep screed importance see: Landscaping and Your Home
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Comments
Landscaping and weep screed
seems to be the hot topic of the year when it comes to selling homes. We do a lot of home sale inspection report repairs and it seems like every report this year has had this listed as a "needed repair". The repair for the weep screed is actually costly because you have to cut out about two feet high of the exterior siding and the length of the damaged weep screed. Replace the builders paper and new weep screed and then install new exterior finish, hopefully matching the color of the existing finish. With stucco, it can get tricking in the color match.
The best thing to do is to keep landscaping and soils and sprinklers away from the exterior as listed in the article. One home owner just realized this after having an inspection and spending $6,000 for repairs caused by the soils blocking the weep screed and mold developing in the home.
I plan to write more articles in the future on "hot topics" for home sales as well as repairs and improvements. Thanks for the comment and encouragement!!
MJ
Avatar: Belief
My journey for Balance
Never heard of it before...interesting
Looking forward to more home improvement type of articles from your wealth of expertise. Thank you.
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