In short: A brick veneer wall is designed to get wet and drain. On Strathtulloh builds we find both halves of that system blocked, at fixing and again at handover.
How a brick wall drains
Rain soaks into brickwork. The cavity behind it lets that water run down to the base, where weep holes let it out above the damp course. Block either and the water stays in the wall, next to the frame.
A cavity full of mortar
At a fixing inspection in July 2026 we found the cavity packed with mortar droppings, a major item because it bridges moisture across to the frame and blocks ventilation. It has to be cleared before the walls are finished.
Weeps blocked by render
On a fixing inspection that same month, weep holes were blocked with mortar and render. Each blocked weep is a wall section that cannot drain.
Paving poured too high
At an August 2026 handover the weep holes sat less than 50mm above the porch surface. Once paving rises to the weeps, water can enter rather than leave. The fix is to lower or set back the paving before handover.
Written by our local inspection team from work carried out in Strathtulloh. Licensed building practitioners, Building & Plumbing Commission registration CDB-U 53425.
