Water Coming Out of Brick Weep Holes in Arlington: Plumbing Leak or Rain?

A little water from weep holes after a hard rain is normal. Water that drips for days after the rain stops, flows on a dry day, or shows up near a bathroom, kitchen or hose bib usually means a plumbing leak inside the wall. Check your water meter with every tap off. If it moves, call for leak detection, which costs about $150 to $400 for a basic visit.

Most homes in Arlington are brick veneer over a wood frame, from the 1970s homes around Pantego and Dalworthington Gardens to newer builds in Viridian and southeast Arlington. Behind the brick is an air gap, and weep holes at the bottom drain that gap. When a pipe leaks inside an outside wall, the water often finds the weep holes first. If you see water now, (817) 285-5426.

What are brick weep holes for?

Weep holes are small openings, usually every few feet along the bottom row of brick and above windows and doors. Brick soaks up rain, and some water runs down the back of the brick. A flashing at the base sends that water out through the weep holes. They also let the wall cavity breathe so it can dry.

That means weep holes are supposed to let some water out. The question is how much, when, and where. A damp streak after a North Texas thunderstorm is the system working. Steady water is not.

How can you tell a plumbing leak from rainwater?

Rainwater stops within a day or two after the rain ends, shows up on the side of the house the storm hit, and comes from many weep holes. A plumbing leak keeps flowing on dry days, comes from one or two holes, often sits below a bathroom, kitchen, laundry or hose bib, and makes your water meter move with every tap off.

Clue	Points to rain	Points to a plumbing leak
Timing	Only during or right after rain	Keeps dripping on dry days
Location	Many holes on the storm side	One or two holes, below plumbing
Water meter	Still with all taps off	Leak indicator moves
Temperature	Outdoor temperature	Warm water can mean a hot line leak
Inside the house	Usually no signs	Damp baseboard, stains, musty smell

A rising water bill is another strong clue. Our guide to water leak detection arlington homeowners use shows how to read the meter and the bill.

What can you check yourself?

You can narrow it down in about 30 minutes. Do a meter test, look at what sits on the other side of the wet wall, check the hose bib and any sprinkler heads nearby, and run water in one fixture at a time while someone watches the weep hole. Do not drill or open the wall yet.

1. Meter test. Turn off every tap and appliance. Watch the small leak indicator on the meter for 15 minutes.
2. Map the wall. Note what is inside: a bathroom, kitchen sink, washer box, water heater or hose bib.
3. Check the hose bib. Run the outdoor faucet and look for drips at the wall. A cracked frost-free bib leaks inside the wall.
4. Check sprinklers and gutters. A spray head or downspout aimed at the brick can soak it every day.
5. Fixture test. Run one fixture at a time for five minutes. If the weep hole flows harder, that line or its drain is the suspect.
6. Feel the water. Warm water points to a hot water line or the water heater.
7. Look inside. Check baseboards and the bottom of drywall on the inside of that wall.

A drip from an outdoor faucet is common in older homes; see hose bib leaks for that case.

What leaks usually cause water at weep holes?

The common sources are a cracked frost-free hose bib, a leaking shower or tub valve on an outside wall, a supply line or drain under a kitchen or bathroom sink, a washer box leak, and a water heater or its lines in a garage that shares a brick wall. Less often, a slab leak near the edge of the foundation pushes water out at the base of the brick.

• Hose bib. The long stem of a frost-free faucet runs inside the wall and can crack after a freeze.
• Shower valve. Many showers sit on outside walls; a valve or pipe joint leak drains down the cavity.
• Sink lines and drains. Kitchen sinks under windows are a frequent source.
• Washer box. Laundry rooms on exterior walls can leak behind the washer.
• Slab edge leak. A leak under the slab near the perimeter can surface at the brick base.

If the leak turns out to be under the floor, the process is the same as a leak detection arlington slab visit. If the water seems to come from the yard side, our guide to waterline leak detection arlington explains how buried line leaks show up.

How is a leak behind brick found without tearing out the wall?

A technician uses non-invasive tools. Thermal imaging shows wet or warm areas on the inside wall. Moisture meters map how far the water has spread. Pressure tests isolate the hot side, the cold side and each branch. Acoustic listening finds the exact spot on pressurized lines. Then only a small opening is made from the inside, not the brick side.

Opening drywall from the inside is far cheaper than removing brick. A good locate means one small hole in the right place, and a written report you can give your plumber and insurer.

How much does it cost in Arlington?

A basic leak detection visit in Arlington costs about $150 to $400. If the leak is under the slab, slab leak detection runs about $250 to $600. Water line detection is about $200 to $500. The repair itself is priced separately once the leak is found, and is often a small fix for a hose bib, valve or sink line.

Service	Approx. cost
Basic leak detection	$150 – $400
Slab leak detection	$250 – $600
Water line leak detection	$200 – $500
Slab leak spot repair	$1,500 – $4,000

Prices are estimates and depend on the home and the leak. You get a quote before work starts.

What happens if you ignore water at the weep holes?

A hidden leak inside an exterior wall soaks the wood framing, sheathing and insulation. Over weeks, that leads to rot, mold, termites drawn to wet wood, and damaged drywall inside. Water that reaches the slab edge can also add to foundation movement in Arlington's expansive clay soil. Finding it early keeps the fix small.

• Do not seal or caulk weep holes to stop the water. That traps it inside the wall.
• Keep sprinklers and downspouts aimed away from the brick.
• Keep soil and mulch below the weep holes so they can drain.

Not sure where to start? Book leak detection Arlington TX homeowners call 24/7, and we will find the source before anything is opened.