flashing brick / fabric

[adilhoxha]

My raised stone patio will be going over the first couple of courses of brick on my house. (I was told, too late - retaining wall already built - that this might not be the best idea...)
Someone said I might run in to problems with the spaces along the bottom course of bricks (there is a gap in the mortar every 8 bricks or so) with water getting in to the house. I don't see how (there will be gravel, sand, and pavers on top - all sloped away from the house) but was wondering if anyone had experience with this problem and whether I should put some sort of flashing or close up those gaps in the bricks? Welcome your thoughts...

Also - I've read a lot about using fabric (one layer or two...read some posts...but I don't really understand why it is important in the paver process. (I hadn't planned on using it - don't want to regret anything...doing everything else above & beyond - just can't figure out the necessity of fabric(?)

Thanks.

[GroundScapesIncorporated]

You will probabbly be ok with the raised patio. But we would have flashed it and sealed those joints.

Also you will probablly be ok with no fabric (geo-textile), but we would have used it just in case 5,10,15 maybe 20 or 40 years down the road the earth decides to mix the subgrade soil with your un-seperated aggreagate base.

but like i said you will probabbly be ok.

[D Felix]

I won't say you'll be OK covering up the weep holes in your brick. That's what those "spaces" are called.

We ran into that possibility with a job we've got going right now, and I asked a carpenter about it. "Don't even think about it" was the direct quote. You might be OK sealing one, maybe even two of them, but more than that and it's a BIG no-no. The weep holes are there for a reason- they let the house breathe. They are there for the same reason you have vents in your attic (or a ridge vent) and vents in your eave/soffit.

You'd be better off in the long run to re-do what you have done and not cover any of the weep holes. It doesn't matter that nothing will be sloping to the house- again, the function of the weep holes is to allow for air exchange between the sheeting and the brick.

As for the fabric, yes, you should have put that down (and still can if you re-do your base), but it's not 100% necessary, 100% of the time...

[adilhoxha]

I get the fabric thing now - just keeping every layer separate for years to come...got it.

I talked to a brick guy who said I could cover those holes, but should drill a couple of holes above the patio grade to let the house "breathe" as you said (otherwise moisture problems later on). I guess I'll seal up those ones and drill ones a brick or two higher to ventilate.

Thanks for the help.