why are there spaces without mortar on the first layer of bricks on my house?
Answers:
Weep holes. There's is a 1/2 inch of space between teh brick and the wall too! This gets the water out of the wall system. DO NOT CAULK THEM SHUT.
Other answers:
I think this allows the walls to breathe. I've seen it on every brick house/building I've ever looked at.
I think this allows the walls to breathe. I've seen it on every brick house/building I've ever looked at.
You will find this is whats known as the damp course, the builders add something waterproof like polythene sheeting between this course to stop water working its way up the side of your house and making things damp.
The answer is water damage. You may be living in an area that gets cold in winter. Water moisture builds up in the mortar closest to the ground and when it freezes the mortar swells and pops out.
I'd say you either have a crawl space or a basement. So if your foundation were to have mortar on that first layer your house would be more prone to cracks and suffer damage to the foundation. there is steel rods going into you foundation on the sides. This allows the weight to keep the foundation in place.
They are called weep holes, and it allows any water that penetrates the wall to weep out to the outside once it works its way down the vapor barrier between the back side of the brick and the sheething.
They are weep holes to allow moisture to escape from between the brick veneer and the subsurface. If you are concerned about insects you can cut four inch pieces of a natural fiber rope (1/4 inch diameter) insert them through the "weeps" at the bottom of the joint leaving about 1/2 of rope protruding. Then mortar in or caulk in above them.