Avoiding weep holes for windows when installing solar screens.

You do not want to cover up the window’s weep hole. Avoiding weep holes when installing the new solar screens is important. Covering the weep holes can cause water to back up into the home. I sadly and quite commonly see all over Austin windows that have covered-up weep holes. Covered up by installers that did not know what they were doing, or simply did not care. Not here, I am very careful about not covering up a window’s weep hole.

Most all vinyl windows have weep holes.

About 80% of the vinyl windows out there will have weep holes. All new homes these days are built with vinyl windows. Here’s a fine example of a new construction home’s vinyl window that has a weep hole which we did not cover up.

A solar screen properly installed correctly avoiding weep holes. — The solar screen is sitting above this window’s weep hole. Not over it. Not over it to cover the weep (water drainage) hole. The water can drain out of this window just fine.

The plastic housing of a weep hole gets removed for some windows.

If we can not make the solar screen sit flat onto the window framing because of a weep hole shell. Then we remove that shell.

If the solar screen does not sit flat, then it will gap. Meaning the screen will not sit flat up against the window’s framing. We do not want gaping.

Here you see how well that solar screen sits against the window frame.

If we had tried to put the solar screen above the weep hole, there would not have been enough room. Not enough room to have not allowed gaping to occur. From the top of that weep hole to the top of that bottom window seal is about 1/8″. That’s just not enough room to set a screen. Some still install that way, I use to, but not anymore.

We do not cover weep holes for opening, nor non-opening windows.

Here’s a fine example showing two windows. A half circle window sitting on top of a rectangular window. Each of these two windows received a solar window screen.

Neither of these two screens covered the weep holes. These water drain holes will properly drain water when needed because they are not covered up. — Showing two solar screens for two windows.
Each screen properly avoiding the weep holes.
This was a Cedar Park Tx solar screens project we did in 2017.

Had we tried to install just one solar screen for these two windows, there would have been gaping. There’s a mullion between these two windows that sit proud. Meaning that mullion sits higher than the window frames. Installing just one arched solar screen would have made the screen sit out from the window framing.

On my website, I have hundreds and hundreds of solar screen installation pictures.  Look through these pictures to get a feel for what your solar window screen project will turn out like. 

Then for pricing, check out my Austin solar screen pricing page. 

I make it easy to get an idea of how much solar window screens will cost for your project.

My Austin TX solar screens pictures page

Here’s a non opening window that has weep holes that are not covered.

It does not matter what kind of window there is, we do not cover that window’s weep hole.

Showing a solar screen installed correctly by avoiding weep holes. — Non-opening or opening window, neither ever gets a covered weep hole from JoshHobbs.com.
This picture we took from a 2012 Buda Tx solar screens installation

Weep holes for aluminum windows.

For aluminum windows where there’s framing screwed on the window frame to hold the glass in place. Most all of these will have a weep hole. A weep hole on the bottom to the left and right of the window. Avoiding weep holes for installations like this is imperative.

Avoiding weep holes when installing a screen, caulk or mortar is hugely imperative. — Solar screen inset within aluminum window framing. The weep hole here is not covered up.
This window is one of many Round Rock solar window screen installations I have down over the past 15 years. Read through some of the VAST amounts of customer reviews to learn more about me.

Here’s a grouping of different kinds of windows with non-covered weep holes.

A variety of different sun blocking window screens. Look through the following pictures that show me not covering weep holes with solar screens.

I have two extensive solar window screens Q&A and patio roller shades Q&A pages that cover so many more topics just like this post.

Questions and answers for your solar screen project.

Even Sliding Doors can have weep holes. Avoiding weep holes for sliding doors is equally important. Water drainage holes need to drain.

Rarely, but sometimes, I will see water drainage holes at the bottom of a sliding door system. When we install screens over sliding doors, we WILL NEVER cover these kinds of drainage waterholes. Here you will see by way of these pictures that we used the head of the screw to offset the pocket. To get the pocket door for this sliding door screen system to sit proud (high) away from the water drainage hole.

Be sure to avoid weep holes for sliding doors if they have them. — An elevated look showing where the drain hole is.

Avoiding weep holes here by using a screw head as a spacer. — An elevated look showing where the drain hole is.

You may be asking yourself, why is Josh Hobbs making such a big deal out of this?

It’s a big deal because you DO NOT want water backing up within your window. I have seen it happen. I saw a window that did not allow for water drainage because of a screen. And, that water backed up into the home. That backed up water caused damage to sheetrock inside the home. There’s just no reason for it. It’s not just with windows having weep holes. But for other windows as well. You always should consider where does the water flow to?

All of this is a really big deal because I rarely see where other installers do not cover water drain holes. Coming across a home where there are solar screens installed and the weep holes are not, is rare. You would never find a JoshHobbs.com install like that. I am very cautious about this issue.