Apparatus and method for debris-collecting in masonry cavity walls

Abstract

A mesh device for retaining mortar and other debris within a mortar-cavity-wall so as to prevent such material from falling in front of and hence blocking the “weep holes” placed at the bottom of such a wall to permit the egress of moisture condensate that forms within this type of wall. The device of the present invention is a rectangle of thin, openly woven mesh of basically a planar shape but with “bumps” distributed across the plane in such manner that when the device is placed upright within the cavity the bumps form barriers to the dropping of mortar and other debris. The bumps themselves, being made of the same material as the rest of the device, are fully permeable to moisture working its way down the cavity. Furthermore, there is an offset of the bumps in one row from those in the next so as to further reduce the possibility of a blockage occurring, say by debris accumulated on the bumps. Finally, the bumps on one side of the planar surface are matched by “dimples” on the other side. This permits nesting of the individual devices, thus reducing the space that the units take up during transportation and storage.