What do airbricks do? Is my house solid wall?

spannerzone

I'd certainly be wary of permanently blocking any airbrick, I'd agree to the suggestion of fitting a shutter over it and see if any ill effects occur before doing something that would be hard (or troublesome) to re fit.

Having read up on the causes of damp (I'm trying to establish my own damp issues) it's become clear that good ventilation is essential and sealing up a house can make it warmer but cause damp problems with associated possible health implications.

spannerzone

shaney310879 wrote: »

i have a house with cavity walls and its been suffering from mould and condensation. I have fitted vents in the bathroom, kitchen etc to allow steam etc to leave the house. I have also been advised to fit air bricks around property. How will this help because surely all its doing is venting the cavity!?!

You'd need extraction fans in the bathroom and kitchen to remove the damp created in those rooms and the airbricks to ensure that good ventilation in the cavity/under suspended floors which all plays part in combating dampness issues. Perhaps you were suggested airbricks because you had none and without them other damp issues could occur?

There's all sorts of causes and solutions to damp - things such as the surface temp of internal and external walls, relative moisture levels in the two and gawd knows what else that can cause damp without any extra issues like kitchen and bathroom generated moisture.

I'm certainly not qualified to answer, I've just started getting into this damp walls lark!

ormus

yes airbricks in the rooms were there for the old coal and gas fires, CO safety.
and yes i have fitted sliding grills to em before now.
but ive also bricked a few up too. IME ive never had a problem with mould growth etc...

maybe ive just been lucky.

ormus

abankerbutnotafatcat wrote: »

My house seems to have both types. Was that usual? It is a 3 storey semi townhouse with the bottom floor approx 7 ft and the 2 upper floor approx 8ft ceilings. The front and back are of the solid wall brick formation but the side wall has solid wall type bricks from the ground to 6ft high and then the cavity wall type bricks from 6ft off the ground to the roof.

ive not seen one like yours, but ive seen plenty of others where say the front and rear walls were solid, and the side walls were cavity type.
ive even seen one were some cowboy had installed wall ties to a solid wall.
charged the owner a small fortune too.