Air bricks being blocked up? Why?

JustAnotherSaver

I noticed in the house we've just bought, the air bricks appear to be blocked up & i'm not sure why this would be.

We have the square hole bricks as opposed to the louvered ones & it looks like the holes have been cemented over.
Thinking about it though, perhaps it could be dust looking like cement? I know the only true way of knowing would be to get up there with a ladder & have a look, but as it's up on the upper floor & i'm absolutely terrified of heights & not much better with ladders in general then there's not much chance of that happening.

I had a look around the street - some people have the same square hole air bricks, one or two have the louvered air bricks.
Some have their bricks seemingly cemented over like ours whereas others it appears like they're not blocked.



Note: It's just the holes that seem blocked. It's not like a blanket cementing over the entire brick, it's just the holes.

custardy

seen it on houses getting the free cavity wall insulation

Yorkie1

Or if a gas appliance which used to be in the room has been removed.

JustAnotherSaver

custardy wrote: »

seen it on houses getting the free cavity wall insulation

We don't have a cavity wall, however we was given the certificate from when the previous owner got the loft insulated. I can't remember the exact year so i'll say it was within the last 10 years that's for sure.

Looking in the loft it's also quite dusty up there.

Based on this & what you've just said, would you say that it's just dust accumulation that just needs cleaning out?

Or fine to leave as it stands?

JustAnotherSaver

Yorkie1 wrote: »

Or if a gas appliance which used to be in the room has been removed.

The only gas appliance in the room is the radiator. The house boiler is in the bedroom next to ours in a cupboard.

Stooby2

Is this a house built in the days of coal fires in all the rooms? Our terrace was and each house has one of these; most people have blocked them up as they're apparently no longer needed and just let in a gale of cold air in the winter.

JustAnotherSaver

The house was built in 1935.

From looking at the walls now that it's been stripped, i'd say that the bedroom never did have a fire. There's no markings there to suggest & the wall doesn't jut out.

The air bricks have vents that you can open & close on the inside & a mesh filter on the inside.

Stooby2

Oddly enough they seem to be placed in upstairs room without fires in - ours is in the box room at the front. My neighbour had his done years ago and told me his builder said they're no longer needed, so I did mine as well. It's been closed for about 20 years now and I've not had any problems.

And it's far warmer in the room / upstairs now.

Ebe_Scrooge

They used to be needed in any room that had either a gas fire or an open fire or a gas boiler - basically anything that "burnt something". In times past, before central heating, most rooms would have either a gas fire or an open fire. If there's no "burning device" ( for want of a better general description ! ) in the room then it's safe to block it - and a good idea, as it does let cold air in. But then again, that's what it was designed for !

JustAnotherSaver

Thanks for the advice & reassurance guys.

MrsE_2

Ebe_Scrooge wrote: »

They used to be needed in any room that had either a gas fire or an open fire or a gas boiler - basically anything that "burnt something". In times past, before central heating, most rooms would have either a gas fire or an open fire. If there's no "burning device" ( for want of a better general description ! ) in the room then it's safe to block it - and a good idea, as it does let cold air in. But then again, that's what it was designed for !

I've got one in my bathroom, & an electric extractor.
I had one in my kitchen, but when I had the kitchen fitted I had it blocked up as I put a cupboard there.
I've also got one in my bedroom!