old air vent

kymrob

we own a 1930's house and in the little bedroom is an air vent.
there is no air vent in the 1st or 2nd bedroom is this because they use to have open fires? we now have gas heating and dd glasing do we need this vent open? does any one now why these where here?

Nobleck

Air vents help to prevent damp from building up, if you have double glazing you may have a vent strip in the top of it. I know people that have blocked up old vents and had all sorts of problems like condensation on double glazing, mildew in corners of the wall.

ianeverton

On a 1930's house they have solid brick walls without a cavity to prevent moisture passing through to the interior.

As such there needs to be an unrestricted airflow in the rooms to allow the moisture inside to dissipate.

In my house all the bedrooms have air bricks, if you look from outside is there no evidence of airbricks in the other rooms that have been blocked inside.

Check other houses in the road to see if this is the case, although as you suggest if the rooms had open flue fires in them this would allow air to flow.