Anyone know what the UK regulations are for air bricks? Or, failing that,
any general recommendations on their use and airflow to the rest of a house?
By air brick I mean something like this:

http://i.istockimg.com/file_thumbvie...-air-brick.jpg

I probably should ask some specific questions but they would be many! so it
may be best to get some general advice first.

James

On 10/12/2013 12:41, James Harris wrote:
Anyone know what the UK regulations are for air bricks? Or, failing that,
any general recommendations on their use and airflow to the rest of a house?
By air brick I mean something like this:

http://i.istockimg.com/file_thumbvie...-air-brick.jpg

I probably should ask some specific questions but they would be many! so it
may be best to get some general advice first.

Building regs doc C is probably a good start.

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/upl..._AD_C_2013.pdf


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

James Harris wrote:
Anyone know what the UK regulations are for air bricks? Or, failing
that, any general recommendations on their use and airflow to the rest of
a
house? By air brick I mean something like this:


http://i.istockimg.com/file_thumbvie...-air-brick.jpg

I probably should ask some specific questions but they would be many!
so it may be best to get some general advice first.

It depends what you want to know.
It also depends whether your house has blown wool insulation or will be
getting it in the future.
And whether your downstairs floors are suspended (floorboards on beams).
Having changed probably 5000 of these over the years (CWI installer) I may
be able to help you with specifics

On 10/12/2013 12:41, James Harris wrote:
Anyone know what the UK regulations are for air bricks? Or, failing that,
any general recommendations on their use and airflow to the rest of a house?
By air brick I mean something like this:

http://i.istockimg.com/file_thumbvie...-air-brick.jpg



Many years ago I was advised to improve ventilation by removing that
type of airbrick - large opening but the brick has only small holes
allowing a limited airflow - and replacing it with something like
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/p70541
which has a much larger airflow opening.


--
mailto:news{at}admac(dot}myzen{dot}co{dot}uk

Phil L" wrote in message
...
James Harris wrote:
Anyone know what the UK regulations are for air bricks? Or, failing
that, any general recommendations on their use and airflow to the rest of
a
house? By air brick I mean something like this:


http://i.istockimg.com/file_thumbvie...-air-brick.jpg

I probably should ask some specific questions but they would be many!
so it may be best to get some general advice first.

It depends what you want to know.
It also depends whether your house has blown wool insulation or will be
getting it in the future.
And whether your downstairs floors are suspended (floorboards on beams).
Having changed probably 5000 of these over the years (CWI installer) I may
be able to help you with specifics

I got some ideas from the official regs but overall found them confusing so,
yes, I think I'll need to ask.

In summary this is for a first floor flat with a concrete floor. There is a
neighbouring flat below and a loft above. An air brick vents into a kitchen
cupboard.

Am concerned about ventilation into the flat rather than that to the
interior of the walls. I gather there are two reasons for such an air brick:
condensation and keeping the air quality acceptable. About right?

How much airflow is required into the kitchen and other rooms? Does it
depend on whether there are naked-flame fires in those rooms? (The flat has
no gas or open fires. All cooking and power are electric.)

Reason for asking: to limit winter cold air flow to just what's needed but
also to ensure enough is maintained. The flat was built around 1990 if that
gives some idea of the likely airtightness of the rest of the flat apart
from the air brick.

Any guidance appreciated.

James

James Harris wrote:
7`
I got some ideas from the official regs but overall found them
confusing so, yes, I think I'll need to ask.

In summary this is for a first floor flat with a concrete floor.
There is a neighbouring flat below and a loft above. An air brick
vents into a kitchen cupboard.

Am concerned about ventilation into the flat rather than that to the
interior of the walls. I gather there are two reasons for such an air
brick: condensation and keeping the air quality acceptable. About
right?
How much airflow is required into the kitchen and other rooms? Does it
depend on whether there are naked-flame fires in those rooms? (The
flat has no gas or open fires. All cooking and power are electric.)

Reason for asking: to limit winter cold air flow to just what's
needed but also to ensure enough is maintained. The flat was built
around 1990 if that gives some idea of the likely airtightness of the
rest of the flat apart from the air brick.

Any guidance appreciated.

James

The airbrick is probably left over from when there may have been gas
appliances in the flat, IE a CH boiler although it's possible someone may
have added it for another reason.
I have a 3 bedroom mid terrace with a condensing boiler upstairs and a
woodburning stove in the living room.
There are no vents anywhere in the house, nor any condensation or damp.
There's enough ventilation coming through the poorly sealed aluminium window
frames and the letterbox, also people opening and closing doors every day.

If the vent in your kitchen is causing a cold draught, you can seal it up,
there are no safety issues as you don't have gas in the place, but it may
have been keeping condenstaion down, so if it were mine, I'd seal it with
tape and cardboard for a year to see if anything happened, if not, seal it
up completely by removing and bricking up and then plaster.

It can't be a cavity vent as the walls will be filled with insulation if it
was built in the 90's, ergo, there's no cavity to ventilate.

I'm not sure what glazing you have but I'd guess DG? - often there are
permavents on such frames, but even without them, there's still enough
ventilation and you'd be surprised where this air comes from - not long ago
I worked on some new build houses and they had a vaccuum test done on each
house to see how much draught etc was getting in, the chap affixed a huge
plastic sheet over the (open) front door and sealed it all around. In the
centre of the sheet was a big fan, about 2ft across which blew the air out
of the house, while he went around with his instruments to measure the
draughts in each room - they were everywhere.
Gale force winds blowing out of the sockets (the air was coming down the
conduit from the loft), wind blowing from under the skirtings (coming from
behind the dry-lining), tiny holes around pipes and cables going through
exterior walls allow a draught as do upstairs light fittings that allow loft
air into the rooms below, and this had only been built in 2012, with unseen
cracks etc that you will undoubtedly have, I wouldn't worry too much about
room ventilation

"Phil L" wrote in message
...
James Harris wrote:
7`
I got some ideas from the official regs but overall found them
confusing so, yes, I think I'll need to ask.

In summary this is for a first floor flat with a concrete floor.
There is a neighbouring flat below and a loft above. An air brick
vents into a kitchen cupboard.

Am concerned about ventilation into the flat rather than that to the
interior of the walls. I gather there are two reasons for such an air
brick: condensation and keeping the air quality acceptable. About
right?
How much airflow is required into the kitchen and other rooms? Does it
depend on whether there are naked-flame fires in those rooms? (The
flat has no gas or open fires. All cooking and power are electric.)

Reason for asking: to limit winter cold air flow to just what's
needed but also to ensure enough is maintained. The flat was built
around 1990 if that gives some idea of the likely airtightness of the
rest of the flat apart from the air brick.

Any guidance appreciated.

James

The airbrick is probably left over from when there may have been gas
appliances in the flat, IE a CH boiler although it's possible someone may
have added it for another reason.
I have a 3 bedroom mid terrace with a condensing boiler upstairs and a
woodburning stove in the living room.
There are no vents anywhere in the house, nor any condensation or damp.
There's enough ventilation coming through the poorly sealed aluminium
window frames and the letterbox, also people opening and closing doors
every day.

If the vent in your kitchen is causing a cold draught, you can seal it up,
there are no safety issues as you don't have gas in the place, but it may
have been keeping condenstaion down, so if it were mine, I'd seal it with
tape and cardboard for a year to see if anything happened, if not, seal it
up completely by removing and bricking up and then plaster.

That's really good to hear. I didn't expect it would be permissible to cover
it completely.

It can't be a cavity vent as the walls will be filled with insulation if
it was built in the 90's, ergo, there's no cavity to ventilate.

I'm not sure what glazing you have but I'd guess DG? - often there are
permavents on such frames, but even without them, there's still enough
ventilation and you'd be surprised where this air comes from

Yes, the windows are double glazed and have small vents. The vents are kept
closed but they don't form a seal and still allow a little air through.

- not long ago I worked on some new build houses and they had a vaccuum
test done on each house to see how much draught etc was getting in, the
chap affixed a huge plastic sheet over the (open) front door and sealed it
all around. In the centre of the sheet was a big fan, about 2ft across
which blew the air out of the house, while he went around with his
instruments to measure the draughts in each room - they were everywhere.
Gale force winds blowing out of the sockets (the air was coming down the
conduit from the loft), wind blowing from under the skirtings (coming from
behind the dry-lining), tiny holes around pipes and cables going through
exterior walls allow a draught as do upstairs light fittings that allow
loft air into the rooms below, and this had only been built in 2012, with
unseen cracks etc that you will undoubtedly have, I wouldn't worry too
much about room ventilation

As you say, there are places where some air can get in - the mains sockets
especially. I have done as you suggested and blocked the air brick. Many
thanks for the advice.

James

On Tuesday, December 10, 2013 at 4:23:12 PM UTC, John Rumm wrote:
On 10/12/2013 12:41, James Harris wrote:
Anyone know what the UK regulations are for air bricks? Or, failing that,
any general recommendations on their use and airflow to the rest of a house?
By air brick I mean something like this:

http://i.istockimg.com/file_thumbvie...-air-brick.jpg

I probably should ask some specific questions but they would be many! so it
may be best to get some general advice first.

Building regs doc C is probably a good start.

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/upl..._AD_C_2013.pdf


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

There's a nice online version of the building regs documents he https://www.specifiedby.com/building...ion-resistance

On 15/08/2016 22:52, wrote:

On Tuesday, December 10, 2013 at 4:23:12 PM UTC, John Rumm wrote:

only three years late darren...

On 10/12/2013 12:41, James Harris wrote:
Anyone know what the UK regulations are for air bricks? Or, failing that,
any general recommendations on their use and airflow to the rest of a house?
By air brick I mean something like this:

http://i.istockimg.com/file_thumbvie...-air-brick.jpg

I probably should ask some specific questions but they would be many! so it
may be best to get some general advice first.

Building regs doc C is probably a good start.

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/upl..._AD_C_2013.pdf

There's a nice online version of the building regs documents he https://www.ohlookitsmysite.com/buil...ion-resistance

Why bother going to a third party site when you can get the original doc
from the official site?



--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

2013, The name is not Petrocelli is it by any chance he never did finish
that house he was building in the series.
Brian

--
----- -
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please!
wrote in message
...
On Tuesday, December 10, 2013 at 4:23:12 PM UTC, John Rumm wrote:
On 10/12/2013 12:41, James Harris wrote:
Anyone know what the UK regulations are for air bricks? Or, failing
that,
any general recommendations on their use and airflow to the rest of a
house?
By air brick I mean something like this:


http://i.istockimg.com/file_thumbvie...-air-brick.jpg

I probably should ask some specific questions but they would be many!
so it
may be best to get some general advice first.

Building regs doc C is probably a good start.

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/upl..._AD_C_2013.pdf


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

There's a nice online version of the building regs documents he
https://www.specifiedby.com/building...ion-resistance