Vents in upstairs walls

[Graemevw]

All 4 of the upstairs rooms in our 1950's built house have those ugly vent bricks high up on the walls.

There is an air brick oposite on the outside skin of the wall.

There is no cavity insulation and at the moment, single glazed UPVC windows. These will probably be changed for double glazing.

Can i remove and brick up these vents?

I assume this leaves us at risk of condensation?

My wife likes to always have a window slightly open anyway. We dont suffer from any condensation at the moment (unless she's put the washing on the radiators)

If i do, should i also block up the external air bricks (just the ones for the upstairs rooms)?

Do these vents serve any other purpose other than room ventilation? You dont get them in more modern houses, do old houses have them due to the chimney passing through the upstairs rooms?

 

[peaps2]

Not a good idea to block up the vents.

 

[Graemevw]

Ok, but why.

Whats their purpose, and what will/might happen if i do?

Bathroom vent can go as ill fit an extractor, so then its just the bedroom ones.

 

[peaps2]

Number of reasons these were fitted in the 50s. To vent for gas fires that were unvented, coal fires and to vent the cavity and roof void. Sometime a combination of all the above.

If you have no coal fire, gas fire and have CH then you could block them leaving the outside vents free to circulate, don't block any lower vents that are designed to vent the floor void.

Damp and condensation is what may happen and if you have an old gas fires then death...

 

[Alastairreid]

Brick them up! they were to vent the rooms.

Get trickle vents in the new windows when you get them.

 

[Graemevw]

Thats what i thought.

Thanks.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

You can always seal them up with something and see if you get condensation problems.

 

[Graemevw]

It will be a few weeks till i start work up there so ill tape them over for now and see what happens.