Sub floor ventilation and building regs

[blup]

The property is a Victorian terrace dwelling in 9" brick (no cavity), with two rusting cast iron vents at the front, the size of single bricks. The survey said they should be replaced: but on closer inspection the vents are above the internal floor level and only on the outer leaf, so the sub floor is not being ventilated.

I will have to dig down and install new air bricks at the surveyors expense because it was his negligence that missed it.

My question is: do the building regulations give any guidance, or require prior approval of the works?

Thanks

Blup

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Approved Docs will give you the vent area required per square metre of floorspace.
It may well be notifiable work but I've never checked.
Don't forget (if the surveyor has admitted negligence) that if you have to destroy and reinstate any significant area of flooring to sort the subfloor ventilation you will be obliged (building regs) to consider insulating the floor- you'd have a very good argument for the surveyor covering some of the cost of doing that (on the grounds that but for his negligence you'd have left the floors alone and thus been under no obligation to consider insulation.
'Some of' because insulating will reduce your energy costs, you're not meant to profit from his mistake.
'Have to' is subject to interpretation- for instance if the subfloor is a metre or more deep it would probably be deemed reasonable to form a trap door and work underneath the floor thus removing the obligation to insulate.

 

[^woody^]

No regulations or approval required.

 

[Dereekoo]

But why did actually flag up in the report, if he said replace them because it was needed to provide/assist ventilation to the subfloor then you have been mislead and may have a claim. If he said they needed replacing for some other reason then there is no negligence

 

[oldbutnotdead]

I suspect the report will have a massive blob of 'ground floor is suspended timber ventilated by blah blah blah the outer ventilation grilles are corroded and should be replaced vermin blah blah'
The negligence was that the subfloor is not ventilated- could be expensive if rot has set in

 

[Dereekoo]

I suspect ??

Work on facts, await Blups reply