Advice/information please - potential problems caused by drilling into cavity wall for air vent.

[Span]

Hello, I'm new here though I have got many tips from reading the forums over the years.

I am hoping someone can give me the definite reasons why you should not drill holes into a cavity wall to ventilate a room.

Here is the thing - for many years there has been the smell of stale smoke, the stinky, illegal kind in much of my house. It comes from next door, no judgement, but I don't want it in my house, it's pretty strong and we just can't tolerate it anymore!

Turns out, in order to ventilate his son's room, next door dad drilled multiple holes into the front wall of his house below the window and stuck a vent over it. Although he says he drilled through both interior and exterior walls there is no sign of vent or holes on the outside. My conclusion, even if originally there were holes right through, they have since been painted over, we are talking small holes here.

We live in a semi - my theory is the smoke/smell fills up the cavity between our two homes and seeps through our floors.

Please explain in terms my neighbour can understand , why vents should be lined/ducted and can cause damp/cold and a breach into shared cavity space between the homes. He won't listen to me, maybe because I'm a woman!

 

[chappers]

Please explain in terms my neighbour can understand , why vents should be lined/ducted and can cause damp/cold and a breach into shared cavity space between the homes. He won't listen to me, maybe because I'm a woman!

Stop smoking weed in your house you inconsiderate bastard or sort the problem, otherwise I will be forced to take this further.

 

[Span]

Thank you! To be honest that is exactly how I feel but I'm trying hard to be diplomatic. x

 

[roboughton]

I doubt you will be able to be diplomatic, he either doesn't care or is too chilled out to care if you know what I mean.

I would draw it on paper something like this



Not sure it will mean much to a chilled out guy though.

 

[Span]

Thank you, what a fantastic diagram, very thoughtful of you!
I have tried explaining in a similar way and I'm afraid have met with blankness. He seemed quite pleased with himself for drilling as he isn't very practical. He also doubted the smoke/smell would get past the cavity insulation but it is old and I imagine it can sink or form voids?
I should say these are 30s houses, well built but definitely sharing some air space between joists, cavities etc.
The wall he has drilled in is extremely cold and damp, I suspect this is exacerbated by the holes?
Anyway, my beef is with the stink! He told me they burn incense! Oh great.
Do I have any recourse other than the fuzz?

 

[^woody^]

Do I have any recourse other than the fuzz

You will find that the police will be as much use as condom to a celibate eunuch with this.

The council's environmental health dept can serve a statutory nuisance notice on your neighbour for the smoke. This would be your best and quickest option.

Or possibly the same people or building control for action based on the risk of fire spread into the cavity.

Otherwise it's a private action for an injunction.

 

[endecotp]

I wonder if some positive-pressure ventillation would help?

 

[^woody^]

I wonder if some positive-pressure ventillation would help?

I've considered that for similar previous situations to this. Loft units risk drawing the air from next door via open cavities and gaps in the party wall, and pumping this around the house.

Even external inlets have a similar risk

 

[endecotp]

Yes, I was imagining an inlet high up on a distant gable end, or something.

 

[Span]

I am expecting a call back from Environmental Health building control tomorrow. Thanks for suggestion. x

What is positive- pressure ventilation please ?

 

[roboughton]

What is positive- pressure ventilation please ?

They push air from outside or the loft or both into your living areas to give you fresher/filtered air. They help with damp and can also recover heat from the loft area. I had a nuair one before we extended our house and it did a brilliant job of controlling damp/humid air.