Air brick part-blocked

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Hi,

Just bought our first house (1890s terrace) and now dealing with the inevitable age and previous owner related issues.

At the front, there is a large (12 inch square) patterned air brick which lets lots of air into the cellar, and I have also unblocked the coal chute. The cellar isn't dry but it's not bad. Joists seem OK and have kept metal stuff and card down there for a month without issues.

At the rear, there is only a single plastic air brick which has been part-blocked by the concrete path being raised. Looking at the drain hole for a cross-section, about 30mm of concrete has been added so maybe more than one layer over the years.

There is no space to raise it - even once brick course up might be at floor level.

This path is also the right of way for the neighbour to exit past our kitchen wall.

It needs better ventilation: was highlighted in survey and kitchen floor is not level. Boards have been replaced with T&G chipboard - possibly due to historic damp damage.

Under the kitchen floor is just rubble from the house build. There is some air flow from cellar as front as bricks removed for pipes/wiring etc from central wall. But little true through draft.

It looks like the neighbour's path and ours were concreted at the same time: theirs is roughly the same level. Neighbour's is currently unoccupied - in middle of a sale.

So I can remove the concrete on ours, leaving a small step down from neighbours.

However, this:
- Might annoy them if getting home in the dark, especially if pints consumed. Like tripping on a paving slab.
- Might mean rain water drains down onto my section of the path more, soaking in at bottom of the wall. It would pool as there is a raised patio 3 feet away so water can't run off into the distance.

So my thoughts are:

- Remove the concrete and lower by 30+mm.
- Add a brick rain gully 1 inch from the wall to the drain, to divert water from base of wall.
- Repoint brickwork damaged by removal of concrete. Add one extra air brick as well.

Does this make sense?

Would it be better to try to finish the floor so it angles away from the house (raised patio 3 feet away). Would need a more complicated drainage arrangement - brick gully at bottom of slope would then need to come back across path towards house to go into drain. Then be covered where it crosses path to prevent tripping.

Any advice appreciated!!
 
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Can I suggest you consider the use of the following??

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TELESCOPIC UNDERFLOOR VENT BLACK 220MM X 215MM (12025)

Ken
 
The white rendered wall is ours, from the drain at bottom of pic to the broom
 
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Any suggestions? This has maxed out my DIY skills.
 

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