airbricks - an option

[Brigadier]

I believe i have a condensation (rather than an actual ingress) problem in my roof space.

Concrete pantiles, closed soffits, so I reckon my only options are

tile vents (which I don't like the look of)

ridge vents (which may be a dry ridge option that I can live with)

airbricks in the gable end (which will be unobtrusive).

The gable end with the most obvious problem is west facing, and as I live in an exposed location, gets a good stiff breeze straight at it a lot of the time. Would the airbrick help with ventilation, or would it make the damp problem worse in that driving rain would have handy holes to get in through? How bad would the wind have to be for the rain to drive through the vents in a clay airbrick (we had 100mph winds last spring).

I suppose I could put some of those louvred vents up on the gable, but reckon they'd look daft....

 

[noseall]

you will require more than one vent to achieve cross ventilation.

we use over-fascia vents where applicable, they are easy to fit and unobtrusive.

 

[Brigadier]

Thanks Noseall,

but will driving rain actually be blown through the vents, thus making the condensation part of the dampness irrelevant?

Also, I have closed soffits, and wet verges (no fascias) - am planning to dry verge when the weather warms up, and I feel like a lay-off from golf on a weekend!

 

[noseall]

it would take an awful lot of rain to blow through the vents in order for the moisture to negate the damp-preventing aspects of the vents.

this is not going to happen. it would be clever rain that could get through over-fascia or soffit vents.

roof tile vents aren't particularly attractive but achieve the same result.

never neglect your golf.

 

[Brigadier]

Thanks Noseall,

as I said, I have no fascias at the gable end, just an inch of undercloak and the wet verge - could I vent the underside of the dry verge units, perhaps with those round soffit vents that you can holesaw into normal soffits? Or is that just a daft idea?

 

[noseall]

daft idea.

a couple of 9"x 9" airbricks through the gable end would be better.

 

[Brigadier]

many thanks