Airbricks below driveway.

[Djdj]

We've moved in to a house where front walls were treated for damp last year. I also can smell a musky damp smell under the stairs even it rains and have started looking in to airbricks.

Our airbricks are below the driveway so letting in rain, this looks like a big no no from what I've read. I'm just wondering what my options are apart from digging up the drive way?

Thanks in advance

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Move the house up instead.

 

[Djdj]

Move the house up instead.

Amazing. Kids would love that idea as well!

 

[^woody^]

Is the ground floor timber?

What dampness is there?

 

[Charlie George]

One option is to cut back block paving,and use a channel similar to this.

 

[tel765]

If the wall is a cavity wall then moisture entering the air bricks might simply drop into the cavity but if the wall is solid then its significant.

The faux stone cladding could have been installed in the hope of preventing damp?
The only DPC insert holes i can see are in the open brickwork not in the cladding.
On the red painted brickwork pic can you locate the original DPC line?

Assuming that you still have a suspended floor then:
How much depth do you have in the crawl space below the suspended floor?
The chemical DPC line is too high for the FFL, neither do we know if the walls are cavity or solid?
Neither do we know if the floor joist tails are supported in the front walls?

The original mechanical DPC has been bridged by the driveway level and the cladding.
Judging by the door threshold then your interior floor is at risk from moisture penetration from the driveway surface.

 

[Djdj]

Thanks all, sorry about the late reply. I do think the floor is timber and yes, where the airbrick is on the first photo there is an lot of damp on the interior wall. The area next to second air brick has had damp treatment

 

[SpecialK]

It looks very wet in those areas by the air vents (lots of moss on the drive). Does the drive slope towards the house?
Could the tap pipework be leaking? Are you on a water meter - or listen at the stopcock with a screwdriver for running water...

 

[Grantx]

Air-grids sit on the dpc level. The top of the air-grid is your floor level. Both have be almost completely breached by the new paving. You have no protection against damp and thus, a damp problem.

You should check the ends of your floor joists also for water damage or rot.

 

[Djdj]

It looks very wet in those areas by the air vents (lots of moss on the drive). Does the drive slope towards the house?
Could the tap pipework be leaking? Are you on a water meter - or listen at the stopcock with a screwdriver for running water...

Thanks for the reply, the driveway is uneven hence why water stands in parts of areas

 

[Djdj]

Air-grids sit on the dpc level. The top of the air-grid is your floor level. Both have be almost completely breached by the new paving. You have no protection against damp and thus, a damp problem.

You should check the ends of your floor joists also for water damage or rot.

Thanks

 

[HERTS P&D]

What's in the pot??

Andy