Blocked Air bricks

[MattB1]

Hi,

We've recently had a conservatory built that covers most of the back of the house. When the builders did the base they blocked the air brick from the kitchen but did not put a pipe in the concrete conservatory floor from the existing air brick to a new air brick in the conservatory dwarf wall as I have since learned is common practice. Most of the flooring in the kitchen/dining area (where the air brick was blocked) is timber floorboards and I am now worried that the lack of ventilation could lead to dry rot in the future.
An air brick can not easily be put in the side or remaining back wall of the house because that part of the dining room floor is concrete.

There are 2 air bricks in the front of the house which vent under the living room floor (also timber). The dividing wall under the floorboards between the living room and diningroom/kitchen is honeycomb pattern and therefore there are numerouse small holes for air to get between the living room and dining room/kitchen.
Would these holes be sufficient to allow enough ventilation to prevent dry rot in the floorboards and joists in the dining room/kitchen ? I am also concerned about the gas cooker in the kitchen and whether there would be enough ventilation if there was a gas leak.
Also - is the lack of an air brick likely to cause problems with a surveyor should we try to sell the house in furure.
Are there any building regulations that need to be met regarding air bricks that we would be breaking if we did not have one.

Apologies for the long post but any advice would be greatly appreciated. We will be speaking to the conservatory company tomorrow but any impartial opinions would be a big help.

Thanks,
Matt.

 

[Tom.]

Did a planning officer visit during construction?

 

[MattB1]

Hi Tom,

A planning officer didn't visit because planning approval wasn't required (the conservatory company planning officer gave a letter of excemption). A surveyor did visit though, but I don't think there was any mention of the air brick at the time. It only came to light when the next door neighbour mentioned it. The conservatory company acknowledge that there should have been one, what I want to know is whether the honeycomb pattern in the dividing wall is sufficient to ventilate from the air bricks at the front of the house (i.e. prevent dry rot occuring) and also if we are breaking any rules (building regs) not having an air brick at the back of the house.

It is too late now, without a lot of upheaval to put another air brick in.

Thanks,
Matt.

 

[Tom.]

I'd visit your local planning officer, and see what he says. Sorry I can't help any more than that. You do need to allow the breeze to flow through underneath your house, uninterrupted AFAIK.

 

[masona]

We will be speaking to the conservatory company tomorrow but any impartial opinions would be a big help.

If the company don't put this right then tell them you're going to report them to the building control. It's very important to have air circulation from back to front of the property. The conservatory company should know all the building regulations.

The only solulation I can think of is to use a extended air brick type and into the conservatory with a roof vent permanent open at the top for air flow circulation.

Also see this.

 

[Thermo]

only trouble is if its a conservatory below 30m2 and it complies with all the legislation as to the definition of a conservatory eg % of glass etc, then as far as building control go it doesnt exist, as the regs dont apply to it. Daft really, but still worth a chat with them

Thermo

 

[TexMex]

Building regs, is Building regs. Even if it doesn't need planning permission, it still needs to adhere to the building regs. Blocking the airbricks in this manner is contrary to the regs. Getting BCO involved, however, could backfire. The owner would have the responsibility to get it sorted. Although he would have the option to recoup his costs through the courts, from the conservatory firm, it is ultimately his responsibility to sort it out.

 

[masona]

Yes, it's a tricky one and yet you can't leave it as it is

 

[masona]

An air brick can not easily be put in the side or remaining back wall of the house because that part of the dining room floor is concrete.

The air flow should've been piped underneath the concrete floor as well, unless it's a cavity wall which is vented to the cavity section.