Can fumes pass through shared walls?

[Nickjh]

I live in a block of flats that were built in 2008.
My next door neighbour is completely refurbishing their flat, and their bedroom shares a wall with mine.
They have glued new floors down, repainted and varnished the wooden windowsills. Because it's winter, they haven't opened their windows.

I am just wondering whether the fumes from all of this can pass through the shared wall/ party wall, and into my room? Or whether there is no chance due to the insulation, plasterboard etc? Would there be a vapour/ moisture barrier/ plastic wrap too?

The wall between my bedroom and their's isn't that thick, but it is well soundproofed as I can never hear anything though it. It is all timber framed.

Thanks so much. I've been pretty worried about this.

 

[Tigercubrider]

I doubt much can

Can you smell it?

What would you do if some fumes do come through? Everybody decorates from time to time.
You will also create fumes when you do

 

[John D v2.0]

The simple answer is yes they can, but with a modern construction done well you should be OK.
Things that would increase the risk would be you putting on your extractor fans with the doors open, and having a will sealed house, and poor workmanship on the party walls.

 

[Nickjh]

The simple answer is yes they can, but with a modern construction done well you should be OK.
Things that would increase the risk would be you putting on your extractor fans with the doors open, and having a will sealed house, and poor workmanship on the party walls.

If I was living in an older house with brick walls would there be no chance at all because of the brick?

I can't actually smell anything, but am still worried as my wife is pregnant and so it's not good to breathe in these fumes in such a tiny flat, and we only have one bedroom.

 

[John D v2.0]

Brick walls have a higher chance of leaking because there are small gaps between the bricks in the vertical joints. You either need to parge all the way to the ground with cement it something or put something air tight in the buildup for brick walls.
But anyway some things are very smelly but not harmful at all. Don't worry too much.

 

[Nickjh]

Would't the party walls have to be airtight? Otherwise moisture from sleeping in the room etc would get into the insulation and cause it to rot?
Surely there will be some kind of plastic wrapping to prevent this, so therefore the air I breathe should be fine?

 

[Nickjh]

Brick walls have a higher chance of leaking because there are small gaps between the bricks in the vertical joints. You either need to parge all the way to the ground with cement it something or put something air tight in the buildup for brick walls.
But anyway some things are very smelly but not harmful at all. Don't worry too much.

Would't the party walls have to be airtight? Otherwise moisture from sleeping in the room etc would get into the insulation and cause it to rot?
Surely there will be some kind of plastic wrapping to prevent this, so therefore the air I breathe should be fine?

 

[John D v2.0]

Very few houses are airtight. Even a balloon goes down in time. The degree of airtightness depends on the build up and workmanship.
However I sense you are very worried about the possible health effects, if you're really worried then keep your window open on the latch. The other option is to fit one of this positive input vent systems to your place to force all the leaks to go outwards.

 

[Tigercubrider]

If you can't smell anything how do you know that there are fumes?

 

[Nickjh]

Very few houses are airtight. Even a balloon goes down in time. The degree of airtightness depends on the build up and workmanship.
However I sense you are very worried about the possible health effects, if you're really worried then keep your window open on the latch. The other option is to fit one of this positive input vent systems to your place to force all the leaks to go outwards.

What is a positive input vent?

If I can't smell anything, then maybe that means nothing is coming through as varnishes and glue have very strong smells?
I can never smell cooking smells through the walls either.

So you're saying no type of wall, whether a new timberframed one or a 60 year old one, is airtight?

 

[Nickjh]

If you can't smell anything how do you know that there are fumes?

Part of my room sticks out, as does my neighbours, so our windows are opposite one another. I have seen them painting and gluing floorboards down and can smell the fumes in the corridor outside our flat.

 

[^woody^]

The simple answer is that if you can't smell the fumes in your flat, then they have not passed through the structure.

But there should be no gaps in the structure for fumes to pass though, else if they can, then so can smoke and fire.

But smells and fumes can get out into the communal lobbies, via those door things.

 

[Lower]

If I was living in an older house with brick walls would there be no chance at all because of the brick?

I can't actually smell anything, but am still worried as my wife is pregnant and so it's not good to breathe in these fumes in such a tiny flat, and we only have one bedroom.

I really wouldn't be worrying about potential paint,glue or varnish fumes that you can't actually smell any of....

 

[Nickjh]

The simple answer is that if you can't smell the fumes in your flat, then they have not passed through the structure.

But there should be no gaps in the structure for fumes to pass though, else if they can, then so can smoke and fire.

But smells and fumes can get out into the communal lobbies, via those door things.

It's reassuring that I can't smell it, but that doesn't mean it hasn't come through as I would expect any odour to be faint anyway as is seeping through the wall.
That's why I thought I'd ask whether party walls are built to be airtight or whether they are just flimsy plasterboard?

 

[Nickjh]

I really wouldn't be worrying about potential paint,glue or varnish fumes that you can't actually smell any of....

I would expect any fumes to be faint as it is seeping through a wall, so it's hard to say whether actually anything is coming though or not, which is why I thought I'd ask whether separation walls are built to be airtight or not, and whether they'd have moisture/ vapour barriers etc?