1955 build semi, on a full concrete slab, with cavity walls. It originally had double brick air vents, through both leaves, in kitchen, bathroom, and small bedroom, but the inner leaf side of these were bricked up in 1985, during a major refurb, making the place much warmer. The cavities were also checked, and cleaned out, at the same time. Some years later, I had the cavities filled with blown in insulation.
Since then, I have blocked up the outer leaf of those double brick square vents, but there are still a number single brick size vents [1], third row up from the DPC. I'm aware of a draft, which appears between the timber horizontal internal window sill and the wall, of the bay window at the front of the house, during high winds. The house is quite exposed, and the bay faces the prevailing wind. The gap between sill and top of the bay wall is tiny, but the sill is highly polished timber, so I am reluctant to disturb it, to attempt to seal it better to the wall.
My best guess, is that the draft is a result of the wind pressure, blowing in through those single brick cavity vents [1]. There are three such vents along the wind facing wall, one below the bay window, the other two at either side. As a trial, following on from last week's high winds, I cut a bit of alloy sheet to fit, and seal over the bay vent.
My question is, should I be sealing all of these vents up permanently? There are eight of them in total, scattered around the the house, at low level.
Since then, I have blocked up the outer leaf of those double brick square vents, but there are still a number single brick size vents [1], third row up from the DPC. I'm aware of a draft, which appears between the timber horizontal internal window sill and the wall, of the bay window at the front of the house, during high winds. The house is quite exposed, and the bay faces the prevailing wind. The gap between sill and top of the bay wall is tiny, but the sill is highly polished timber, so I am reluctant to disturb it, to attempt to seal it better to the wall.
My best guess, is that the draft is a result of the wind pressure, blowing in through those single brick cavity vents [1]. There are three such vents along the wind facing wall, one below the bay window, the other two at either side. As a trial, following on from last week's high winds, I cut a bit of alloy sheet to fit, and seal over the bay vent.
My question is, should I be sealing all of these vents up permanently? There are eight of them in total, scattered around the the house, at low level.
