High wind and draughts

[Harry Bloomfield]

This morning, is the first time we have had any strong wind hitting the front of the house, when I have been at home to check....

The bay has/had a one brick vent in the centre, with two more at each side, three in total at the front, ventilating the cavity, with the cavities CWi decades ago. When the wind blew, there was a draught from between the internal window cill/window board, and the top of the plastered wall - could feel the cill lift, sometimes, due to the wind pressure. There was also a slight cold draught, from the bottom corners of the DG, where the vertical trim strips fit, between the three window panels.

Several weeks ago, I decided to see if blocking the above three vents, would make any difference to the draughts. I simply cut some grey painted alloy sheet, to the size of a brick, and stuck them over the vents with silicone sealant. There was almost no sign of any draught at all, this morning, so it seems to have worked

 

[diy_fun_uk]

It's spooky you posting this as I was about to post a kind of related post.

I was watching a guy on YT the other day talking about window and door leaks. He was saying on a normal day the air pressure inside and out will be the same. However in bad weather, with higher air pressure outside, water can actually be drawn into a building through gaps i.e. not just driven in from the outside.

Is this true? Obviously I've always known water can be driven in, however I never thought about water actually being drawn in. You learn something new every day.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Is this true? Obviously I've always known water can be driven in, however I never thought about water actually being drawn in. You learn something new every day.

If the air can blow in, no reason why the wet can't follow it I suppose, unless there are baffles to prevent it.

 

[diy_fun_uk]

If the air can blow in, no reason why the wet can't follow it I suppose, unless there are baffles to prevent it.

Yeah I get that, however his point was water can be drawn in i.e. pulled from inside the property.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Yeah I get that, however his point was water can be drawn in i.e. pulled from inside the property.

I can understand, that internal and external pressure can vary briefly, from time to time, but as said - the pressure will very quickly equalise through the many points of leakage.

 

[Odds]

From the thread title i assumed Harry was eating beans and playing a board game. My bad.

 

[Ihavenojob]

Blocking vents is a great way of encouraging mould, probably why so many are on the BBC moaning about mould almost daily. Fit a black hole vent.

 

[Odds]

I'm working on a small room and took off the old vent cover while stripping ancient wallpaper and found a hideous mass of tangled black cobwebs. Now way would Indiana Jones stick his hand in there, so i just hoovered the lot out. It doesn't hurt to check these vents now and again. That one could hardly draw any air through at all.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Blocking vents is a great way of encouraging mould, probably why so many are on the BBC moaning about mould almost daily.

Properly designed and controlled ventilation, is the key to combating mould.