Hello
This won't be a DIY project we'll undertake ourselves, more for general advice.
We have had an offer accepted on a 3 bed mid-terraced house about 100 years old. As is typical, the house is suspended on wooden joists close to ground level. It is L shaped with a ground floor bathroom built on as an extension to the kitchen at the back. As far as we know this is built on a concrete foundation. In addition, to the right of the kitchen a conservatory/lean-to has been built and the floor has been concreted up to the height of the floor in the house.
We had a full buildings survey carried out which we have read through. One "serious" defect raised is lack of sub floor ventilation to the rear as a result of no air brick vents. The result of this could mean stagnant damp and dry rot to the under floor timbers. Of course they surveyor could not prove presence of dry rot under the floor especially as the kitchen floor is tiled and the hall/living rooms etc, are carpteted.
Our doubts are whether the back part of the house has not had proper sub-floor ventilation for many years (since the bathroom extension was build possibly many years ago?) and yet is perfectly OK to this day.
Various recommendations have been suggested which basically mean air bricks to be inserted. Suggestions are to insert them by channeling into the lean-to floor underneath the door from the dining room again leading into the lean-to. Also one to be inserted into timber floor where it abuts the solid floor in the doorway from the kitchen to the bathroom extension. THis is suggested with the "disclaimer" it will cause draughts and must not be covered.
One fairly drastic suggestion is that a channel is laid from the back of the house underneath the bathroom and kitchen as far as the hall.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks.
This won't be a DIY project we'll undertake ourselves, more for general advice.
We have had an offer accepted on a 3 bed mid-terraced house about 100 years old. As is typical, the house is suspended on wooden joists close to ground level. It is L shaped with a ground floor bathroom built on as an extension to the kitchen at the back. As far as we know this is built on a concrete foundation. In addition, to the right of the kitchen a conservatory/lean-to has been built and the floor has been concreted up to the height of the floor in the house.
We had a full buildings survey carried out which we have read through. One "serious" defect raised is lack of sub floor ventilation to the rear as a result of no air brick vents. The result of this could mean stagnant damp and dry rot to the under floor timbers. Of course they surveyor could not prove presence of dry rot under the floor especially as the kitchen floor is tiled and the hall/living rooms etc, are carpteted.
Our doubts are whether the back part of the house has not had proper sub-floor ventilation for many years (since the bathroom extension was build possibly many years ago?) and yet is perfectly OK to this day.
Various recommendations have been suggested which basically mean air bricks to be inserted. Suggestions are to insert them by channeling into the lean-to floor underneath the door from the dining room again leading into the lean-to. Also one to be inserted into timber floor where it abuts the solid floor in the doorway from the kitchen to the bathroom extension. THis is suggested with the "disclaimer" it will cause draughts and must not be covered.
One fairly drastic suggestion is that a channel is laid from the back of the house underneath the bathroom and kitchen as far as the hall.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks.
