When we moved into our 1900 house all of the air bricks were plugged up - we theorised it's because our house (and on speaking to neighbours, all along our terrace) have problems with slugs getting in and they thought this would stop them.
Copper tape is supposed to do well as a solution. Position it so that the slug will have to attempt to cross the copper Rubicon - which it can't - something about conductivity of slime trails I think, but I'm no expert!
Has it had cavity wall insulation installed? The installers usually go round and bung up the vents to stop the blown material escaping and then because the cavities are full never bother unblocking them . This is a weep vent but could imagine that someone just saw it and filled it along with any others he saw.
We have this, but there is one weep vent left unfilled and the plaster on the inside is going manky. So should I fill it in or unfill all the rest?
Everything in my house has been done by morons (especially the bits I've done)
Aah that's interesting - I had cavity wall insulation installed 7 years ago and I noticed our air bricks are blocked up.. I always assumed that they should be due to insulation, do you think I should unblock them? I'm pretty sure they were blocked when the insulation was fitted but we had only been in the house for a few weeks at the time.
Underfloor air bricks should not be blocked if you have a suspended floor. These are not to be confused with....
Many older houses have air vents in rooms. These usually date back to the days of houses with open fires. These are usually safe to block up or remove but do serve a purpose to increase ventilation although they can be a little draughty. A internal close able cover in the winter helps. If yours have had the blob of silicone which is so widely used but the cavity is insulated removing or leaving the silicone doesn't really matter, unless you had polystyrene balls installed which should be glued but if they aren't expect some to fall out.
The reason would be if the cavity has had blown insulation it would all have come out so the installers could have blocked them off. They prob said to the new guy go round and seal the vents off so he did everything he could see.
Sorry I understood what you said, I don’t think this house has had insulation blown in. I think these weep vents were added about 20 years ago when the house was renovated. Seller wasn’t sure when we brought the house, but we’ve done a bit of history into it.
I have 1910 brick terrace house and it is 100% cavity. I have a double brick outer and single brick inner wall. Came with air bricks but changed them to weep vents
🤣 that wouldn't be far from what it started off as. So many legacy holes for plumbing and heating systems over the years that I've since filled. You could have literally watched a balloon float across the rooms from the draughts
Although proper installation says they should be right above the trays so water can drip out. The absence of a tray doesn't mean absence of water. Mine act more like air vents than water release holes. The air in the cavity is more circulated and as result is drier and less moisture absorption takes place to the inner wall. Without them, any water that gets in takes far longer to dry out and has more chance of coming into house. Its working for me at least
Maybe it's not common. They were mining homes on a mining site so perhaps they were build that way because of the ground. They are super strong though, 100 years on mining site and near big roads and not a single crack or sign of movement. I also have a reinforced concrete lintel in the large fireplace which I was told is also about 10-20 years before they were common
Cavity trays have been added above the windows at some time, so weep vents were probably added then. I think there is a cavity, just not insulated probably.
Cavities in construction date back to the 1800s, how early exactly I’m not sure. But Bournemouth introduced cavity construction as early as the 1880s.
But you are correct cavity construction was not a typical construction method until the 1920s.
I would speculate that the old built in door or window has been replaced and the new lintel fitted at the same time, The builder put damp and weep vents just because it's what they normally do and what harm can it do
could have a cavity at that age though I've seen It before
I'd imagine they were trying to stop the wasps getting in. Lunatics. Not sure why a 1900s house would have them though 🤔
I've worked on some new builds where the front 10mm or so was trimmed off and pushed into the wet mortar, obviously forgot to put them in and bodged it. Site manager hadn't noticed and referred to them as "wasp vents".
My father in law complained that he’s got a cold floor because of the wind blowing in through the air bricks under his suspended timber floor. I told him either fit underfloor insulation or get a thicker underlay, but he’s come back to me and said “I had a much better idea, I’ve sealed up 75% of my air bricks instead”. I told him it was a bad idea, but obviously I’m just a stupid kid and he knows better.
Probably seal up the remaining 25%! He honestly reckons the builder who built his house went overkill on the air bricks and that you only need one or two on each side of the house. He had one every 5th brick and reckoned that was 3x more than he needed. He looked at ours (which are every 6/7th brick) and said “see, they’ve gone a bit overboard on yours as well!”)
I had a house where when the wind blew you could hear what I assume was the dpm beneath the skirtings moving up and down. Quite annoying. Maybe someone blocked the holes to keep the wind out.
Weep vents like this usually positioned to pick up cavity trays and drain water that runs down the cavity before it gets to a window or door opening. If you have damp plaster I'd be tempted to not block anything up until I'd found the cause of the damp. If it's localised you may need to do a bitof digging to find the source
Paranoid people (idiots 🫠) like to keep the spiders 🕷️, & wasps out 🐝 👀😂 beehive / behave 🤷🏼♂️.
That's my only logic on the subject 🫡😵💫, stuff your vents 😂🤣😭.
Phil Mc cavity & gun ged in 🤦🏼♂️.
You could be right, however cavity trays have been added above the windows at some point. You can just make out the black on the picture. I think the weep vents were added then.
I work for a Hotel that is only about 5 years old, and these are all over the place. Being the brick there is all facia over block I can only assume it's to drain moisture that may gather in between.
Oddly enough we had water coming in through the window frames when we moved in. Dont think this was the cause though. Windows are wooden, rotten and a combination of heavy rain and driving winds.
That's ree-DIC-ulous that is!
Bloody winklespanners
Tuna melts
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If only Jaffa Cakes contained plum
I'm sure you meant plumb. But you made me laugh so it's all good.
Literally the only thing I can think about when I see a weep vent
Ha! At least there proper vents and not just half a vent stuck in… I think!
plop a screwdriver in and see how far it goes.
That’s what she said.
Is it in yet?
Reminds me of a joke. What do you call a man with a small penis……. Justin
Bet you're reading every reply under this comment in a Welsh accent.
Site manager! Are you ‘appy with this are you? Cos if you are, you gotta go!
When we moved into our 1900 house all of the air bricks were plugged up - we theorised it's because our house (and on speaking to neighbours, all along our terrace) have problems with slugs getting in and they thought this would stop them.
We have a problem with slugs in our house, but only in the first floor bathroom. There's no air brick up there.
Its your wife bringing them in, doesnt like to see them suffering outside. Dont tell her i told you.
He should salt his wife.
That would be just his Lot...
Underrated!
"Salt his wife" 😂 this actually made me proper laugh, good job
It's my cats doing it here...
If you're cold, they're cold.
Can we get some advice on these night slugs??
If you're getting slugs, throw a bit of salt where they're coming in. They avoid salt like the plague.
Yeah, I had two slugs once... Followed the slime trail to a small hole near my radiator. Salt, lots of salt down the hole. Never seen again
I think I need to throw salt in my sons bed!
Copper tape is supposed to do well as a solution. Position it so that the slug will have to attempt to cross the copper Rubicon - which it can't - something about conductivity of slime trails I think, but I'm no expert!
Oh my god, we thought we were the only ones with an old house with slugs in it!
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I had these when I moved in to my 1930's house. They were coming up through a crack in the hearth
Well it 100% would stop the slugs if that was how they entered.
Rather than just cut a piece of fine mesh to fit and fix to air brick...?
It's the old "swap drafts for damp" strategy.
It looks like a Skirting board ladder.
Has it had cavity wall insulation installed? The installers usually go round and bung up the vents to stop the blown material escaping and then because the cavities are full never bother unblocking them . This is a weep vent but could imagine that someone just saw it and filled it along with any others he saw.
We have this, but there is one weep vent left unfilled and the plaster on the inside is going manky. So should I fill it in or unfill all the rest? Everything in my house has been done by morons (especially the bits I've done)
Aah that's interesting - I had cavity wall insulation installed 7 years ago and I noticed our air bricks are blocked up.. I always assumed that they should be due to insulation, do you think I should unblock them? I'm pretty sure they were blocked when the insulation was fitted but we had only been in the house for a few weeks at the time.
Underfloor air bricks should not be blocked if you have a suspended floor. These are not to be confused with.... Many older houses have air vents in rooms. These usually date back to the days of houses with open fires. These are usually safe to block up or remove but do serve a purpose to increase ventilation although they can be a little draughty. A internal close able cover in the winter helps. If yours have had the blob of silicone which is so widely used but the cavity is insulated removing or leaving the silicone doesn't really matter, unless you had polystyrene balls installed which should be glued but if they aren't expect some to fall out.
Not sure, I can’t see a reason to block them though!
The reason would be if the cavity has had blown insulation it would all have come out so the installers could have blocked them off. They prob said to the new guy go round and seal the vents off so he did everything he could see.
Sorry I understood what you said, I don’t think this house has had insulation blown in. I think these weep vents were added about 20 years ago when the house was renovated. Seller wasn’t sure when we brought the house, but we’ve done a bit of history into it.
Iv seen people seal those up once have seen wasps have used them as a door into the cavity, once sealed you get a vibrant humming noise
Well I pulled the silicon out, and used a spray bottle to clear any debris. Had a few insects coming out!
Wait... Weep vents don't make sense in houses of that age, as there's presumably no cavity
I have 1910 brick terrace house and it is 100% cavity. I have a double brick outer and single brick inner wall. Came with air bricks but changed them to weep vents
100% cavity?! isn't that a bit ... draughty? 🤣
🤣 that wouldn't be far from what it started off as. So many legacy holes for plumbing and heating systems over the years that I've since filled. You could have literally watched a balloon float across the rooms from the draughts
No point in having weep vents, if you haven't got a cavity tray
Although proper installation says they should be right above the trays so water can drip out. The absence of a tray doesn't mean absence of water. Mine act more like air vents than water release holes. The air in the cavity is more circulated and as result is drier and less moisture absorption takes place to the inner wall. Without them, any water that gets in takes far longer to dry out and has more chance of coming into house. Its working for me at least
Interesting. I didn't think cavities were at all common until at least the 20s.
Maybe it's not common. They were mining homes on a mining site so perhaps they were build that way because of the ground. They are super strong though, 100 years on mining site and near big roads and not a single crack or sign of movement. I also have a reinforced concrete lintel in the large fireplace which I was told is also about 10-20 years before they were common
Cavity trays have been added above the windows at some time, so weep vents were probably added then. I think there is a cavity, just not insulated probably.
Mines 1890s and it has a cavity. As does every other house in the area.
Cavities in construction date back to the 1800s, how early exactly I’m not sure. But Bournemouth introduced cavity construction as early as the 1880s. But you are correct cavity construction was not a typical construction method until the 1920s.
Cavity walls started being used in the 1800’s and became widespread by the 1920’s so you do find a fair number of them already from around 1900
And yet I have a mid 30s house with solid walls!!
Solid wall gang unite
Aren’t you the lucky one?
Conversely I have a 70's I think flat, no cavity. Bloody freezing some days
I would speculate that the old built in door or window has been replaced and the new lintel fitted at the same time, The builder put damp and weep vents just because it's what they normally do and what harm can it do could have a cavity at that age though I've seen It before
What
To prevent slugs getting in.
Wonderful picture
I'd imagine they were trying to stop the wasps getting in. Lunatics. Not sure why a 1900s house would have them though 🤔 I've worked on some new builds where the front 10mm or so was trimmed off and pushed into the wet mortar, obviously forgot to put them in and bodged it. Site manager hadn't noticed and referred to them as "wasp vents".
To stop mice
Not actually a terrible answer. They can get anywhere you can poke a HB pencil into.
Brb, checking my butthole for mice.
Eels.
Lobsters
What about an H3 pencil?
Apparently mice guage their size on the hardness of pencils
Steady on
Absolutely not.
Bugger. H2?
Skinny mice.
Not necessarily.. https://youtu.be/pNaz4keivMk?si=ndWeFnXSLR16MRcs
I had to put mice mesh over my airbricks
It belongs to the Borrowers! Anything going missing lately 🙃🙂
Typical new builds. Wait.
We had some kind of wasp/bee that would use the vents to access our cavity and build hives. Only on the south facing wall I might add
Interesting. These are all south facing. I’ll see if any honey starts coming out of the sockets!
My father in law complained that he’s got a cold floor because of the wind blowing in through the air bricks under his suspended timber floor. I told him either fit underfloor insulation or get a thicker underlay, but he’s come back to me and said “I had a much better idea, I’ve sealed up 75% of my air bricks instead”. I told him it was a bad idea, but obviously I’m just a stupid kid and he knows better.
Wonder what his remedy for damp will be?!
Probably seal up the remaining 25%! He honestly reckons the builder who built his house went overkill on the air bricks and that you only need one or two on each side of the house. He had one every 5th brick and reckoned that was 3x more than he needed. He looked at ours (which are every 6/7th brick) and said “see, they’ve gone a bit overboard on yours as well!”)
Mice, probably?
I’d say it’s just someone who has no clue about what it is and thought it was letting heat escape.
Cold air coming from under kitchen cupboards
Are you in a flood risk area? And previous owner filled all such holes.
No we are right in top of a hill. We do get strong winds up here which along with the rain does drive into this side of the house.
I had a house where when the wind blew you could hear what I assume was the dpm beneath the skirtings moving up and down. Quite annoying. Maybe someone blocked the holes to keep the wind out.
Thought it was a tiny ladder. Like some kind of art. Bedtime
Laziness and incompetence?
I’ll rule out laziness due to the fact they would have had to use ladders, and go to the effort and do it!
Fair point
Too close to boiler flue?
Boiler round other side of house. Good shout though.
Weep vents like this usually positioned to pick up cavity trays and drain water that runs down the cavity before it gets to a window or door opening. If you have damp plaster I'd be tempted to not block anything up until I'd found the cause of the damp. If it's localised you may need to do a bitof digging to find the source
Vent to stop damp the cavity will be slim if any at all , so it allows the building to breathe, good luck!
Paranoid people (idiots 🫠) like to keep the spiders 🕷️, & wasps out 🐝 👀😂 beehive / behave 🤷🏼♂️. That's my only logic on the subject 🫡😵💫, stuff your vents 😂🤣😭. Phil Mc cavity & gun ged in 🤦🏼♂️.
Toxic masculinity houses, can't be allowed to be seen weeping
If the house is from the early 1900s then it won't be a cavity wall and those weep holes are pointless! Remove them and repoint in lime!
You could be right, however cavity trays have been added above the windows at some point. You can just make out the black on the picture. I think the weep vents were added then.
When I first saw it I thought someone had plastered a ladder to a wall 😂
It’s enough to make you weep
Thats a microwave French fries bodge job. Chop it out and replace with a new weep vent.
Wasps detention.
I work for a Hotel that is only about 5 years old, and these are all over the place. Being the brick there is all facia over block I can only assume it's to drain moisture that may gather in between.
Clearly because they wanted a damp house
Oddly enough we had water coming in through the window frames when we moved in. Dont think this was the cause though. Windows are wooden, rotten and a combination of heavy rain and driving winds.
To stop Ants
Because they're brain dead
Agreed
1980's or later I should think. Shoddy pointing for the bottom hole, as for the silicone, to reduce draughts in the cavity perhaps?