Excessive Air Getting in behind Kitchen Cupboards - Much Dust! All manner of questions and solutions to problems and issues surrounding the subject of brickwork, blockwork and stonework

[BrianMcIntyre]

My house seems to have developed a problem with Excessive Dust in my Kitchen, it's a dirty red orange dust so it would appear to be brick dust. It seems to be coming in through my cupboards on the ground floor as the contents of these cupboards are getting absolutely covered in dust every few days, which was my first indication of a problem.
All the cupboards around the Oven and directly below the sink are affected - probably under the sink the worst.
When I stick my hand in a small gap under the oven I can literally feel the draft when wind kicks up outside, and directly below this gap dust gathers where air is forced out and points downwards to the floor.
Directly behind the oven and the cupboards on the outside wall is an air brick - the pointing looks OK here.
On the outside side wall where the sink/washing machine is, the pointing at the ground level is well in need of attention or none existent!. Could that be causing the excessive air to be pulled in and spread this brick dust around?
I can't see why it would be the Air Brick as it hasn't been a problem for 4 years previous of owning the house.

[stoneyboy]

Hi brianmcintyre
If this is a new problem you need to determine what has changed which might be the cause. Air bricks are generally placed on opposing external walls - have the ones on the opposing wall become blocked?
Regards S

[BrianMcIntyre]

Thanks for the reply.
About 2 and a half years ago internally a vent was blocked in the living room which has an air brick behind it.
This is of course the front wall of the house.

[BrianMcIntyre]

After a bit more consideration of my problem, and a bit of further digging online it's looking all the more like I've got an absolute Textbook case of Dry Rot going on! My only recourse at this time is to get onto my Home Insurance.
Woe is me! I've got my little Violin out.

[BrianMcIntyre]

Hi All,
So after having a specialist out to inspect, Dry Rot confirmed.
Having talked in depth to the inspector he says the problem appears to be coming from next door and although my pointing is in need of attention does not appear to be the source of the problem.
This is based on the fact you can see that next doors Joist must be absolutely sodden right though, it's soaked to the touch and is completely black. Mine appears to have been getting flooded but then drying out again, hence my dry rot and he suspects they will have wet rot based on what he's seen but says could not confirm anything until he has seen both sides.
Next door is a tenant who has been having various damp and water ingress issues and she confirmed she has it in the corner which will be directly above their Sodden Joist beam as pictured (Her Corner Kitchen Cupboard next to her sink) She has been struggling to get her landlord to fix any issues although strangely enough he has had scaffolding erected last week to put a whole new roof on their side.
About 2 years ago I had a water ingress issue upstairs on our dividing wall at the front of the house and when I contacted him he told me he was not interested in putting any money into the property and to serve him a party wall act. Luckily on that occasion the problem was one I got remedied but that is what I will be dealing with!
Back to the main issue, the pipe shown going through the wall threw the inspector and he seemed perplexed. I spoke to a family member whom is more knowledgeable and he suggested a potential shared water main was not uncommon many years ago - my house was built in 1933.
Any thoughts on the pictures/damage/pipe or how best to approach what may be a difficult discussion with the previously unhelpful owner would be very much appreciated.

Inspection Hole

Not Mush-Room!

Water Pipe?

My Joist & The end of Theirs - Black & Soaking