Air brick part-blocked by concrete path Post your questions and get answers regarding all areas of drives, pathways and patios

[sb88]

Path is ours from drain under gate to where the broom is leaning.

Hi,

Just bought our first house (1890s terrace) and now dealing with the inevitable age and previous owner related issues.

At the front, there is a large (12 inch square) patterned air brick which lets lots of air into the cellar, and I have also unblocked the coal chute. The cellar isn't dry but it's not bad. Joists seem OK and have kept metal stuff and card down there for a month without issues.

At the rear, there is only a single plastic air brick which has been part-blocked by the concrete path being raised. Looking at the drain hole for a cross-section, about 30mm of concrete has been added so maybe more than one layer over the years.

There is no space to raise it - even once brick course up might be at floor level.

This path is also the right of way for the neighbour to exit past our kitchen wall.

It needs better ventilation: was highlighted in survey and kitchen floor is not level. Boards have been replaced with T&G chipboard - possibly due to historic damp damage.

Under the kitchen floor is just rubble from the house build. There is some air flow from cellar as front as bricks removed for pipes/wiring etc from central wall. But little true through draft.

It looks like the neighbour's path and ours were concreted at the same time: theirs is roughly the same level. Neighbour's is currently unoccupied - in middle of a sale.

So I can remove the concrete on ours, leaving a small step down from neighbours.

However, this:
- Might annoy them if getting home in the dark, especially if pints consumed. Like tripping on a paving slab.
- Might mean rain water drains down onto my section of the path more, soaking in at bottom of the wall. It would pool as there is a raised patio 3 feet away so water can't run off into the distance.

So my thoughts are:

- Remove the concrete and lower by 30+mm.
- Add a brick rain gully 1 inch from the wall to the drain, to divert water from base of wall.
- Repoint brickwork damaged by removal of concrete. Add one extra air brick as well.

Does this make sense?

Would it be better to try to finish the floor so it angles away from the house (raised patio 3 feet away). Would need a more complicated drainage arrangement - brick gully at bottom of slope would then need to come back across path towards house to go into drain. Then be covered where it crosses path to prevent tripping.

Any advice appreciated!!



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[stoneyboy]

Hi sb88,
Suggest you fit a length of acco drain in front of the vent, cutting out the side of the acco channel to fully expose the vent.
Regards S

[sb88]

Yes I think this is my most straightforward option. So cut a channel and line with a recessed drain with leaf filter on top?

Slight hump in middle to angle towards both of the drain holes?

Though still slightly nervous about purposely sending water towards the base of the wall.
(But alternative would be acco drain on other side of path and cut concrete more extensively to drain into that, which would then have to return across path to main drain hole).

Anything else needed to prevent water pooling / soaking into bricks at base of house?

Who am I asking to do this? Concrete finisher?

[stoneyboy]

Hi sb88,
Set the drain flush with the concrete path, you will probably find hardcore once you have dug deep enough for the drain so just leave both ends open to drain into the hardcore. Any builder should find this a very easy task.
Regards S