Damp Proofing Cream Injected Into Walls Now Want To Add 2 Air Bricks Damp can be a major issue in the home. Find answers to questions or post your own here.

[Jonnykendal]

Hi, I hope someone can help. I live in a rented house that has damp. The land lord has had some damp guys come and inject some cream in to the bricks. but now they are going to come back and put air bricks in one wall. the problem that I see is that they want to put them on the outside as well as the inside. this would mean there is efectivaly two holes in one wall 3 meters appart. This will make the sitting room very drafty. I dont understand why they would effectively put two holes in a wall. Please help as soon as you can!
Thank you in advance!
Jonny

[welsh brickie]

by the sounds of it there is a damp problem in the room and condensation is causing it, so to ventilate the room airbricks need installing, Usually internally they install a hit and miss plastic vent that you can open and close.

[Jonnykendal]

Thats were I'm confused, because the damp is rising damp. Wont it just make the room very cold?
Thanks.

[welsh brickie]

damp can be caused by poor ventilation, A warm house and cold weather can cause moisture to form on walls, I suppose that's why they are installing them.

[Perry525]

I assume that the room is on the ground floor and that there has been/is rising damp?
Opening a hole in a wall, will merely make the room cold and will do little to solve a rising damp problem.
When they inserted cream into the wall, they were installing a liquid damp proof course, even if it was done correctly it will take some time to dry as, as long as the wall is wet/damp it will attract water vapour from the air and will probably take until the middle of next summer to dry.

Your best bet is to buy some polystyrene foam and seal the holes that will be costing you a fortune over the coming winter as you will loose all the heat in your room through those holes, then when the holes are sealed buy a dehumidifier to soak up the water vapour.

Water vapour in a home comes from cooking, washing, drying things indoors, ironing, breathing, sweating. It will escape to the outside, if you open a window, as the outside is nearly always colder and drier than indoors. The problem is, it means your heat will disappear into the sky as well. That is why a dehumidifier is the best solution.