I'd like to find some air bricks (preferably 6" x 9" size) made of some absorbent material to draw moisture out af a 4" thick brick wall and promote evaporation. Where can I obtain such things? I'm told that the common red earthenware ones aren't very absorbent.
TYIA...
Jake
Never heard of such things, I'm afraid. Have you tried pinning blotting paper to the outside of the wall? It's the only thing, I can think of, that will actually draw moisture out from the brickwork.
================= There was a system many years ago which used porous circular ceramic 'bricks' which were supposed to attract moisture from the surrounding area. The general idea was that these things would cure rising damp by acting as a kind of 'sink'. I don't know whether this system ever took off but somebody might come along with more information.
If you're really stuck you might try drilling a series of 1/2" holes in a normal porous brick to make your own air brick. It will certainly be cheaper than buying conventional air bricks - 20p each as opposed to £3-00 each.
Cic.
I've seen inserts that were supposed to improve the breathability of brickwork - they were porous ceramic tubes fitted into holes drilled in the wall (and presumably fixed with some sort of cement) but I can't find any trace of them on Google.
You're saying that a drilled hole costs 20p???
Mary
=========== I don't know whether you're serious BUT - No! Bricks cost about 20p - airbricks cost about £3-00. The reason I suggested drilling holes is that an airbrick might not be as porous as the OP wanted.
Cic.
... ah, I see!
I thought you meant drilling a normal brick in situ ... sorry!
It just reminded me of the notice I keep seeing, which I've mentioned before, advertising "Punctures £5"
Mary
Mary
=============== Strangely enough, earlier this year I did actually try drilling holes in a brick 'in situ' because I wanted to add an extra airbrick. I couldn't keep the drill properly aligned and as I was removing the old floor it was easier to knock out bricks inside and out and fit a proper airbrick rather than persevere with the drilling operation. I think the only way to make a neat job would be to drill the bricks on a bench drill.
Cic.>
Is suppose so. I hadn't thought about the practicalities ... :-)
I'd have got Spouse to do it anyway!
Mary
Lazy bugger !!! :-))
That's what I say to him when he says he's too busy drilling bricks to make dinner ...
Mary
ROFL!!!! Why do I seem to believe you?
It rang a bell?
Mary
Thanks for the suggestion. I did do this once, and it worked quite well. It's really hard to get the holes looking neatly in line and evenly spaced though, so it's best for jobs where the work won't be visible. i.e., under floor level. Meanwhile, the search for absorbent air bricks continues...
Jake
the ceramic tubes quickly cloged up with salts and stopped working.
But the OP's question has not been understood. The OP knows nothing about airbricks or drying walls, and wants to know the very basics. Airbricks are to let air in and out, and have nothing to do with absorption. Allowing moisture saturated air out and drier air in enables the wall to evaporate more water and get drier.
NT
And how many days in the year is it drier outside than in? At other times the reverse would happen and you might as well live outdoors
On Sun, 21 Nov 2004 16:53:29 -0000, "stuart noble"
Yeah, but the OP probably intends to put these airbricks on the inside skin of the cavity wall, since its the inside skin that one usually doesn't want saturated with damp.
Can you remember what they were called, or who made them ? My increasing lack of memory recall is driving me NUTS. They were very popular in the 70s, another bright idea that didn't work in reality.
===================== As far as I can remember they were advertised in the 'News of the World' newspaper. If nobody comes up with the name it might be possible to find something from the 'NoW' archives.
It would seem that they didn't work because they were treating the symptoms of damp rather than the cause.
Cic.
They were made by Doulton, possibly with hand painted periwinkles....
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