ventilation

[VK]

Hi Guys Having moved into my house recently I notice that in the morning when I come down I notice a stuffy smell in the house that stays for a while and then disappears.I havent noticed this in earlier houses. Is this because of inadequate ventilation? Can anything be done to fix this? I do not want to keep the windows open at night.

Thanks VK

[Mr Fuxit]

What did you eat the night before?

[Tim Lamb]

I now have a professionally erected scaffold platform round a relatively inaccessible chimney. Visible damp on the internal plaster and obvious pointing defects plus a nagging wife, should you ask why.

I have followed the threads on *closed off* chimneys and accept the need for ventilation at both ends but.... how much?

There are three openings of around 16" x 14". Two have been covered in slate with a single modern engineering brick (pierced) set on edge for air and the third is still open. The construction is soft red brick so I am not happy that any water shed by the slate is free to soak into the structure.

One possibility is to open up all three chimneys and fit a steel canopy; shedding rainwater clear of the brick. I will have to re-do the lead flashing anyway so splash may not be an issue. At over 4'6" x 2.0' this is going to need some serious securing, perhaps by strapping down inside the flues?

Having re-opened the flues, what is the minimum I can get away with as a vent at the old fire entry?

Any thoughts welcomed.

regards

[Andrew Gabriel]

I have a plastic airbrick at the bottom (claims 75cm2 airspace) which vents to the outside, and about 2/5's of a brick cut out near the top into the loft. That has kept a flue which was previously running with condensation completely dry. I did initially leave the fireplace fully open at the bottom too for

3 months for it to dry out. There's a dead-leg of about 6' above my top vent (up into the exposed stack) which I can't check. Having the top vent higher up into that would have been better, but I had no access.

[Tim Lamb]

In message , andrew@a17.?.invalid writes

Oh.

Progress so far. Long discussion with a local metal fabricator and a positive decision to remove the slate capping. He was very concerned about secure fixing of such a large canopy. I have turned up some pierced galvanised angle and will secure 6 lengths inside the flues with plugs and coach screws. (hope I don't drop the drill)

He suggested roughly a 3" gap between canopy and brickwork to avoid Aeolian harp issues.

On the ventilation side, two flues can reasonably vent from the loft void above our utility room but the third might have to go directly above a radiator. I am hoping that once the pointing is fixed and no water entering the flues directly I will be able to shut this vent to a trickle.

regards

>