Fitting iron air brick

[Rob]

Following a neighbour's rat find I've figured I should do something about fitting an air brick here:

intend to fit the 17.5" x 7.5" plate sold here:

the wall is about 2 foot thick I have got reasonable access to the other side via the cellar. Couple of questions:

While the house is listed, I'm not fanatical about preserving something as inconspicuous as an air brick - I chose this because it fits and it looks better than a traditional brick-with-holes. It is quite expensive though - about £50 delivered. Any alternative sources for something similar?

I can't figure out a 'work flow' for installing it. As it is the vent will have to sit below ground level - well, it won't have to but I want to maximise the ventilation. A bed of stiff mix (just one of those little bags of cement/sand?), plonk it on flush to the external wall, but I can't see how to 'render' around the 1-2" gap - is there a technique for doing this?

Thanks, Rob

[Dave Plowman (News)]

My local BM - Travis Perkins - had cast iron ones in stock. The normal 'two brick' sized one wasn't expensive. About a tenner, IIRC.

[Rad]

Dear Rob Air vents (I do not use bricks) should be 80% air and 20% material They should be as high up on the outside of the wall as feasible and low down under the floor so the hole should be angled down from above

I understand that you just want to fill up this hole as is - sensible

I would if I were you not bother to go ott and would purchase two 9" x

9" off the peg square vents normally cast ali or the like from a builder's merchant and plonk them in side by side

I would most certainly buy some insect mesh and use that inside

Mount them on mortar or a stone slip as high up as possible and you could drill and screw in a few non ferrous screws as a stop in the top and sides

One can be put in really well and the last one can be put in against some render stop that you have put on around the screws and built up before you place the final one in situ with a buttering of mortar.

Chris

[NT]

You're legally requierd to replace any existing one wih the same type. As the wall looks stone, you should use lime mortar, 3 parts sand to 1 part builders lime. And yes, it will almost certainly be legally required. Its easier to work with too.

NT

[Rob]

Thanks everyone - a trip to the builders' merchant it is.

And sorry, it's not 'listed' as I said but in a conservation area, but your point remains valid.

As my plan hardly 'changes the character' of the area, I think it'll be OK, conscience notwithstanding.

I had a planner round the other day for something, and we got chatting about the rash of unauthorised changes on my street and beyond - particularly concrete/thermoplastic tiles on roofs, UVPC cheapo double glazing, and replacing the wooden gutters with plastic. He said they wouldn't enfocre any planning requirements unless notified, and even then it'd be touch-go depending on the staff available.

Rob

[adrian budd]

we have a website with installation photos and procedures for cast iron air brick installation. it is

url:

[geoff]

In message , adrian budd writes

And we have an anti spam policy

f*ck off

[Steve Firth]

Please send abuse reports to [e-mail]

[Andy Dingley]

Thanks for responding to a thread that already made direct reference to a product that you sell. I certainly don't see this as "spam".

[geoff]

In message , geoff writes

Emailed to adrian

"Adrian I must apologise

I saw you post as originating the thread

I didn't see that it was a response to an old expired post no longer on my system"

me bad ...

[NT]

mastercrete on grade 2 listed buildings is contrary to SPAB advice, and unlikely to be legal.

NT

[Adrian]

We don't recommend sealing around the cast iron with adhesive, just dabs in the corners to bond it in place. Trouble is installing cast iron air bricks with just lime mortar will take too long to set especially in winter. This could be a major problem if the air bricks are accessible along a street as they can end up being kicked in or pulled out

[NT]

still illegal

the usual approach is to add 5% cement to the mix

NT