Fumes from my neighbours Cooking

[olcote]

I have an on going problem when my neighbours are cooking. They use the extractor fan above their cooker and I recently asked them where their vent was situated. Each time they cook we get the smell of fumes from their cooking entering our home which is a terraced house. Sometime in the past a kitchen extension was built onto the house and have a shared roof space. There is no access into the roof space but the neighbour has access on his property. The extractor vent goes through ceiling into the roof space and the fumes somehow get through into our home going into most rooms. My Daughter has contracted Asthma recently and we believe it is because of the fumes. My wife's health also suffers at times. This Extractor vent does not connect to anything so the fumes can be emitted outside the house. Is this against building regulations.?

[Tim Watts]

What are they cooking?

Probably - not necessarily for the reasons you may think.

If that is how the fan is installed, they are dumping hot moist air into a cold roof space - that much will cause issues.

Are you also saying you have a common roof void with you and your neighbour? That much is definitely against building regs (spread of fire).

[meow2222]

Most houses are against current build regs, and there's no requirement to b ring them into line with them in most cases.

Clearly you need loft access. I suspect there is no dividing wall in the lo ft between the properties. If so you'll need to build one to protect agains t fire and keep out the fumes. I cant see trying to get the naighbour to so rt the fumes out getting anywhere, its your property and your problem.

NT

[harryagain]

Heh heh. That would leave the ability for them to get into your house via their own hatch. You could do that & go up there and block off their cooker vent!!!!!

You could (should even) make a barrier between your two houses. Both sides if you are not at the end. It would have to be airtight and fire proof. Harder than you might think. Made out of cement blocks or fibre reinforced cement board or similar on timber battens. You might find there is a barrier but it is not airtight. You could fix that with canned expanding foam, they make a fire resisting variety for this very purpose

As someone else has said the damp fumes will cause the roof structure to rot eventually.

Years ago it was not uncommon for people to steal one anothers electricity where there was a common roofspace.

Common roof spaces are a major fire risk neve rmind asthma.

But you need to get up there first to have a looksee, make a hatch. With a lock if there is no barrier.

[Bill Wright]

I suggest you ask to have a look in the common roofspace. Even if there appears to be a dividing wall it might have gaps in it. I've seen dividing fireproof partitions built on a board that rests on the joists, the spaces between the joists being left open.

If they are mardy about it you'd best make your own loft hatch.

Bill

[The Natural Philosopher]

..unless you fill te rooof void with e.g carbon monoxide, cyanide or phosgene..

and go out for the weekend

I would direct you to 'Stalky and c0' - the chapter called 'an unsavoury interlude' which details the use of illegitimate organic material in the art of inter house warfare...

And teh capter

[alan_m]

Which will not stay up there if it's heavier than air.

[RJH]

The *first* thing I'd do is discuss it with the neighbour. Why wouldn't they try to help?

[Brian Gaff]

In our terrace we have similar issues where the vent goes between floors on one side of a dividing wall, and when they cook or smoke heavily its obvious in my kitchen as well. the only fix was to block up the air vent in a cupboard under the stairs. No actual sign of a join up, but I guess it does not need much of a hole to transfer noxious fumes. We get the same on the other side of the property in the upstairs bedroom as the other neighbour cooks and the fumes end up in my airing cupboard. Once again no obvious joins. I thought all terraced houses had these problems certainly the case in this road from enquires. Brian

[Andy Cap]

... and it would help them too, as pumping damp air into their roof can't be a good thing.

[sm_jamieson]

Ah yes, that wonderful Frank Spencer episode when he goes up into his loft to fix the water tank or something and ends up putting his foot through the neighbour's ceiling ! I wonder if those are on youtube ... Simon.

[olcote]

I have spoke with the neighbours and they are actually renting the house. I have been to the locak council to explain the position and someone from the enviremont came to talk with us, They're going to get in touch with the landlord and hopefully inspect the fan or hood outlet. Hoping it will not be too long before we get some action.

[meow2222]

they are :)

NT

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I'd say it's your problem. Your house should not normally let fumes in from next door. You can hardly ask them to stop cooking.

[Bill]

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

Inversely it is your neighbour's problem. Their house should not normally vent it's fumes into your house.

Or possibly, it is both your problems and you should work together to sort it out.

I would go with the later thought.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

They have a flue sticking through the party wall, do they?

[Bill]

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

That's what he is assuming.

Either way the roof spaces should be isolated by the common wall.

>

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Quite. If cooking fumes can get from one house to another, so could smoke from a fire. It needs sorting.

[Johny B Good]

They're currently being repeated on BBC2's afternoon comedy classics (including Hi De Hi and Three Up, Two Down) and I spotted that episode last week whilst topping and tailing the recording (Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em 1-7 20150319 Moving House.mpg).