Wall/Cavity ventilation brick and cover

[galaxi]

My bungalow has the standard wall/cavity ventilation blocks strategically placed in the walls. Trouble is that one of these is about 5 feet off the ground and doesn't even have any hooded cover on it, so whenever the wind blows very strongly from the right direction and it's raining, rain is blown straight into the cavity. This is of course a bad thing, but thankfully the wind doesn't often blow strongly enough from the relevant direction.

Should I just get a 'hooded'/slatted cover and install it over the existing slotted ventilation 'brick' ?

Also, opposite this on the inside wall (the room is the lounge) there is a slatted plastic cover - the previous owner had put a layer of corrugated cardboard (!!!!!) inside this cover in an attempt to prevent outside sound from getting into the room. A piece of cardboard isn't particurlarly effective though as I'm sure you'll agree! So is there anything better that I can use for good sound-proofing, or should I just properly block off the 'inner' ventilation slot? After all, surely it's not needed just so long as the ventilation gets to the cavity via the *outside* vent?

Thanks

[John]

Got a decorative gas fire have you?

[galaxi]

No, no gas at all. Why do you ask ?

[marble]

You dont ventilate cavities (ususaly) your air-brick is to ventilate the room and probably has a duct through the cavity. If its giving noise problems and you dont have a fire in the room I'd brick it up. This may increase condensation but combat that with extractors in the bathroom and kitchen.

[galaxi]

Doesn't seem to have a duct as such, just bare brickwork.

Sounds like a good plan, thanks. :)

Here's a thought - would filling it up with some of that expanding foam be suffucient, ie would that provide an effective noise block similar to bricks ?

[galaxi]

Correction - yes it does. :)

[Nick H]

-- Nick H

[<me9]

It doesn't sound like a cavity (which these days should be unventilated) or underfloor vent. Is it ventilation for a fuel burning appliance. If so it must be left. (BG monstrosities excepted).

[galaxi]

That's the thing though, we don't have any fuel burning appliances in that room. There's an oil boiler in another room, but that's adequated ventilated anyhow so no problem there.

Judging by the effort it too me to remove the cardboard backed inner grille (completely sealed around the edges with a thick layer of paint) it had been blocked for some years anyhow from an airflow point of view.

There is no gas mains near the property so it's never been on gas, so I'm left wondering why the vent was put there in the first place as it's obviously not served any useful purpose for years now.

Bearing in mind all the above, presumably that means it's safe to block it up?

(There's an unused fireplace (and hence a chimney) in the room so that helps from a general ventilation/moisture point of view).

[marble]

A brick and some sand and cement around it would be better and cheaper. You'll end up using your hand as a trowel so wear some latex gloves to avoid drying the skin.

[galaxi]

Will do, thanks for the advice.