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Building regulations re wall vents

  • 12-09-2013 1:47pm
    #1
    splashthecash
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,322 ✭✭✭


    Hey all,

    We are buying a house which has gone sale agreed and the contracts are with the solicitors. It seems to have been held up because in the utility room there are two gas boilers and there are no wall vents present. Is this breaking any building regulations?

    It is a timber frame house. There is a wall vent on the outside wall, but inside there is no vent present. So it would be just a matter of cutting out some plaster and sticking a vent over it, but our solicitor seems to be holding out to get this fixed.

    Just getting a bit worried that the seller will just give up, and pull out of the sale. I know it would be a petty thing to let break down the sale of a house, but stranger things have happened.

    Any similar previous experiences, or comments would be great!

    Thanks,


Comments

  • #2
    MicktheMan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,880 ✭✭✭MicktheMan


    That vent you see on the outside is more than likely venting the structure and should not be interfered with nilly willy.

    Have you had the house professionally surveyed by an engineer?


  • #3
    The_Conductor
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 32,286 Mod ✭✭✭✭The_Conductor


    If you have a gas boiler there- you *must* have ventilation. In older properties- often the vents were at foot level, as opposed to higher on the wall- so while you may see a vent higher on the wall- it may not necessarily be the obvious candidate.

    You *need* a vent if you have a gas boiler- you are breaking all manner of safety rules by not having one (and how they managed to get the boiler installed in the first instance- is beyond me).

    The solicitor is making a valid point- though its very unusual for a solicitor to draw attention to safety issues such as this, in the manner in which he is doing so. Well done that solicitor.


  • #4
    splashthecash
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,322 ✭✭✭splashthecash


    MicktheMan wrote: »
    That vent you see on the outside is more than likely venting the structure and should not be interfered with nilly willy.

    Have you had the house professionally surveyed by an engineer?

    Yes, I had a survey done and it was the engineer who brought it up in his report. The solicitor is only acting on this report


  • #5
    splashthecash
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,322 ✭✭✭splashthecash


    The_Conductor wrote: »
    If you have a gas boiler there- you *must* have ventilation. In older properties- often the vents were at foot level, as opposed to higher on the wall- so while you may see a vent higher on the wall- it may not necessarily be the obvious candidate.

    You *need* a vent if you have a gas boiler- you are breaking all manner of safety rules by not having one (and how they managed to get the boiler installed in the first instance- is beyond me).

    The solicitor is making a valid point- though its very unusual for a solicitor to draw attention to safety issues such as this, in the manner in which he is doing so. Well done that solicitor.

    Thanks, all valid points. Im hoping they'll just insert in the necessary vent without any major fuss so that we and my solicitor can move on to the next phase


  • #6
    MonsieK
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25 ✭MonsieK



    It's the owner's responsibility to fix such issues. The sale will not gothrough if this is not sorted. I wouldn’t worry about the owner pulling out as hewill not sell it to anybody because the issue will arise again. It’s been awhile since the last post so I hope you got it sorted. Best of luck!


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  • #7
    splashthecash
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,322 ✭✭✭splashthecash


    MonsieK wrote: »

    It's the owner's responsibility to fix such issues. The sale will not gothrough if this is not sorted. I wouldn’t worry about the owner pulling out as hewill not sell it to anybody because the issue will arise again. It’s been awhile since the last post so I hope you got it sorted. Best of luck!

    Hey, eventually got the vendor to insert in the necessary vent and got the engineer out to verify, which he did via email. Then my solicitor asked for a cert of compliance for said room and finally got that to them today so hopefully now the contracts will be sent back for the vendor to sign....talk about pulling teeth.

    To be honest the whole process is taking mucj longer than I ever expected. Contracts were sent to our solicitor in 3rd week of August...seems like an age ago now


  • #8
    hfallada
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,180 ✭✭✭hfallada


    I know with a brick built house putting in a vent takes about 15-30 mins start to finish. You rent a boring drill from a builders merchant and just drill making sure you dont hit pipes or a door/window sill. And put a vent easily on the inside but its not too easy on the outside.

    I say its twice as easy on a timber frame house.


  • #9
    Borzoi
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,876 ✭✭✭Borzoi


    splashthecash wrote: »
    ...talk about pulling teeth.

    To be honest the whole process is taking mucj longer than I ever expected. Contracts were sent to our solicitor in 3rd week of August...seems like an age ago now

    Even with no problems, and buying from builders etc, conveyancing always takes longer than expected, and you as the client have to spend a lot of effort getting paid professionals to do what you need them to do.


  • #10
    Rosier
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 165 ✭✭Rosier


    splashthecash wrote: »
    Hey, eventually got the vendor to insert in the necessary vent and got the engineer out to verify, which he did via email. Then my solicitor asked for a cert of compliance for said room and finally got that to them today so hopefully now the contracts will be sent back for the vendor to sign....talk about pulling teeth.

    To be honest the whole process is taking mucj longer than I ever expected. Contracts were sent to our solicitor in 3rd week of August...seems like an age ago now



    Took us much longer than that because of seemingly small issues like this. Was almost a year in all and the buyers kept demanding to be allowed to move in before all was sorted.


  • #11
    truebluesac
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 406 ✭✭truebluesac


    hfallada wrote: »
    I know with a brick built house putting in a vent takes about 15-30 mins start to finish. You rent a boring drill from a builders merchant and just drill making sure you dont hit pipes or a door/window sill. And put a vent easily on the inside but its not too easy on the outside.

    I say its twice as easy on a timber frame house.

    Switch on brain
    A duct will have to be connected from internal vent to externat . And 2 are required under current building regulations 1 at high level and 1 at low level . These are so that carbon monoxide can be vented ans fresh air recirculated should the need arise . The need for the ducting is so that the CO doesnt disapate via the airspace in the timber frame to other areas .
    Switch off brain


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