Draughts from channels in concrete slabs in attic space. Can they be filled in?

Swift66

Hello,

Bought a top floor apartment a year ago. Some serious draughts coming into attic space via these circular holes / channels in concrete slabs in the walls. Photos attached.

Can I go ahead and fill them in with concrete? The draughts are full blast at times.

Thanks

listermint

That's the envelope of the building you should not mess with that they could be ventilation for the building.

You should be dealing with draught control inside your own unit . Have you details of where your property starts and finishes?

Lenar3556

I agree, filling /sealing those may have unintended consequences elsewhere in the building, so you would need to be careful.

Is it necessary? Could you look to draft seal at the perimeter of your apartment?

Alternatively, if that’s not feasible you could back this off the the owners managment company.

Looks like brehan slabs to me.
I doubt they are anything to do with ventilation.
I'd say shabby Celtic tiger construction !!!

wrmwit

There shouldn't be a draft coming through the concrete slab but it doesn't surprise me! They have nothing to do with natural ventilation. Natural ventilation would be in the form of wall vents or trickle vents in the window frames.

If the area is dry, which it should be, stuff them with quilt insulation or expanding foam. Getting a bucket of mortor would be messy.

Back in the boom I was wiring loads of apartments constructed with those slabs.
We'd be drilling up lights and those holes would be full of rain water pissing down out of the ceiling of finished apartments.

mickdw

BrownFinger wrote: »

Back in the boom I was wiring loads of apartments constructed with those slabs.
We'd be drilling up lights and those holes would be full of rain water pissing down out of the ceiling of finished apartments.

Those slabs should have been draught sealed at outer circumference of build. Does look like shoddy build and if draught can travel in such a manner, it could be argued that fire can also travel through the building.
Are you an owner or renting? If owned, id be worried about fire issues and costs coming down the road.

Swift66

Thanks for all the feedback. Very helpful.