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Can I block up vents with expaning foam?

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  • 18-11-2020 8:36pm
    #1
    Brian201888
    Registered Users Posts: 1,048 ✭✭✭


    New build house and the vents are an annoyance, if I want to eliminate drafts is that the best way to achieve it?

    I could buy a closable vent but I assume that would lead to issues with moisture in the vent gap?

    I know it's for ventilation but we open windows so I don't see it being an issue in that regards.


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    #2
    gooseygander
    Registered Users Posts: 317 ✭✭gooseygander


    No, crazy to suggest it even. If it’s a new build why not have went with mhrv ?. Don’t dream of blocking them up or you will create serious issues down the line, can be dangerous also especially if you have fires or stoves in the house. Don’t do it.


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    #3
    CoBo55
    Registered Users Posts: 8,764 ✭✭✭CoBo55


    I stuffed mine with plastic bags 26 years ago, that bloody whistling would drive you stone crazy. Nobody died yet...


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    #4
    Stihl waters
    Registered Users Posts: 715 ✭✭✭Stihl waters


    Close it up it'll be fine, they're more for decorative purposes than anything else


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    #5
    Dav010
    Registered Users Posts: 14,009 ✭✭✭✭Dav010


    I used fibreglass wool to block vents in bedrooms during the winter, I can then remove it in the summer.


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    #6
    listermint
    Registered Users Posts: 33,638 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    Brian , please don't listen to any of the spoofers in here.

    Vents are vital for multitude of reasons the top one being airflow.

    Air exchange is needed for moisture removal it's also dangerously important for open fires or stoves.

    The folks that tell you they blocked them up 26 years ago I'd imagine maybe unclear whether they have lung issues or not but restricting new air into living and sleeping rooms is a direct cause of bronchial issues including asthma.


    Do not block vents ever.


    If you want proper sound control or flow control there are many methods including baffles , passive vent systems, slider vents, trap vents. And so on and on.


    Do not block them with foam , t-shirts or plastic bags and don't listen to people on the internet that tell you it's grand either.


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    #7
    dok_golf
    Registered Users Posts: 1,090 ✭✭✭dok_golf


    Can you? Yes you can. Should you? No, you shouldn't.


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    #8
    Borzoi
    Registered Users Posts: 2,876 ✭✭✭Borzoi


    dok_golf wrote: »
    Can you? Yes you can. Should you? No, you shouldn't.

    This. 1000 times this.

    There has been cases of death caused by people making homes overly airtight, especially combined with open fires or gas appliances


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    #9
    Brian201888
    Registered Users Posts: 1,048 ✭✭✭Brian201888


    gooseygander wrote: »
    No, crazy to suggest it even. If it’s a new build why not have went with mhrv ?. Don’t dream of blocking them up or you will create serious issues down the line, can be dangerous also especially if you have fires or stoves in the house. Don’t do it.


    New build in an estate, we'd no say in spec or would have gone MHRV


    To clarify we've no stove/gas all electric in the house.

    If the only concern outside of that would be airflow we do open windows daily to air the place?


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    #10
    Brian201888
    Registered Users Posts: 1,048 ✭✭✭Brian201888


    But consensus seems to be against it so I'd best listen


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    #11
    con747
    Registered Users Posts: 5,811 ✭✭✭con747


    Brian201888 wrote: »
    But consensus seems to be against it so I'd best listen

    You would be better off getting a qualified expert opinion and not taking strangers advise on here.

    Don't expect anything from life, just be grateful to be alive.



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    #12
    Brian201888
    Registered Users Posts: 1,048 ✭✭✭Brian201888


    Out of curiosity given we genuinely would have no issues opening windows to air the place out and we've no gas/fire is the only concern that windows wouldn't be opened regularly enough?


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    #13
    Fine Cheers
    Registered Users Posts: 552 ✭✭✭Fine Cheers


    Opening windows is know as rapid ventilation. Wall vents are for background ventilation. See Part F of Building Regs. Do not block up but you could change to a decent hit n miss type ie slide to open / close.


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    #14
    Brian201888
    Registered Users Posts: 1,048 ✭✭✭Brian201888


    Stupid question but would a closed vent not be doing the same thing?


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    #15
    listermint
    Registered Users Posts: 33,638 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    Brian201888 wrote: »
    Stupid question but would a closed vent not be doing the same thing?

    No. This has been designed with scale of each room in mind.

    You can take the advice or not. You've only one set of lungs entirely up to you obviously.


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    #16
    CoBo55
    Registered Users Posts: 8,764 ✭✭✭CoBo55


    listermint wrote: »
    No. This has been designed with scale of each room in mind.

    You can take the advice or not. You've only one set of lungs entirely up to you obviously.

    Scale of room? Will you stop for god sake, get away from the desk mr architect and take a look at how the builder actually installs these life saving vents you refer too. It’s a piece of manky wavin pipe lobbed across the cavity and haphazardly sealed with a slobber of mortar, the cheapo plastic vent thingy is tacked on to the wall with two steel nails and on to the next one..
    I’ve had 5 children in my sealed tomb of death I’m the only one left, they all died from some mysterious lung disease I’m going to be on medical detectives next week...


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    #17
    Lumen
    Registered Users Posts: 31,010 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    CoBo55 wrote: »
    take a look at how the builder actually installs these life saving vents you refer too. It’s a piece of manky wavin pipe lobbed across the cavity and haphazardly sealed with a slobber of mortar, the cheapo plastic vent thingy is tacked on to the wall with two steel nails and on to the next one..

    I’ve had 5 children in my sealed tomb of death I’m the only one left, they all died from some mysterious lung disease I’m going to be on medical detectives next week...

    If your house was built 25 years ago then it probably "ventilates" itself in other ways. It's not comparable to a modern new build.

    Also, it's completely impossible to predict exactly the effect of inadequate ventilation on a given house, because it depends on how it is built. You might get hidden black mould or you might not. You might have excess VOCs or you might not.

    OP, purge ventilation (opening windows) might be OK for living rooms but it definitely isn't for bedrooms. There's just too much moisture (breath and sweat) produced as you sleep for a healthy atmosphere.

    You may be able to change the vents to reduce drafts; there are loads of past threads on this (search for black hole vent for example_).


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    #18
    listermint
    Registered Users Posts: 33,638 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    CoBo55 wrote: »
    Scale of room? Will you stop for god sake, get away from the desk mr architect and take a look at how the builder actually installs these life saving vents you refer too. It’s a piece of manky wavin pipe lobbed across the cavity and haphazardly sealed with a slobber of mortar, the cheapo plastic vent thingy is tacked on to the wall with two steel nails and on to the next one..
    I’ve had 5 children in my sealed tomb of death I’m the only one left, they all died from some mysterious lung disease I’m going to be on medical detectives next week...

    Trump supporter no doubt.

    Hell with science and engineering , my opinion trumps all.....

    It's a joy to behold


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    #19
    biko
    Registered Users Posts: 81,223 ✭✭✭✭biko


    Is Trump the new Godwin? Stick around and find out..


    OP, this has come up before
    https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057814323
    General consensus is to not block them as they are needed.


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    #20
    CoBo55
    Registered Users Posts: 8,764 ✭✭✭CoBo55


    listermint wrote: »
    Trump supporter no doubt.

    Hell with science and engineering , my opinion trumps all.....

    It's a joy to behold

    Reduced to name calling now?


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    #21
    Lumen
    Registered Users Posts: 31,010 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    CoBo55 wrote: »
    Reduced to name calling now?

    Well you called him an architect. That's a low blow. :D


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    #22
    sbsquarepants
    Registered Users Posts: 11,812 ✭✭✭✭sbsquarepants


    CoBo55 wrote: »
    I stuffed mine with plastic bags 26 years ago, that bloody whistling would drive you stone crazy. Nobody died yet...


    In theory at least the new build should be a lot less leaky than one built 3 decades ago. Blocking yours that long ago probably made little real difference to the total air movement through your house. Blocking the new vents is asking for trouble though - mold could become a problem fairly quickly, especially at this time of year if you're drying clothes indoor and so on.


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    #23
    biko
    Registered Users Posts: 81,223 ✭✭✭✭biko


    There are houses designed to be almost hermetically sealed - Passive Houses.
    They are a far cry from regular Irish concrete boxes.


    https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/homes-and-property/interiors/sort-it-poor-ventilation-can-have-serious-health-consequences-1.2829959
    Andrew Lundberg says: “I had a project recently where the builder had built well below five air changes per hour (ACH), but wasn’t aware of the implications, and nor was anyone else involved. They realised there was a problem when they started to get mould in the houses.”


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    #24
    CoBo55
    Registered Users Posts: 8,764 ✭✭✭CoBo55


    sbsquarepants wrote: »
    In theory at least the new build should be a lot less leaky than one built 3 decades ago. Blocking yours that long ago probably made little real difference to the total air movement through your house. Blocking the new vents is asking for trouble though - mold could become a problem fairly quickly, especially at this time of year if you're drying clothes indoor and so on.

    It made a huge difference the house was freezing. Obviously we open the windows every day as the op said he's going to do. I use a meaco dehumidifier from now until around March. @ Op, do you have window vents? They're much better and controllable than shoddy wall vents.


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    #25
    sbsquarepants
    Registered Users Posts: 11,812 ✭✭✭✭sbsquarepants


    CoBo55 wrote: »
    It made a huge difference the house was freezing. Obviously we open the windows every day as the op said he's going to do. I use a meaco dehumidifier from now until around March. @ Op, do you have window vents? They're much better and controllable than shoddy wall vents.


    I know where you're coming from, I've done it myself in a couple of places i've lived, but those places leaked air like sieves anyway. I felt the wind howling around the kitchen was a more pressing concern than sick building syndrome:D



    Any house built in the last decade or so really shouldn't be like that however. I'd definitely leave those vents be.


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    #26
    FileNotFound
    Registered Users Posts: 2,004 ✭✭✭FileNotFound


    Brian201888 wrote: »
    New build house and the vents are an annoyance, if I want to eliminate drafts is that the best way to achieve it?

    I could buy a closable vent but I assume that would lead to issues with moisture in the vent gap?

    I know it's for ventilation but we open windows so I don't see it being an issue in that regards.

    If you don't have combustibles in the house (Fire, stove, gas hob) vents seem to be for ventilation. If you have any combustible DO NOT close up the vents in the room its in at least!!!!!

    I'll defer to the experts here - but in the absence of any life threatening (and don't waste our time on non damp) issue is there an actual justification to all the venting in new houses? Most rooms seem to have 2 which creates a nice wind..


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    #27
    Lumen
    Registered Users Posts: 31,010 ✭✭✭✭Lumen


    FileNotFound wrote: »
    in the absence of any life threatening (and don't waste our time on non damp) issue is there an actual justification to all the venting in new houses?
    Yes, aside from humidity control and combustion by-products there's VOCs.


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    #28
    Dav010
    Registered Users Posts: 14,009 ✭✭✭✭Dav010


    I closed up ours in the bedrooms because you could feel the draft as soon as you walk into the bedrooms, even with the vents closed, and, they were too noisy when the wind blew. As I said, fibreglass wool insulation is the job, easily removed during the summer.


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    #29
    Heighway61
    Registered Users Posts: 1,966 ✭✭✭Heighway61


    Is the danger carbon monoxide build up? I blocked off mine, a sitting room with a wood burning stove. At the same time I put in a carbon monoxide alarm which hasn't triggerd since I blocked off the vent.


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    #30
    listermint
    Registered Users Posts: 33,638 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    Heighway61 wrote: »
    Is the danger carbon monoxide build up? I blocked off mine, a sitting room with a wood burning stove. At the same time I put in a carbon monoxide alarm which hasn't triggerd since I blocked off the vent.

    Jesus wept...

    ..


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    #31
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 14,344 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    I know a few people that have blocked them up for various reasons (Cold air, letting outside noise in, etc.). No one has died yet, or developed breathing issues.

    There probably is a legitimate need for them, but my attitude to them has always been 'block them up' as I find they're a nuisance and a needlessly exaggerated step towards ventilation. No one needs a 4" hole in their sitting room wall. It's overkill.

    That said, use an old T-shirt or something, using expanding foam makes it tricky to remove, should you reconsider.


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