Can I extend air bricks underneath paving?

Joined
24 Feb 2020
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Country
United Kingdom
We have just removed a patio in our garden because we realised it had been laid on top of decking so the whole thing was moving. We thought we'd take it out ourselves and see what was underneath it before deciding what to do next.

The patio was tiles laid onto decking which we thought was a weird way of doing it, we had no idea it was like this. It was thin tiles and when we lifted these we could see it was mostly laid on decking and concrete by the house.

Ideally we would like to get a patio installed at the same level as the kitchen floor, like it was before but doing it properly this time. However, we've found three ventilation channels underneath the doors although they couldn't have had any air flow before underneath the old tiling. There aren't actually air bricks because there's no proper finish, probably because it was under the decking and they didn't bother.

I know the paving should go under the level of the air bricks but because the rest of the garden is a much higher level we don't really want to come step the garden down for a small area.

I know it's not a good idea to block air bricks up but there are no problems with damp. Alternatively is there a way of extending the ventilation underneath the paving with a breather pipe somewhere else? As the rest of the garden is higher it couldn't just be another air brick, I've seen extensions like this, we'd need a ventilation shaft or breather pipe or something.

Any advice would be appreciated!
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20200224_121209.jpg
    IMG_20200224_121209.jpg
    652 KB · Views: 1,277
I know that when a concrete extension is poured they will add drain pipe to provide airflow to existing air bricks.

Two alternatives,
1- a step that uses a mesh kick board /riser to allow breathing
2- use driveway channel to stop rainwater breaching the house, but in such a way that you can cut the house side to provide air.
you'd have to ensure that the channel was extra deep and didn't collect water that overflowed in through the air bricks.
maybe two rows, one for breathing and one to collect water?
 
Forget the patio - install a good quality deck.
 
Back
Top