Can air vents be blocked in a 1960s brick home?

[Else]

I've been given mixed advice about whether my living room, kitchen & bedroom wall vents can be sealed... The apartment building is brick, circa 1960.  

The CSIRO says they can be blocked... 

4. Fixed vents and exhaust fans

• Some old brick homes have fixed ceiling and wall vents. Block these to stop air leakage

Does anyone have any thoughts? 

[JDE]

Older houses had internal vents due to heating styles which required ducting. Not to be confused with external air bricks for keeping moisture out of walls. With current methods of heating this is not needed which is why new houses do not have them. Only place they may help is if you use a fireplace for heating or if you have a condensation issue.  Bunnings used to sell covers for them which I have used and helped with heat loss. I think they still sell a kinetic self adhesive cover plate. We've always blocked them. 

JDE

[EricL]

Hello @Else 

These old vents allow air circulation inside the brick wall and prevent condensation and mould from forming. I advise against sealing them as they serve an important purpose. I suggest having a quick look at this discussion - How to cover wall air vents? by @James_M.

Here is a link to our best advice: Can you block the air vents in an old brick house

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[Nailbag]

Hi @Else 

I agree 100% with @EricL in not covering the vents. I see all too often older homes in particular with mould issues often caused by poor air circulation. There will be external vents of some form part of the air movement process that also should never be blocked.

Nailbag

[Else]

Thanks everyone for your replies 😊

I've looked outside and the vents are in the exterior so I'm assuming they're external air bricks ... What effect do they have on smell/sound transmission to apartments above & below? 

  

If I leave them uncovered, can the mesh inside be replaced or cleaned/repaired without damaging the vent? 

[MitchellMc]

Hi @Else,

I’m sorry, but I’m not entirely sure what you mean in terms of the effect on smell and sound transmission to the apartments above and below. If you're referring to whether these external air bricks allow smells or noise to travel between units, I'd say it's unlikely to be significant. There might be a small amount of transmission, but nothing that would usually be noticeable, especially if the bricks are venting externally rather than into a shared void.

Looking at your photos, it seems the mesh has been painted over, which unfortunately makes cleaning or repairing it quite difficult. 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell