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Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 10:35 pm
by Northam Stand
Hello, this is my first post, wondered if anybody would be able to help with any advice.
About a year ago, we had a really nice block-paved driveway built. However, since it was constructed we have had ongoing problems with our neighbours who have claimed they have experienced damp, due to water getting into their air bricks, which are very low and below their damp course. They say that whenever it rains, they can actually hear water slushing around under their floor-boards. Our new driveway does have a slight slope on it, but is for the significant majority of the length of their house below their damp course.
We have denied being responsible for the damp, their house had for many years been neglected in a number of ways, e.g very poor guttering and fascias, which we had claimed was at least partly contributing to damp they may be having. We don't get on with them, solicitors have been used on both sides without a resolution yet, though it could get more involved (and costly) to resolve.
My main query is related to something somebody mentioned to my wife a few months ago, that one option could be to encase their three air bricks with some kind of watertight brick to prevent water running into them. This would seem a lot cheaper than having to create a gully to run into a soakaway (which would mean digging up quite a bit of our drive). Do you know if there is a potentially easy solution?
I have resisted and will continue to resist being responsible for any damp they are experiencing, but would be willing to resolve the matter if there was a fairly inexpensive solution.
Thanks in advance.
Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 10:43 pm
by msh paving
You can't block air bricks they are there for a reason,usually to vent timber floors and maintain air flow,
In you case i would get a structural engineer to look at it, as you need a qualified person to identify the problem MSH 
Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 12:07 am
by lutonlagerlout
is your drive in any way level with their air bricks?
I.E, can any surface water from your drive run into their air bricks?
if so your contractor was bang out of order
150mm below DPC is 1 datum we always go to,but it is indefensible to run a driveway level with anyone else's airbricks
LLL
Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 5:29 am
by Dave_L
A picture or two would be really handy in this case.
Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 2:28 pm
by dig dug dan
I ahve seen on many an occasion the use of air bricks as drains. One of my customers had a "contractor" round who tole her that they are put in as drains!!
I would be getting the hose out and flooding the area in question to see where it drains.
Was the driveway contractor bona fide? where did you get his details from?
Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 5:14 am
by richie_jones
There are water tight seals for air bricks, but they are only used when there is a risk of flooding, After flood waters have subsided then they are removed.
I might be wrong but water tight usually means air tight.....
If water is entering your neighbours air bricks from your drive then in my opinion you`ll be responsible for the damp in his house.
I don`t think gutters and fascias would have much effect on damp because as my dad allways says whats the point in gutters, when its raining everything is wet!!!!
Just my two pence worth.....
Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 7:24 am
by seanandruby
I would of thought a bit of compromise by both sides will work out a lot cheaper and. You don't want to be falling out with a neighbour, it creates bad feeling for years.
Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 11:40 am
by mickg
a photo would be ideal but........seeing as you have not replied to anyone so far
I take its a shared driveway and yours has been renewed, if it was a flagged driveway before the block paving was laid then a lot of surface water will disappear down the joints of the flagging so any surface water problems would not of been visible, now its been blocked paved the surface water does not dissipate down the joints when there is a heavy downpour and you get more surface water which cant go anywhere hence it seems to go onto next doors driveway
if it was a concrete or tarmac surface before the block paving was laid then the contractor may of changed the direction of fall of the new driveway hence you neighbor is now getting more surface water from your driveway
the block paving contractor should of advised you of this at the time he quoted or at least he would of known when he had removed the existing surface and put his lines on to give the new driveway the required fall to dispurse the surface water and should of advised you accordingly at this stage, but this would depend on the integrity of the contractor and did you nail his hat on with the price...!!
I always install a new drainage channel to stop this problem from happening as there are more court cases over boundaries, fences, hedges than other type of disputes and there is only one winner in court....the solicitors, compromise on boths sides will save both of you a lot of money of which could of fixed the problem twice over and still have change to buy each other a drink in the local pub and have a laugh over it
its not a case of not backing down through principle, its a case of doing the right thing to rectify the problem, lifes too short to be falling out and to be instructing solicitors at £150 - £200 per hour when it could be sorted out between yourselves
Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 1:28 pm
by GB_Groundworks
my folks live on a hill, we get the water from higher up we direct it and it goes lower down and then someone else is responsible for it, i'd say they are responsible for the level of their paving and air bricks not you. if your ground is higher, might be a selfish view but they are responsible for draining their own area not you.
Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 2:20 pm
by lutonlagerlout
it dont work like that giles
most houses were built in the uk with no driveway in mind
i.e. front garden with a path
when you pave an area you have a responsibility to make sure the surface water does not affect anyone that it didnt affect before
i.e. your neighbours
still waiting on a picture from the OP
LLL
Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 8:58 pm
by richie_jones
Fall outs with neighbours now also have to be declared when selling your house. You can be sued by the buyer of your property if you don`t declare any disputes..!!!
Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2010 1:49 pm
by Tony McC
If the OP's paving drains towards those airbricks (and there's nowt unusual about airbricks being below the DPC when there's a suspended floor internally) and/or the paving is not at least 150mm below the DPC, then the neighbour's might be able to make a case that the new paving is responsible for the damp.
However, the onus is on the neighbour to prove that the paving *is* the cause: it's not the OP's responsibility to prove that it's not.
Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 10:02 pm
by Northam Stand
Thanks all for your comments and apologies for the long delay in responding.
I want to attach some photos but am a bit new to this (apologies!!) If somebody can give me a bit of quick advice as to how get some photos on here, I will put some on.
The drive is definitely below the damp course level though.
Thanks.
Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 10:17 pm
by mickg
Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 11:36 pm
by lutonlagerlout
its a simple matter of installing concrete gully surrounds around the airbricks to allow airflow and also to stop water ingress
If my neighbour decide to fall his patio/drive into my airbricks we would be having a forthright discussion (unlikely as 1 is a reverend and the other a professor)
we all know that airbricks are below dpc on old houses,but it is my pet hate seeing them either blocked or the paving level with them
LLL