Options for through void ventilation at a sleeper wall.

[epsilonGreedy]

I have 5.5m by 6.0m sitting room with an extra sleeper wall, 215mm wide, mid way across the room to allow half length beams and also prevent excessive bounce in the middle. The block & beam floor will be laid across the sleeper wall with the half length beams butting end to end at the sleeper wall.

 

I am being advised that the sleeper wall needs a square size ventilation hole cut out with a lintel over. I feel the new ventilation hole is not required because the gap between every beam creates 400mm x 50mm ventilation slot hence this will create more than enough through void ventilation between the sections bisected by the sleeper wall. 

[Ferdinand]

Is there such a thing as a "air block" to avoid messing about with lintels?

Edited August 14, 2019 by Ferdinand

[Mr Punter]

Was it building control who said this? You are right, the gaps underneath the infill blocks will give adequate ventilation, especially if you are detached with air bricks all round.

[epsilonGreedy]

24 minutes ago, Mr Punter said:

Was it building control who said this? You are right, the gaps underneath the infill blocks will give adequate ventilation, especially if you are detached with air bricks all round.

 

No it was a local builder, just part of his standard construction method as applied to my site.

 

Yes detached with external air brick ventilation on three sides. The way I look at it the cumulative area of the ventilation slots below the infill blocks will be x3 the airbrick area on the opposing external walls.

[Carrerahill]

1 hour ago, epsilonGreedy said:

I have 5.5m by 6.0m sitting room with an extra sleeper wall, 215mm wide, mid way across the room to allow half length beams and also prevent excessive bounce in the middle. The block & beam floor will be laid across the sleeper wall with the half length beams butting end to end at the sleeper wall.

 

I am being advised that the sleeper wall needs a square size ventilation hole cut out with a lintel over. I feel the new ventilation hole is not required because the gap between every beam creates 400mm x 50mm ventilation slot hence this will create more than enough through void ventilation between the sections bisected by the sleeper wall. 

 

Seems pretty excessive to mess with lintels - what is he planning in fitting, a super giant air-brick! 

 

I take it the wall is built of concrete block and is solid, ideally it would have been built as a honeycomb.

 

Could you core the wall with a 100mm bit. 

Edited August 14, 2019 by Carrerahill

[epsilonGreedy]

21 minutes ago, Carrerahill said:

I take it the wall is built of concrete block and is solid, ideally it would have been built as a honeycomb.

 

 

Yes.

 

22 minutes ago, Carrerahill said:

Seems pretty excessive to mess with lintels - what is he planning in fitting, a super giant air-brick! 

 

 

Not for an air brick, just open square holes about 200mm wide x 150mm high formed within internal sleeper/supporting walls. I have seen photos posted here of completed footings that include the same large open holes to promote air movement between compartments of a suspended floor void.

 

27 minutes ago, Carrerahill said:

Could you core the wall with a 100mm bit. 

 

 

That is what I intended to do but I have come around the larger open square holes.

[joe90]

25 minutes ago, Carrerahill said:

ideally it would have been built as a honeycomb.

 

I have done this, saves blocks and mortar ?, it’s only carrying a floor. 215mm wide also seems excessive.

[epsilonGreedy]

36 minutes ago, joe90 said:

it’s only carrying a floor. 215mm wide also seems excessive.

 

 

It allows the concrete beams to butt end-to-end while still giving each beam end a 100mm seat. The architectural technician did not specify the sleeper wall and instead specified a beam span of 5.5m.

[joe90]

41 minutes ago, epsilonGreedy said:

 

It allows the concrete beams to butt end-to-end while still giving each beam end a 100mm seat. The architectural technician did not specify the sleeper wall and instead specified a beam span of 5.5m.

 

Ah, missed the beam and block floor bit ?, I still think say 40mm vertical gaps in the blocks would be good, saves lintels, run it past your S.E.