Low air bricks. Is Bovis' solution suitable?

[ThomasChalk]

Hi,

I have five air bricks that are half under ground level around my house. Bovis have admitted this is incorrect but their solution is to dig a little hole around them and border it with paving slabs.

Has anyone had any experience with this?

I am convinced this is the wrong solution and I think the correct solution is to lower the ground around the house. I am going through an NHBC investigation at the moment but I am worried that NHBC will agree with Bovis.

Cheers

[New Home Expert]

I cannot understand for the life of me, why housebuilders cannot get the DPC 150mm or two courses above finished ground level. The air bricks are normally located in the course under the DPC.  Some housebuilders even struggle to get the airbricks the right way up.

You are quite right. What Bovis are proposing is a cheap bodge. All that will do is form a gully hopper to channel even more water under your suspended Pre cast concrete beam and block floor.  I find it hard to believe the NHBC will agree with Bovis this bodge is acceptable.

Do not accept this solution. There are only two options 1) Raise the air bricks and periscope ventilators or 2) lower the finished ground levels.

This was a preventable defect and breach of NHBC standards. I suspect your DPC is not 150mm above FGL either and this is also a breach of building regulations.
Shame on you Bovis Homes and shame on whoever at the NHBC that passed this home!

[ThomasChalk]

Thank you for your reply and I am glad that you agree.

I've seen this fault fixed in this way on other Bovis homes and the owners have shared their experiences. I found the NHBC guidance last night and it states that the trench needs to be a minimum of 600mm away from the brick of lowering the ground. I have sent this to the Bovis reigonal manager I am dealing with and hopefully he will see that what he is proposing isn't suitable. However, his ignorance and arrogance never ceases to amaze me.

I'm awaiting a reply from Bovis today and the NHBC outcome probably won't be for a couple of weeks.

I'll keep this feed updated in case it helps other people.

When you talk about DPC being above FGL, can you explain this a bit more. I'd like to check on this and if there is a fault I would like to ask them to fix it.

Thanks

[New Home Expert]

It states in the NHBC standards and Building Regulations that the DPC should be at least 150mm above finished ground level.
You should see the dpc sticking out of a bed joint near the ground. In your case it may even be below ground level!

[ThomasChalk]

I can't see anything like that anywhere around the house. I think I will need this checked by NHBC when they come over to inspect the airbricks

Thanks for the info