Did they know about loft ventilation/condensation in the ear

[michael]

I have a very high and very large ceiling in a former 19th century Baptist chapel. This ceiling consists of timber boards butted up to each other. A large proportion of the ceiling boards have ventilation holes cut into them. Most of the holes are about 2” diameter and grouped together in sets of five like five dots on the face of a dice whilst other holes are dove winged shaped. All of these holes vent directly into the loft however the loft itself has no ventilation in the gable ends. I had the roof re- slated a while back and incorporated a breathable membrane. I also had the loft space lagged and blocked up the ceiling vent holes. I will in the future be looking to incorporate a louvered vent on one of the gable ends subject to LBC.
I don’t think there are any problems at the moment because the space remains unheated but it seems to me that the original design of a hot populated chapel venting directly up into an un-vented loft must have been a recipe for condensation?

 

[michael]

Title didnt allow enough characters. it should read:-
Did they know about loft ventilation/condensation in the early 19th century?

 

[Penners]

Did they know about loft ventilation/condensation in the early 19th century?

I preferred your original title. I suffer from condensation in the ear myself (but I never talk about it).

Those holes sound intriguing. I'm quite sure that the Georgians and Victorians knew about condensation, but whether the holes exist to reduce it is a moot point.

You know what we need, don't you? Pictures!

 

[worms]

I don't know about that era but I can think of many of the late Victorian churches and village halls that have a large central exterior vent into the roof space or into the hall itself.

Although you say the loft space is unheated, it will get pretty hot in summer and potentially stay warmer than the outside in winter, so I guess the risk of condensation depends on just how breathable a breatheable membrane really is!