Expert: Dave Johnson - 3/5/2009

Question
Hello, I live in Manhattan, New York City and live in an old prewar building.  My apartment was being fix for mold/water damage.  Because they took down one of the cupboards, it exposed a vent in the wall.  The contractor told me that old buildings had these to release any moisture build up between the walls.  I had constantly complained about odors and cockroaches coming into my apartment.  Instead of plastering it up, they loosely covered up the vent again with this cupboard. Is this vent breaking any health/building codes?  Common sense tells me that this cannot be healthy for me.
Thanks for your time.

Answer
Hi Dan,
I must tell you that I am not very familiar with multi-family buildings.
But, I do think you're right in saying there could be health issues.

I would suggest you get a copy of the local building codes (usually available on-line). You might also try and get a visit from the city engineers office ( code enforcement officer).

If you are still experiencing the cockroach/odor problems, probably that area is, along with others, an entry point.

As a last resort, you could remove the cabinet yourself and seal the opening...

Sorry i am not of much help...
Dave