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OP, Its probably minor thermal movement, nothing to worry about. Is the wall covering solid plaster or plasterboard? Can you show a pic of the outside of the wall? Is it a cavity wall? Any soot remaining on a chimney flue back wall theory is irrelevant.

Poster #13, This forum is about technical advice, its irrelevant who gives it or where the poster might be located - the only issue is whether the advice is good or bad. FWIW: I understand the issues in Remedial Building Work very well. Page 3 of Historic England shares the truism that the...

OP, Why not post pics of all your fireplaces - blocked or open it doesn't matter? And could you go into the loft and post pics of any water marks or damage on brickwork or timbers?

Poster #13, I do hope that you know the thread is from 10 March 20? Your last post only got more foolish - your garbled attempts to explain/google yourself are ludicrous - you simply do not know what you are talking about. I notice that you are quoting from my historic posts but not...

Poster #10, Thank you for your post. Why do you think Air Bricks in new build are sleeved thro the cavity? Why, in new build, are a/b's only installed below FFL - unless they are sleeved thro to particular rooms but nowadays its mostly trickle vents? Many new builds have rendered half or full...

Poster #11, Some of your post is wrong - in parts you are offering very bad advice. Then, in your final sentence, you go and shoot yourself in the foot: " get that sorted before dealing with the cosmetics" - what cosmetics?

OP, 2. I can only glimpse a possible S&C plinth in the rear elevation pic #8? The front elevation is not shown. 3. As my previous, air bricks "ventilating the cavity"are a very bad idea. 4. If all your floors are solid then air bricks are not needed. 5. My bad - after your correcting me, I can...

OP, Thats funny - J. Edgar Hoover would not be amused. Actually, I'd love to be a G-Man for a day - interviewing Stormy Daniels: "Just the facts ma'am" and "what did the President do next?" Also lifting everyone I didn't like - I've watched CopsTV and know how to do it. OP, if you want more...

OP, Possibly as above ref damp attracting hygroscopic contamination from a sooty flue? Larger, bigger context pics of the whole chimney breast might help? Have the flues been swept? Are any fireplaces blocked off? Have you been in the loft to investigate?

OP, Thanks for the pics & info. The price you have been quoted is a good price. 1. A previous DPC has been injected - not much use in a cavity wall unless no original DPC exists? 2. There seems to be a sand & cement plinth - usually its best to remove S&C plinths. 3. One 9" x 3" air brick can be...

OP, You dont say whether the wall is cavity or solid - which is odd for a gas engineer? Neither do you say if there's any insulation on the wall - also odd? Is the floor solid? Is there a chimney breast? Are you on a hillside?

OP, What you definitely dont do is is to fix another joist onto an already rotten joist. Especially when its hard to tell what kind of rot is present: dry rot or wet rot or perhaps both? Plus, some of the joisting already appears to have been doubled up? Neither do you glibly start removing any...

Poster #12, Labour supporters might be a little more thoughtful than you think: From 1937 on the Labour Party under Clement Atlee was forcefully against Hitler and the later Munich Agreement cowardice. Individual Labour MP's were opposed to Hitler & his British Blackshirt scum from 1933 on...

OP, No, do not "vent" the cavity - for a number of sound reasons you dont vent any wall cavities. Your "air bricks low down" should be opened up - they should be located below the interior floor level - they should also be sleeved through the cavity. If you post pics of the brickwork I can say...

OP, Yes, as above, some kind of, maybe local, grit sand was used with lime. So point up with a 3:1 sand & NH lime mix.

OP, The roof is an amateurish construction with built-in faults from the first day of construction. Where pitched roofs meet flat roofs always needs special consideration. Very little consideration went into your roofs abutment. Joisting has failed ie. the ponding hollows, or it was never there...

OP, Was the chimney flue swept before it was sealed off at the bedroom fireplace? Was there a bottom vent fixed into the fireplace blocking? The "efflorescence" - (if it is efflorescence) - appears to be minor. Maybe its not efflorescence but Hygroscopic salts leaking thro from the flues?

OP, Why not post a pic of the "plasterboard section" you intend to make good? Its well possible to replace a piece of p/b with hardly any filling.

OP, "expansion gaps at every abutment" - ie. wherever any part of the boards comes against any kind of obstacle eg. walls - pipes - certain fixtures etc. then, typically, a 10mm to 15mm expansion gap must be left.

OP, You have dry rot. With dry rot its worth paying an Independent Damp & Timber surveyor to do a detailed survey, & schedule of works, of the bathroom area & to be thorough, the rest of the Victorian house.