My problem is causing me a headache and I am hoping for some advice.....
1 - I am decorating a nursery for our first child...... so its a pretty important room!
2 - On of the walls is on a chimney.
3 - When I have painted my walls, there is a patch, about 1/3 of the way down the wall and about 3ft across - that has dried a darker colour. (we are using Egyptian Cotton colour - matt finish).
4 - I painted the wall twice in the hope I did a bad job of mixing the paint but it came back twice. I also have a history of near perfect painting so its not me and my painting technique!
So - here is some other facts that might help us diagnose the issue:
1 - The flashing round the base of the chimney looks ok. Maybe a little area where water might get down the back of it but it looks pretty ok.
2 - The flaunching on top of the stack resembles some crazy paving with cracks throughout it.
3 - The render on the out-side of the wall looks to of been replaced by the previous owners - and there is an area about 4ft to the right of the "Patch" where some of the render on the outside has blown which will need replacing.
4 - 2 of the 3 chimneys have a rain cap on them - the one on the left, above the patch, doesn't.
5 - there is no evidence on the inside of any plaster blowing. The patch area is slightly colder to the touch as well.
6 - The chimney stack is about 8ft tall.
So here is my question, the patch feels and looks like some kind of damp - although the plaster is sound. Could it be that water is getting down the chimney though either the chimney without the rain cap or though the broken flaunching to soak the top 3ft of the interior wall.
If this is the case, why hasnt the plaster been damaged like it does with rising damp?
Any suggestions / help much much appreciated.
A
1 - I am decorating a nursery for our first child...... so its a pretty important room!
2 - On of the walls is on a chimney.
3 - When I have painted my walls, there is a patch, about 1/3 of the way down the wall and about 3ft across - that has dried a darker colour. (we are using Egyptian Cotton colour - matt finish).
4 - I painted the wall twice in the hope I did a bad job of mixing the paint but it came back twice. I also have a history of near perfect painting so its not me and my painting technique!
So - here is some other facts that might help us diagnose the issue:
1 - The flashing round the base of the chimney looks ok. Maybe a little area where water might get down the back of it but it looks pretty ok.
2 - The flaunching on top of the stack resembles some crazy paving with cracks throughout it.
3 - The render on the out-side of the wall looks to of been replaced by the previous owners - and there is an area about 4ft to the right of the "Patch" where some of the render on the outside has blown which will need replacing.
4 - 2 of the 3 chimneys have a rain cap on them - the one on the left, above the patch, doesn't.
5 - there is no evidence on the inside of any plaster blowing. The patch area is slightly colder to the touch as well.
6 - The chimney stack is about 8ft tall.
So here is my question, the patch feels and looks like some kind of damp - although the plaster is sound. Could it be that water is getting down the chimney though either the chimney without the rain cap or though the broken flaunching to soak the top 3ft of the interior wall.
If this is the case, why hasnt the plaster been damaged like it does with rising damp?
Any suggestions / help much much appreciated.
A
