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As I was saying I have been left without a connection. I am relying on intermittant and extremely slow public wifi which is almost non existent in this remote area. It has taken me nearly an hour just to get to this point Ree and to navigate to the other threads and respond properly would take...

Hi folks. Sorry been left without a connection during home move. The stove fitter/chimney guy has fitted soakaways and flashing (there was none). Since then there doesn't seem to have been any more water ingress and the damp seems to be drying out. He advised, as suggested here, leaving the...

Another late reply sorry. In the middle of a home move and BT has kindly left me with no connection! We took off the plaster on the bedroom wall and the chimney/stove guy came and fitted flashing and soakaways. It seems to have done the trick in that the flue area is no longer getting damp with...

The stone cottage we are renovating is being replastered throughout (as I strip off the woodchip :cry:). So far one bedroom has been done. It's quite a big room with just one small cottage window. Two weeks on there are still a couple of areas which look a bit damp - underneath the window sill...

Agreed but that toilet paper is very often requested by lenders when you come to sell. Sorry for the late reply folks. In the process of moving house and BT kindly terminated my old line without connecting the new line. So relying on pubic wifi (with VPN). Anywqy I did bite the bullet and have...

Cheers folks. I do hope it is not death watch! Eek! Just to let you know I have bitten the bullet and arranged for a treatment after negotiating the quote down. The theory these firms tout is that the emerging beetle will eat it's way out, encounter the poison and die - so the life cycle is...

Cheers. There is a builder involved already actually. Plus a HETAS reg stove/chimney guy - just waiting for his quote for a new stove, a liner, new cowl and chimney flashing.. Have already had the flue in use (from the lounge stove) swept and tested. Are you suggesting I have the other flue...

Thanks John.

Thanks. The builder thought there might be evidence of a second flue on the first floor wall plus it would have been the norm in houses like this to have a bedroom fireplace though from ground level you can definitely only see one pot. Anyhow we are meeting at the property tomorrow and I'll try...

The company is saying it doesn't treat painted or varnished wood unless it is stripped. I have yet to find out if this also applies to stained wood - as I suspect the exposed ceiling timbers in the lounge are - :(

Sorry I'm normally pretty good about thanking people but I've got so much going on I forgot about the lead dpc post. So shoot me I'm imperfect. Just revisited and remedied! In my defence it started out as a specific question about the lead dpc recommendation and this was about the wall treatment...

Sorry for the late reply. There is no lead flashing on the stack - to be fitted.

I'm waiting for the stove fitter to get up there and have a proper look while he is fitting a liner and a new cowl and flashing (there is none at the mo). There is one chimney stack and one visible pot - we don't know if there was a bedroom fireplace in addition to the lounge fireplace below and...

The main thing, to be honest, is getting a guarantee for future resale as unfortunately that's the climate we live in. And for that I need one of the bigger names. Plus there aren't many contractors in this rural area. Access is perfect in one bedroom/lounge below as all the joists and...

Have had a survey plus quote from one of the big names in the business (not Rentokil). Is it worth trying to get the price down? How 'fixed' are these things?

Thanks I'm assuming oak timbers but I don't know. There has been a bit of dust underneath the window lintels. I don't know if this is frass or old dust coming out due to the new activity in the house. I suppose I ought to give the wood a good clean then stick loo paper over it to see if...

The cottage I'm renovating was neglected and largely unoccupied for 25 years. There is damp on the 1st floor gable end in line with the chimney flue. We have hacked off all the plaster and are repairing any structural issues which might have caused the damp - ie no flashing on the chimney stack...

Thanks John The previous owner is not fessing up if it was him. That said it looks as if he kept it as a poorly maintained personal holiday cottage for 25 years and any work was down to the previous owner. The lounge ceiling is all original exposed timbers and joists - so you can see the bedroom...

Just renovating an 18th century cottage. There are lots of woodworm holes in the beams but not sure if it is active - unless dust on the window sill is frass. Is it too early in the year to spot any beetles? The surveyor who went into the loft thinks there may be some activity there 'due to the...

Thanks folks. I put this issue in the Building forum at someone's suggestion so maybe a mod could merge the responses or close this thread.