Capped Chimney - Rainwater Still Coming Down Into Fireplace

[Whitespirit66]

This is following on from a topic I posted about the same problem -

//www.diynot.com/diy/threads/w...chimney-shaped-like-this.452994/#post-3583614

Following advice given in other thread to stop water coming down chimney into fireplace in anything heavier than a light shower, I fitted a lead cap to my chimney. The top opening of the chimney obviously isn't how the water is entering the fireplace.

Can I ask the experts to take a look at the photos (taken before cap fitted), and suggest other ways that water may be entering. It's a standard brick built 1960s chimney with usual concrete slab type crown that overhangs the brickwork stack by 2 or 3 inches. Bog standard flashing. Will try to get better photos of whole structure. The chimney haunching looks sound, but I'm ruling nothing out. Will be giving the chimney a good soak with a hose to try to trace at weekend.

Any advice appreciated.

DSC00727

• Whitespirit66
• 9 Feb 2016
• chimney

DSC00726

• Whitespirit66
• 9 Feb 2016

 

[KenGMac]

Whitespirit66, hi.

Must admit I did see your original post.

I think that if the rain water is entering into the lounge, but primarily when there is a shall we call it a good breeze? or in moderate to high winds? then there is a possibility that the air flow hitting the roof slope will tend to divert the air flow to follow the roof slope, in doing so the multiple Louvers in the Chimney pot could allow rain to get into the pot, and find its way down the Flue to emanate in the room below.

The specific design of the pot you have, I for one have not seen too many of, at least up here in the far flung frozen wet north, I think because, there are possible shall I call it weaknesses in the design for areas of high rainfall?

What may be occurring is that the driving rain, and as above the direction of the wind flow, up the roof slope may be forcing the rain into the multiple Louvers ?

Whilst the original advice tendered generally rectifies rain water entering a Flue, that is to cover the top of the pot with a vented cap, in your case, there is a very high probability that because of the plethora of Louvers down the sides of the pot then it is Via these louvers that large volumes of rain water are entering the flue, if you consider it? the area of available rain water entry via the louvers, versus the relatively small area of the top of the pot then, there is no comparison?

Suggest you consider replacing the Louvered pot with a dare I call it a more conventional Pot, if you do then you can fit at the same time a ventilated circular cap?


Ken.

 

[Nige F]

I had a similar problem so I bought a tin of masonry sealing fluid and poured some round the pot/flaunching a few times- did the job

 

[vinn]

Donegal Hardware does a Hanson catalogue and items 116 or 120 Weatherguard Tops would fit into your Six Ring Louvre Top (also in Hansons Catalogue). The Weatherguard Tops are the familiar mushroom insert terminals.

 

[catlad]

The flaunching at the base of the pot looks ok from what I can see, but I would need some pics of the stack and the surrounding area to advise more.