Chimney Breast dampness

[Questionable]

Hi all

I've got a 1950's bungalow with an old oven chimney flue going into my loft but removed from where it enters the loft upwards. I have blocked off the bottom opening in the kitchen and tiled over. I basically want to know if I can fill in the flue form the loft with any old mix of plaster, cement etc and brick filling. To stop any damp that is starting to appear and just turn it into a solid wall/column and will it stop any damp.

Thanks

 

[Joe Malone]

Hi all

I've got a 1950's bungalow with an old oven chimney flue going into my loft but removed from where it enters the loft upwards. I have blocked off the bottom opening in the kitchen and tiled over. I basically want to know if I can fill in the flue form the loft with any old mix of plaster, cement etc and brick filling. To stop any damp that is starting to appear and just turn it into a solid wall/column and will it stop any damp.

Thanks

No, this will only make the damp problem worse. An old chimney remains damp because it is lined with hygroscopic salts, these are a by product of the combustion process and will continually draw in moisture from the air ensuring the chimney remains damp. When you decommission an old chimney you need to ensure you have a robust air flow through the chimney from top to bottom. Back filling an old chimney stops any air flow and will almost guarantee that the chimney will remain damp. You may need to consider installing air bricks if possible? Is the chimney built into an external wall? If so then install an air brick at the highest point on the external wall and another nearer ground level. Introducing this air flow is the best thing you can do to deal with the damp though you may need to consider whether internal plastering is required if plasterwork is contaminated with salts.

 

[Questionable]

thanks for this, the chimney is open at the top into the attic and the bottom of it enters the kitchen, but it is in the middle of a tiled wall above my hob, and on the other side of wall is my bathroom, so will be really difficult to put in any sort of breathing block/vent.