Chimney on new house - wet in loft?

[Psycho_Hamster]

Hi,

Brand new house and have just had the chimney fixed as no soakaways were fitted and the flashing appeared to route the water into the loft and onto the interior ceiling! However, I am still puzzled and hope someone can help.

If I look at the outside wall from inside the loft at where the chimney is then you see breeze blocks over the entire wall apart from one segment (5 bricks by 4 bricks) on the slope of the roof. These bricks appear to be the chimney (even though these bricks are only at the roof intersection coming down for 4 bricks) and the remainder of the wall below it is all breeze block. A couple of bricks down from the roof lining there is a horizontal strip which I can only describe as looking like a damp proof course (can you tell I don't do this much!).

In the recent storms (after the big leaks have been fixed) the bricks above this damp proof course are still wet and thus are bringing moisture into the loft space. The questions I have are :-

1) Is this construction normal? Some bricks and the rest breeze block on the wall?

2) I understand bricks are porous and perhaps the DPC that I am seeing is the flashing - should this be inside the loft, clearly visible and let in moisture?

3) A remedy that has been suggested is to waterproof the internal bricks - however, being a new house I would like opinions as to if this is a bad construction in which case I can insist on it being replaced with proper construction.

Thanks for all help.
PH

 

[joe-90]

If it's a brand new house and it's leaking - just contact the builder. It's his problem.

 

[Thermo]

a photo would help. It should have a lead flashing between the brickwork and the roof tiles on the outside. there shouldnt be any water getting in.

 

[pampers]

From what i understand from you description you are describing the chimney tray,A piece of lead (2 inches bigger than the chimney that's goes all the way across the chimney (some times 2 are used),it should be dressed up on the inside of the roof space to form a lip and outside it should be higher than the lead cover flashing's and dressed/turned down,so any moisture that's does and will soak into the bricks is stopped at this level and finds its way outside .

Normal problems i find with these is they are either forgotten to be dressed /turned up on the inside of the property so moisture can come out where ever it fancies. Or the tray is too low its below the level of the cover flashing so it goes outside but underneath the flashing.

Some times two trays are used one at top above backgutter flashing lvl and one at lower lvl just above front apron level(best way),But quite often just one tray is used at lower level will still do same job but will get moisture in roof space but try will stop it penetrating down stack any further.

 

[Psycho_Hamster]

Joe-90 - yes it is the builders problem but try and get them to admit it is not designed like that!

Pampers - thanks for the comments. There are indeed 2 trays one further up and one where I see the tray in the loft. The bricks above the tray in the loft are the ones that are saturated when it rains. This leads me to believe that the external upper tray is not doing its job. The builders have been around and I quote 'That is normal. Capillary action and the bricks being porous, there will be moisure in them when it rains. However, the tray will stop this from going any further down the brickwork and into the breeze. Any contractor will tell you that this is normal'.

It may be normal but to my mind every time it rains I have about 14 damp bricks which are wet to the touch. Ok - it doesn't pysically drip now but as far as I am concerned there is still damp getting into the loft.

Should I be worried or is the explanation a rational one to those in the know - after all the edges of the loft are open to the outside air....

Thanks,
PH

 

[joe-90]

One problem is that if we start to get sharp frosts, then the water will freeze in the brick and blow the face off.