chimney problem and damp

[kingy666]

Hi, i hope somebody can help me. the property i own is a small 2 bed terraced house which i am about to sell, since i moved in there has been a small problem of damp at the bottom of the chimney breast which comes up around 2ft from the floor. i had noticed that at the top of my chimney there are no chimney pots, which every other house in the street has. it does seem like common sense to me that it is this which is causing the damp. if any body could verify this for me i would be grateful. Thanks

 

[jbonding]

Hi, i hope somebody can help me. the property i own is a small 2 bed terraced house which i am about to sell, since i moved in there has been a small problem of damp at the bottom of the chimney breast which comes up around 2ft from the floor. i had noticed that at the top of my chimney there are no chimney pots, which every other house in the street has. it does seem like common sense to me that it is this which is causing the damp. if any body could verify this for me i would be grateful. Thanks

have you got a vent on the breast (its not an illness).

 

[kingy666]

yes i have 1 vent in the front bed room and 1 downstairs rear room also there doesnt seem to be any sign of damp any where else in the house (exterior walls have had damp course)

 

[JohnCo]

Sometimes, a chimney is found to be built straight up with no kick in it (you can see daylight when looking up it) and rain can sometimes get down to an upstairs room. Solve the problem with a chimney cowl.
However , if the damp is on the ground floor, it is probably coming up past the damp course (if there is one!). The usual culprit is plaster on the wall, drawing moisture past the damp course. Take off skirting, expose the damp course by cutting off the plaster to just above it, leave to dry and then refit new skirting. Regards JohnCo.

 

[noseall]

i have discussed chimneys and damp a few times on this forum, and have always suggested that it may not always be a damp problem.

in older properties the masonry which makes up a chimney, is constantly exposed (in the case of a real fire) to aggressive fire deposits which eventually saturate the bricks.

these salts, oils, soots etc, can eventually eek out onto the surface of the plaster.

i have twice had to remedy this problem using an s.b.r. and cement solution barrier.

the problem you have is finding a non money grabbing, full of horse s**t damp company to verify it one way or another.