Anyone's help would be greatly appreciated:
I live in a old house (1910) that I bought two years ago - it was extended many years ago in the 1970s with a flat roof on the back that doubled the size of the house, originally they were for coal miners families. The extension was for a kitchen downstairs and a bathroom above and a bedroom too. When I bought the house it had been decorated from top to tail so I did not spot any issues with it, but having been in for two years there is a damp patch that has slowly got bigger and bigger on what was once the chimney breast in the extension (pictures 1,2,3). I thought it was a leak from the bathroom directly upstairs but there is no leak as I have taken some of the kitchen ceiling out to check it (could not access upstairs due to flooring) - the original chimney breast is behind the wall, the new wall covering it touches it and does not appear to be made of brick as it is only 2.5inch from the old chimney breast to where the new wall has been built in front of it but it is solid (picture 6). I thought it was an issue with damp due as the neighbour said to me the kitchen chimney breast area has always been a problem for the owners of my house... I therefore had the chimney removed and had the back wall (picture 5) re-rendered. That was partly because the bathroom (directly above the kitchen) had a damp wall where it connected to the neighbours house (picture 4), it still looks damp now after the wall outside was re-rendered 9 months ago. Is the downstairs kitchen likely to just be condensation? I think the damp patch on the wall of the bathroom above threw me slightly - the bathroom had the chimney breast boxed in with plaster board and as such it does not touch the old chimney breast, but the plasterboard has still got some damp on it. There are no leaks in the house, shower, drainage wise - so is the kitchen likely just to be condensation, I have a dehumidifer in the room at the moment and have had for a week but it seems to be making no difference, the wall dries out a bit (according to moisture meter) then is back damp again (according to moisture meter).
What would people recommend - should i take out the offending area and rebuild it up or could I use something like a plasterboard with tin foil on the back and stick it to the wall, plaster and redecorate that area, or should I let it all air though summer and see if it dries out after being re-rendered 9 months ago outside.
Thank you in advance for any advice. The chimney when it was removed was taken off completely and just covered over with felt. In hindsight that may not have been my best move if damp was already in the bricks of the chimney.
Nearly forget to mention there is no mould where the damp patch is - it just looks damp - no mould has ever formed on it in the two years it has slowly spread and I have never wiped any mould off it.
I live in a old house (1910) that I bought two years ago - it was extended many years ago in the 1970s with a flat roof on the back that doubled the size of the house, originally they were for coal miners families. The extension was for a kitchen downstairs and a bathroom above and a bedroom too. When I bought the house it had been decorated from top to tail so I did not spot any issues with it, but having been in for two years there is a damp patch that has slowly got bigger and bigger on what was once the chimney breast in the extension (pictures 1,2,3). I thought it was a leak from the bathroom directly upstairs but there is no leak as I have taken some of the kitchen ceiling out to check it (could not access upstairs due to flooring) - the original chimney breast is behind the wall, the new wall covering it touches it and does not appear to be made of brick as it is only 2.5inch from the old chimney breast to where the new wall has been built in front of it but it is solid (picture 6). I thought it was an issue with damp due as the neighbour said to me the kitchen chimney breast area has always been a problem for the owners of my house... I therefore had the chimney removed and had the back wall (picture 5) re-rendered. That was partly because the bathroom (directly above the kitchen) had a damp wall where it connected to the neighbours house (picture 4), it still looks damp now after the wall outside was re-rendered 9 months ago. Is the downstairs kitchen likely to just be condensation? I think the damp patch on the wall of the bathroom above threw me slightly - the bathroom had the chimney breast boxed in with plaster board and as such it does not touch the old chimney breast, but the plasterboard has still got some damp on it. There are no leaks in the house, shower, drainage wise - so is the kitchen likely just to be condensation, I have a dehumidifer in the room at the moment and have had for a week but it seems to be making no difference, the wall dries out a bit (according to moisture meter) then is back damp again (according to moisture meter).
What would people recommend - should i take out the offending area and rebuild it up or could I use something like a plasterboard with tin foil on the back and stick it to the wall, plaster and redecorate that area, or should I let it all air though summer and see if it dries out after being re-rendered 9 months ago outside.
Thank you in advance for any advice. The chimney when it was removed was taken off completely and just covered over with felt. In hindsight that may not have been my best move if damp was already in the bricks of the chimney.
Nearly forget to mention there is no mould where the damp patch is - it just looks damp - no mould has ever formed on it in the two years it has slowly spread and I have never wiped any mould off it.
