Help - Damp chimney breast

[Heather2011]

Hi Possel,

Thanks for the heads up. The point you raised is very interesting. It does make me think. Also read your renovation story on your blog, nice story to read, went well with a cup of coffee!

When I ready "Never move house just before you have a holiday." I laughed....I had a very similiar experience when I bought this house in Cardiff back in 2007. My husband and I got the keys on 10th December and a week later we went to China for a long holiday. When we came back and walked into the house, I felt like entering someone else's home and didn't even feel comfortable to speak laud! hehe.

ok, come back to the dampness issue, I don't think I can afford to renew the entire render on the gable wall. But I wonder if I just renew the bottom part, say 1m from ground, with lime render, would that solve the issue?

Thanks!

 

[joe-90]

Your problem is caused by condensation. Replace as much render as you like - it won't change your problem. It is common in end of terrace properties. Ask your mid terrace neighbours and see if they have the same problem. If not IT IS CONDENSATION.

 

[Heather2011]

The damp is from warm moist air going up your chimney and condensing. It will be even worse if you have a gas fire that vents up the chimney. Go out and look at the other end terrace houses and you'll see a damp line up the bricks where the chimney runs.

Hi Joe, missed your reply earlier. Thanks for the thoughts. so what do you recon I can do to solve the condensation damp? Thanks.

 

[Heather2011]

Your problem is caused by condensation. Replace as much render as you like - it won't change your problem. It is common in end of terrace properties. Ask your mid terrace neighbours and see if they have the same problem. If not IT IS CONDENSATION.

Hi Joe,

My next door neighbour doesn't have any damp problem, though he's never had any DPC done. so what do you recon I can do to solve the condensation problem? Thanks

 

[joe-90]

Either stop the moist air going up the chimney or vent the chimney to dry it out. Take a look around where you live and you'll see loads of end terraces with this problem. End terraces have a cold wall and that is your problem.

 

[Possel]

I agree that condensation is a very likely cause of the dampness, and that venting the chimney would help fix it. The real question is where the moisture is coming from? If there is moisture in the air there has to be a supply of water from somewhere. I would guess that the (probably) cement render is cracked (as cement does!) and so has allowed water in, which then cannot evaporate and so penetrates further in, but it could be lots of things.

The use of lime render would help the wall and chimney to breathe - but it has to be on the whole thing, not just the bottom metre as suggested by Heather. My shared chimney breast was damp due to worn out lead flashing which allowed a regular flow of water down the structure. Once that was sorted it all dried out on my side; on my neighbour's side it still feels damp and cold as various cures had been tried and the wall does not breathe.

 

[catlad]

I lived in an end terrace for 5 years until recently and never saw any damp, built around 1910. It was cavity wall built was not rendered had one gas fire used to supplement central heating and all the rest of the fire places were still open. use the property as it was designed to be used and I am sure these problems will go away.

 

[Alastairreid]

use the property as it was designed to be used and I am sure these problems will go away.

Coal fires then.

 

[peaps]

Looks like you have open pots..? Rain is the cause of much damp problem if stack not used.
It's not condensation by t he way. Do you use the fire place?

 

[joe-90]

Don't talk rubbish, There are millions of open pots. Go take a look. It is condensation FFS.

 

[Heather2011]

Looks like you have open pots..? Rain is the cause of much damp problem if stack not used.
It's not condensation by t he way. Do you use the fire place?

No the fireplace has been sealed for years, but without a proper vent.....

 

[catlad]

so you now have a chamber that is attached too the side of your house but sealed and no longer used and with the top open and render with cracks in and you have issues with damp

 

[Alastairreid]

Don't talk rubbish, There are millions of open pots. Go take a look. It is condensation FFS.

Joe said its condensation! so it must be cause he said FFS.

 

[roy c]

Don't talk rubbish, There are millions of open pots. Go take a look. It is condensation FFS.

Joe said its condensation! so it must be cause he said FFS.

And if alastairreid said that joe said its condensation then it must be because he said FFS.

 

[Alastairreid]

Don't talk rubbish, There are millions of open pots. Go take a look. It is condensation FFS.

Joe said its condensation! so it must be cause he said FFS.

And if alastairreid said that joe said its condensation then it must be because he said FFS.

sorted