Patches on new plaster

[Muj]

update

looking again at your photos, I see a build up of rubbish, moss (and perhaps grassy weeds) where the chimneys meet the roof, this will harbour damp and may bridge the flashing.

A sign of long-term neglect.

There are also a couple of slipped tiles that your roofer can replace.

seems I need to speak to a roofer ASAP then thank you!

 

[JohnD]

I’ll speak to a roofer to see if the guttering needs sorting and if an airbrick can be added both towards the top and bottom.

Does that mean I would still need to go back to brick internally ?

If there are hydroscopic salts in the plaster, that might be necessary. If it was me I would start by:

- correcting defects that allow water penetration

- improve ventilation of the flues

then see if it dries out.

(when you see a chimneystack like that with two pots, it almost always means it was built with a fireplace in the ground floor and the first floor rooms, and two separate flues)

 

[dontbelieveawordofit]

don’t vent it from the outside, that will make it worse.
they need venting from inside .

 

[Muj]

don’t vent it from the outside, that will make it worse.
they need venting from inside .

when you say venting internally, how is that done?

Sorry if my questions are stupid, it’s the first house I’ve bought and my lack of age an experience in these matters don’t help lol

 

[dontbelieveawordofit]

you’ll need to find the middle of the original opening of the fireplace that was there. then remove probably one bricks worth of area or slightly more , which will allow a natural passage of a large amount of air to pass through and air the flue.
you can buy various covers to smarten the whole thing up. I usually cut them out so the cover sits nicely on top of the skirting.

 

[Muj]

Ahh so just open it up and add those plastic looking vents inside the room. That specific wall will be covered by wardrobes, would that then cause another issue?

Also will there still be a need to add air brick outside too?

 

[dontbelieveawordofit]

no air brick outside.
you need to cure the issue before putting anything against the wall.

 

[Muj]

Ok I understand , need to get on it ASAP then thank you!

 

[dontbelieveawordofit]

one last question . have the walls been cavity filled ?
I couldn’t see any evidence when zooming in your pics but worth asking.

 

[Muj]

I don’t think they have by previous owner, I definitely haven’t as I’ve read some horror stories about adding in cavity insulation

 

[catlad]

Those stacks don't need to be anywhere near that size if you are going to be using it for a gas , as I don't see any dpc in the chimney stacks.

 

[Muj]

Sorry what’s dpc?

I’ll just be having the two fireplaces on the bottom floor.

 

[bobasd]

OP,
Ignore, in fact run a mile from, user name bennymultifinish. Most everything he has said is wrong. He knows nothing about these matters. In a word he's not only ignorant but obliviously ignorant of the foolish stuff he pretends to know.

All the plaster has to come off - no matter what.
His adventure into chemistry is a case of wrong, wrong, wrong.
He doesn't even know what glaringly obvious CWI injection holes would look like.
You dont sit flue vents on top of the skirting for a very good reason.

You have a couple of flues running up past the the next bedroom(?) - what's the condition of the plastered walls in there?

catlad is quite right about dropping the stack a few courses.
Appropriate terminals should be fitted as required.

 

[Muj]

OP,
Ignore, in fact run a mile from, user name bennymultifinish. Most everything he has said is wrong. He knows nothing about these matters. In a word he's not only ignorant but obliviously ignorant of the foolish stuff he pretends to know.

All the plaster has to come off - no matter what.
His adventure into chemistry is a case of wrong, wrong, wrong.
He doesn't even know what glaringly obvious CWI injection holes would look like.
You dont sit flue vents on top of the skirting for a very good reason.

You have a couple of flues running up past the the next bedroom(?) - what's the condition of the plastered walls in there?

catlad is quite right about dropping the stack a few courses.
Appropriate terminals should be fitted as required.

the wall in the next bedroom is fine, as well as the two walls on ground floor by the fire places. This seems to be the only offending wall.

But before the offending wall was done, when I had taken off the old wallpaper the plaster was just coming off, I should have at that point broken it to brick.

 

[Muj]

Update: I’ve booked in for a couple of roofers to pop down and have a look.

I’ll be asking the following:

1. show the roofer the offending wall and roof (of course lol)

2. Repoint and flash chimney where it meets the roof

3. Change chimney pots to allow ventilation and stop ingress of water

4. Ask about putting a vent in the room where the old fireplace was (not sure if a roofer can/will do this)

is there anything I am missing? Or anything I should ask in particular?

thank you again everyone .