Tanking a chimney wall

[bethrob99]

Builders were in to inject dpc and have slapped on extra costs because they found the remains of a chimney when they stripped away plaster. They said it needed tanking and removed the rest of the plaster up to the ceiling and applied said 'tanking' to the chimney area (about 8' x 6'). Can anybody advise roughly how much this additional work should cost?

 

[joe-90]

It didn't need doing - so I'd pay zilch.

 

[bethrob99]

Can you expand on why it didn't need doing? They said something about oils from the soot.

 

[joe-90]

It wouldn't need tanking, just a simple stain block if it was really a nuisance for the decorating. The fact you didn't even know it was there indicates it was NOT a problem. It has nothing whatsoever to do with a DPC. They are just making it up

 

[bethrob99]

So you would have just continued the injection across it as if it were regular wall? They went up the sides then plastered on the gunk in the middle.

 

[joe-90]

It's debatable whether they needed to inject upwards but they certainly didn't need to worry about your decorating. They shouldn't charge for such a minor extra.

 

[bethrob99]

So sooty bricks don't create a reaction with the chemicals in the injection at all. Which means they're either incompetent or lying gits. Thank you for your input.