Hi everyone, I'm trying to solve a puzzle here, would welcome any advice you may have.
Just purchased a small victorian terrace. The chimney wall in the loft was soaking wet, survey advised removal of plaster to allow it to dry. I have done this, it's now hopefully drying out. However..
The house has a blocked up fireplace in the kitchen, which the previous owners built a shelf unit into. There is apparently no ventilation installed there. This kitchen had also had a course of damp proof treatment recently. There is still a bit of a damp smell in the kitchen, and the walls around the fireplace feel a bit suspect in places, which makes me paranoid.
So.
Am I right in assuming the following: in order to stop any dampness, and to dry out the chimney, I need to get rid of the built-in shelving unit, open up the fireplace, and install a vent?
Also: should I have these chimneys capped? It was suggested to me that it may be enough to do that, and I may not need to worry about vents. Could this be correct?
Here's a photo of the fireplace, and the chimney stack. Thanks for any advice in advance!
Just purchased a small victorian terrace. The chimney wall in the loft was soaking wet, survey advised removal of plaster to allow it to dry. I have done this, it's now hopefully drying out. However..
The house has a blocked up fireplace in the kitchen, which the previous owners built a shelf unit into. There is apparently no ventilation installed there. This kitchen had also had a course of damp proof treatment recently. There is still a bit of a damp smell in the kitchen, and the walls around the fireplace feel a bit suspect in places, which makes me paranoid.
So.
Am I right in assuming the following: in order to stop any dampness, and to dry out the chimney, I need to get rid of the built-in shelving unit, open up the fireplace, and install a vent?
Also: should I have these chimneys capped? It was suggested to me that it may be enough to do that, and I may not need to worry about vents. Could this be correct?
Here's a photo of the fireplace, and the chimney stack. Thanks for any advice in advance!