damp on lower floor chinmey breast

[jojo1]

Hi :D

I have damp creeping down the front of the chimney breast and on one of the sides, it has started at the top towards the right and is also showing on one of the sides, but not directly where the damp is on the front, it is on the back wall, so it doesn't seem to be a continuation.

We had our chinmey removed and vent tiles and piping installed around 2 years ago. There is no damp patches in the bedroom from the same chimney...

This evening (we had rain earlier), I could wipe the wall and could see the dampness smudge - at first we thought it was soot penetration. We have open fireplaces in both the bedrooom and also in the lounge, although we have a gas fire in this...

Any help as to what may be causing it would be much appreciated...the only other thing is is could possibly be a leak from a pipe, although we've done no work in that area.

Thanks,
Joanne

[dcmoore]

Dear Jo Jo,

There are many causes of chimney breast dampness:I think yours is most likely to be No.5 on the list below;

1. Open pots at the top - no ventilated caps or cowls

2. Poor pointing in the chimney stack

3. Poor flashings around the chimney

4. Same as above but coming from next door's chimneys

5. Salts and chemicals from burning coal and wood over many, many years 'leaching' out into the plaster - these attract moisture from the air.

6. Old back boiler and plumbing leaking water

7. Chimney never cleaned - full of soot

8. Neighbours house at a higher ground level - rising damp affects the party wall and chimney back

9. Fireplaces closed up and not ventilated

10. Water leak on either side of the party wall

11. Water leak in the roof - check also water tanks

[Ingela]

Hello,
I have the same problem. An internal wall is damp due to chimneys not having been cowled. The chimnes are now being sorted, but what do we do with the damp wall? Will it dry out in time? There is a vent at the bottom, which smells terrible! The council (Freeholder) won't pay for sorting it out as they say the survey should have picked it up so that we could have arranged for a lower price when we bought the property.
Thanks!

[Ingela]

Hello,
I have the same problem. An internal wall is damp due to chimneys not having been cowled. The chimnes are now being sorted, but what do we do with the damp wall? Will it dry out in time? There is a vent at the bottom, which smells terrible! The council (Freeholder) won't pay for sorting it out as they say the survey should have picked it up so that we could have arranged for a lower price when we bought the property.
Thanks!

[dcmoore]

Take a look at any one of our damp projects and ring the phone number for Property Repair Systems. They give free, no obligation advice and we recommend them. They will tell you what you need to do (if anything) and will also be able to supply you with anything you need to do it with but will certainly not try to sell you anything you don't need