On replacing old sofa for new discovered damp patches behind sofa on wall where old chimney place had been. Damp patches, above skirting board in and around area of blocked up chimney breast. Other visual signs can be a damp chimney breast and ceiling, damp walls either side of your chimney breast, damp in your loft or attic space around the chimney area or even damp halfway up a chimney breast. The signs of chimney damp can be similar to the signs of regular damp, except they all occur around your fireplace or chimney. It covers the chimney from the flue liner to the chimney edge. How to evaluate the importance of cracks in masonry chimneys.
The l shaped flashing that protects the joint between a roof and a chimney can sometimes pull away from the chimney, especially if its only held in place by roofing cement. Damp looking patches appeared on chimney breast wallss. They often incorporate a rain baffle to prevent snow and rain from entering the chimney and a wire mesh to prevent sparks from rising out of the chimney. Your problem is probably a combination of issues, chimney breasts were usually constructed with no dpc, therefore when the roaring hot fire which used to pull.
How to repair leaking chimney roof flashing todays. The chimney cap protects the top of your flue from water entry, as well as animals and debris. Cover the chimney bricks while leaving the flashings around the very base of the chimney exposed. Oct 10, 2018 it could be your chimney thats the issue. There may be damp patches on the chimney breast or the ceiling above it, or possibly the walls around it. The house is a 1920s old town house and 6 years ago i had it all renovated took all the plaster off the walls and dabdotted and over the last year or so i have noticed a damp patch just above the skirting board pic below. Above the picture rail isnt as wet, its slightly damp, but not wet. The chimney crown is the cement part on top of the chimney. We regularly get questions here at permagard about whats causing damp patches around a. You will need to drill some holes into the brick of the chimney breast at 6 inches up from ground level and inject a damp proofing cream using either a skeleton gun or a manual pump. Theres a damp patch next to our chimney breast on the wall next to the breast, which has been growing over time, and a couple of little damp spots elsewhere on the chimney breast. A chimney cap is just a flat rectangle, usually metal, held straight above the chimney by little legs, like an umbrella for the chimney. This article catalogs the types of chimney cracks and movement that may be found in brick, stone, or concrete block chimneys. Aug 07, 2011 inside the chimney breast is a flue which runs up the building and out through the chimney pot on the roof.
Dec 09, 2017 chimney damp diagnosis is impossible to understand with just a damp meter. A tar patch is one way to stop damage from a water leak around the chimney, but it is not the proper way to repair the problem. Any builders can give me any advise as i have a few damp patches on my chimney breast in the back room. The half of the chimney breast corresponding to the flue for the bedroom itself is dry. The bricks go up around the tile flue liners, but at the top you need something to stop the rain and snow from just falling in around the tiles. If the chimney pots are left open, rain will run down the flue and make the fireplace damp.
Ive got a problem with damp on a chimney breast in my kitchen. The chimney crown is the top element of the chimney which itself acts as a shield from a number of dangers. How to diagnose and fix a damp chimney breast diy doctor. You might also see staining or discolouration in these areas. Without a properly fitted chimney cap, the flue and fireplace are left completely exposed to water entry from rain. The wall that the damp patch is on is the adjoining wall between us and next door semidetached, and the patch es are close to the ground, dont extend more. This cream soaks into the brick and the chemicals in it join up with one another to form a waterproof layer in the brickwork your new dpc.
Damp stains on a chimney breast and adjacent ceiling it may. You can see that the very purpose of the chimney crown is to keep rain out. Damp patch on chimney breast in bedroom diynot forums. How to diagnose the cause of cracks in brick, concrete block and stone chimneys. Chimneys are often positioned in exposed areas of the roof, and crumbling can occur due to weathering even if other brickwork around your. Odd damp patches suddenly appeared singletrack magazine. Its an internal wall and there is a woodburner in the fireplace although not sure how often that was used by the previous owner. A chimney breast is a portion of a chimney which projects forward from a wall to accommodate a fireplace.
How do chimneys prevent rain and snow from getting in. Chimney breast definition is a part of a wall that extends out into a room to cover a chimney. Staining and damp patches have started to appear on your chimney breast never a good sign. Chimney removal costs explained from top to bottom hg. This is a shaped cover for the chimney pot that increases the efficiency of smoke removal from the pot and prevents birds from nesting in the chimney. Damp stains and hygroscopic salts on the inside of the chimney wall. Revealing the boardedover chimney breast happy and warm. Exposing a brick chimney under plaster walls weve sort of been all over the place with house repairs around the upstairs of our home lately weve been tackling a few plumbing issues, repairing wall damage in two rooms and even opened up the plaster wall in brandons room to expose the brick chimney hiding underneath. If any unused chimney breast is retained, it will need to be ventilated at both the top and bottom. Ive had identical damp patches on the chimney breast walls in two houses ive owned both victorian. Where this chimney breast extends through the upstairs bedroom it is soaking wet from the picture rail down about 3 feet.
Nov 12, 2011 ive had identical damp patches on the chimney breast walls in two houses ive owned both victorian. Chimney breast definition of chimney breast by merriam. If the fireplace is blocked up as well, this rainwater cant evaporate and will cause serious dampness. The following are some of the most common causes of chimney leaks. I need to get the walls painted and can use damp seal to proceed but will this wet areas eventually dry. Some signs include brown plaster staining on your chimney breast or you might have damp patches on your chimney breast that come and go. Reoccuring dampness nr chimney breast page 1 homes. I had the brickwork pointing checked fine, airbricks checked, chimney pots checked, etc, etc, and couldnt find the cause of the problem. If you notice damp on your chimney breast, you need to treat it as soon as possible. Hygroscopic damp caused by rain penetration through the chimney stack.
Below is the table of results, as there were many samples taken i have only shown the samples which were wet, all the others were dry. I think it is rain coming through as its happened both times after very heavy rain. There are two vents, both at skirting board level on 1st and ground floor. The most common causes of damp in your chimney breast are. The wet patch was easy to remove since the plaster was coming away anyway. Any moisture in an unventilated wall or chimney will interact with the soot remaining in the used chimney and can cause staining. Some leaking around chimney in attic not in house yet.
Odd damp patches suddenly appeared singletrack magazine forum. The damp stains on the chimney breast, is it salt damp or a leak. Chimney damp diagnosis is impossible to understand with just a damp meter. You can now see where the chimney breast used to be, the whole are where the chimney breast was is now damp, after the humidifiers were running for around 10 minutes. Damp stains on a chimney breast and adjacent ceiling it. Gas appliances output a lot of water vapor and if its not venting properly, it will condense inside and leak into your home. This wall is part of what was once the garage, and has since been converted into a dining room. Get a ladder and reseal the sheetmetal joint that goes around the chimney. On removing the wallpaper it felt wet and sticky and the wall is discoloured as you can see on the picture.
I was disappointed at this, realising that the original lime plaster had been removed from the whole chimney breast and the walls to either side. The rest of the chimney breast feels dry and seems fine so its just that patch. And more often than not, the culprit is the flashing the sheet metal that keeps the intersection between the chimney and roof watertight. Cracks in the chimney crown can occur from shifting of the. Why is there a damp patch and staining on my chimney breast. We all know that papering over the cracks is not a good solution to a problem. This short video explains how, and why you need to take plaster samples to find out exactly what is going on. Go to home depot and get some wet patch in the roofing department.
Check with the associate in that department for the best product for the enviornment that you live in. Damp breast page 1 homes, gardens and diy pistonheads. The damp stains on the chimney breast, is it salt damp or. Chimney jambs similarly project from the wall, but they do so on either side of the fireplace and serve to support the chimney breast. Hi, i have an end terraced property, which i was getting refurbished. It is not uncommon for brick chimneys to crumble with age. This flue has a different pot at the top 1 with a lid with round holes around the sidethe builders merchant described it as an elephants foot because of its shape. I live in the groundfloor flat in a victorian terraced house. We had a damp patch in a top corner of a room that backed on to the chimney breast. This sounds as though it might be a case of chimney damp, caused by the tars and salts from years of burning coal and wood, that leach into the brick flues and chimney breasts of older homes. I am hoping you can help me, i have a damp patch on my chimney breast just above the mantel piece thats getting bigger but in dry weather it seems to dry out but then come back when if it rains or is damp outside. I believe the council remedied this and it was something leaking on the chimney stack. If you have a woodburning or multifuel burning stove then there may be problems getting the brushes into the chimney from below.
How do chimneys prevent rain and snow from getting in fireplaces. Damp looking patches appeared on chimney breast walls. The wall that the damp patch is on is the adjoining wall between us and next door semidetached, and the patches are close to the ground, dont extend more. How to fix a crumbling brick chimney home guides sf gate. Weve just removed the wallpaper in the living room of our new flat and discovered damp at the top of the chimney breast. Inside the chimney breast is a flue which runs up the building and out through the chimney pot on the roof. It revealed a thick, 1 inch layer of cement over the bricks, coated by another thick layer of gypsum plaster. With a person stationed in the attic, or inside the house if the attic is inaccessible, watching the ceiling, run water from the hose down the roof along the lowest side of the chimney. The crown should have a downward slope which directs the water away from the flue edge. As the different types of damp all need different cures, there is no magic single cure for all damp.
The damp patch is just on the chimney breast, about half way up on the 1st floor. Wet patches on chimney breast diy doctor uk diy forums. Most people do not realise, that when they notice a damp problem, it could be any one of six different sorts of damp, or some combination of the six. The chimmney breast was removed on the end traced side till the loft.
Jun 23, 20 any builders can give me any advise as i have a few damp patches on my chimney breast in the back room. Begin correcting the problem by removing any leaves or debris from the void, and then scraping or chiseling the dried roofing cement off of the bricks so the. The wet patch is shaped like a sand timer, and is at eye level so not near the ceiling or at ground level. Damp stains on a chimney breast and adjacent ceiling it may be. Damp patches on internal chimney breast despite replaced slates, fixed flashing and repointed chimney stack. The damp stains on the chimney breast, is it salt damp or a. The method of application for treating chimney damp using the dryzone express replastering system is as follows. As the chimney pots are done i guess it must be the roof or could it be through the rendering on the chimney breast. Hi all, we have a damp chimney breast two large damp patches on the front, to.
I have just moved the bed away slightly as i think this could have been restricting the airflow slightly. Internal chimney breast damp patches help needed please by voltarei. There are a few possibilities that could be causing your damp patches. Salt contamination from concentrated flue gas salts which persist has caused this issue. Typical symptoms are damp patches, which may or may not be salty. Typically on the ground floor of a structure, the masonry extends upwards, containing a flue which carries smoke out of the building through a chimney stack. Nov 06, 2005 the damp patch is just on the chimney breast, about half way up on the 1st floor. Damp patches on the chimney breast, brown or yellow marks on the walls and ceilings surrounding the chimney often point to damage caused by a water leak or building faults such as inadequate guttering, missing roof tiles, poor flashing details and absorbent masonry. In this case, the sweep will have to clean from the rooftop end rather. A survey to bre digest 245, rising damp in walls diagnosis and treatment.
If your immediate options are limited, however, it is a reasonable. These damp patches can often worsen when the weather does. Wet patches on wall chimney breast removal property tribes. Different types of damp need different treatments so getting the type right is vital. My property is a 1940s semi detached ex council house which i bought 3 years ago. Apr 07, 2016 why is there a damp patch and staining on my chimney breast.
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