Chimney breast damp patches

Any builders can give me any advise as i have a few damp patches on my chimney breast in the back room. Higher up, approximately of picture hanging hight, there is a moisture spot in the centre of the chimney breast. This seems to hold water making everything damp and we did have damp on the inside of the chimney breast in an upstairs bedroom. Some signs include brown plaster staining on your chimney breast or you might have damp patches on your chimney breast that come and go. Where staining appears through a chimney breast it may be necessary to replaster.

If you have a large area you will need a larger size. Feb 18, 20 we bought our first house last year and after living in it for a few months since september i have noticed some strange damp spots on and around the chimney breast in the top bedroom. Damp patches, brown or yellow stains or marks on walls and ceilings around chimney breast. A picture in picture thermal image showing the dampness, note the holes are warm still from the drilling of the mortar samples. There are various patches which i think are down to various reasons. Table, style of charles ixhenry ii after rouyer panel of cupboard by sambin. How to evaluate the importance of cracks in masonry chimneys. By patches i mean like grease marks on the chimney breast walls, i freshly painted my bedroom in a good quality magnolia emulsion and now these marks. We often see and hear about homes with yellowy brown damp patches at the top of chimney breasts. Typical symptoms are damp patches, which may or may not be salty. I have had a problem with damp patches appearing around my ground floor chimney breast and i would have though i first noticed an issue around 2 years ago. A survey to bre digest 245, rising damp in walls diagnosis and treatment. We all know that papering over the cracks is not a good solution to a problem.

How to fix a damp chimney breast damp chimney breast. Damp stains on a chimney breast and adjacent ceiling it may. Chimney breast damp what causes stains and damp patches and. Symptom damp patches on or around chimney breasts sometimes showing yellow or brown stains in wallpaper or paint you have hygroscopic chimney salts that are attracting moisture from the air, which may include tars and other chemicals from burning wood or coal. How to fix chimney breast plaster damp and salts problems. The flashings on the roof and chimney have been replaced.

We had the external chimney removed and the gap in the roof tiledover. Chimney breast damp what causes stains and damp patches. However, we are still getting damp coming through on the chimney breast wall in patches. If you are seeing evidence of damp in an unused chimney breast and there are no signs of leaks, it is likely due to lack of ventilation. Readings from between 24% wme to 54% wme were taken across the damp stains, the rest of the breast just gave the readings you would expect from a dry wall. Chimneys in old houses why they are wet and what to do youtube. One of the reasons its best to call a professional chimney technician if you notice that your chimney is damp is because the cause can be difficult to identify. Remove chimney breast from floor to around 1 metre above ceiling height. Find out the source of the problem and make repairs to prevent further water ingress. If you notice damp on your chimney breast, you need to treat it as soon as possible. Damp looking patches appeared on chimney breast walls.

A beautiful 1850s semi a history of chimney damp spots. First port of call would be to have a roofer call by and check whether your leadwork is all intact and performing its proper function, on older homes in particular the back gutter bit where roof meets chimney can be perforated by a slipped tile or slate. Support the chimney breast in the loft by securing gallows brackets under the chimney. Why is there a damp patch and staining on my chimney breast. Assuming the damp is on the chimney breast itself, i am still favouring something being left in the chimney andor it being damp from before the stack was reduced. This is after, you can see the hygroscopic salts on the chimney breast now damp looking patch at the top of the chimney breast, also notice the vertical profile up the wall, following bre digest 245. We get called to a number of properties each year where damp has penetrated a chimney breast wall, a stove is rusting or damp patches are developing on the ceilingwalls next to a chimney. It may that the damp is showing on one side only of the chimney breast and this may be a failing in the flashings but until the flashings are closely inspected, renewed or adjusted it will not be clear if this is the only source of damp. Damp meter measuring wet the wall is soaked with salts from chimney stack dark patches are salts and very conductive. One of the most common causes of damp on internal walls is condensation. Salts from many years of fires burning constantly, have contaminated the wall, and attract moisture from the air into their crystal structure. My guess is that the problem is inefficient ventilation where the fireplaces have been blocked up.

Damp patches how to stop damp patches on internal walls. Additional damp patches and flaking paint might become more obvious. Salt contamination from concentrated flue gas salts which persist has caused this issue. Damp patches on walls, ceilings, and chimney breasts below usually evident as brown staining are signs of a leak around the chimney stack. We regularly get questions here at permagard about whats causing damp patches around a. Damp stains on a chimney breast and adjacent ceiling it may be salts. Hygroscopic damp caused by rain penetration through the chimney stack. This is due to the fact that most chimney breasts are heavily contaminated with moistureattracting hygroscopic salts that have accumulated in the chimney structure due to the burning of coal and wood over many decades. Due to the combination of a suspected cold spot, impermeable layers applied in an attempt to solve the original symptoms, the wallpaper on top is holding onto the moisture that is concentrating in that specific.

As chimney stacks are open to the elements, they are particularly vulnerable to an assortment of damp problems, including condensation and salt contamination. Symptom damp patches on or around chimney breasts sometimes showing yellow or brown stains in wallpaper or paint you have hygroscopic chimney salts that are attracting moisture from the air, which may include tars and other chemicals from burning wood or coal answer these salts are very difficult to hold back in the wall, even with the replastering to our specification carried. Again you can clearly see the damp patch where the old chimney was. Dont let santa get damp dealing with a damp chimney damp. When wiping it down though to remove any dust i have noticed a clear patch that still seems wet compared to the rest. Nov 27, 2017 a video discussing why the damp patches are there on your internal wall where the fireplace opening used to be and offering a quick guide on how to do a diy level cheap solution to help solve the. There may be damp patches on the chimney breast or the ceiling above it, or possibly the walls around it. With chimney stacks open to the elements, defects like damp can occur in chimneys that are used or redundant. A video discussing why the damp patches are there on your internal wall where the fireplace opening used to be and offering a quick guide on.

In the below picture you can see the damp patch stain on the chimney breast and the adjacent wall. Additional damp patches and flaking paint might become more obvious during poor weather conditions such as rain. The foxes always take care of the eggs, but every year there is a massive nest i have to go and clear off. Sometimes a number of different repairs need affecting to solve the damp.

A damp chimney will have moisture situated only around the fireplace and chimney breast. Victorian houses sometimes had flashings made from cheaper zinc or. The most common causes of damp in your chimney breast are. Damp sam walks round this property that alldry are working on and explains about hygroscopic salts on chimney breasts and why you need to. The main reasons for dampness occuring on chimney breasts is down to the following. A damp chimney is an indication that something is wrong, but the fact that damage is occurring is often far from obvious. Home damp damp stains on a chimney breast and adjacent ceiling it may be salts. This is an internal wall and the construction is single skin brick. Damp stains and hygroscopic salts on the inside of the chimney wall. Sep 03, 2018 about 3 years ago we had a damp problem with a chimney breast upstairs. It is not at the bottom near the floor boards but about a quarter of the way up the wall. The half of the chimney breast corresponding to the flue for the bedroom itself is dry. How to diagnose the cause of cracks in brick, concrete block and stone chimneys. When i first moved into this little cottage it was summer and warm and sunny, as winter has approached and the rain and damp increased patches have started to appear on the chimney breasts.

These damp patches can often worsen when the weather does. Damp patch on chimney breast in bedroom diynot forums. Damp proof without the need for serious reconstruction. We bought our first house last year and after living in it for a few months since september i have noticed some strange damp spots on and around the chimney breast in the top bedroom. Damp proof course have a look to see if your chimney breast has a damp. How to deal with damp patches on an internal wall around a. A history of ornament pdf free download alldokument. Chimney removal cost guide prices updated for 2019. By patches i mean like grease marks on the chimney breast walls, i freshly painted my bedroom in a good quality magnolia emulsion and now these marks have appeared and the walls feel damp, no black mould as yet as i ventilate the cottage regularly by opening the windows and doors and have the heating on in the evenings these marks remind of. After painting it and that damp patch coming and going, i did lots of research and found it was hygroscopic salts, the damp patch tastes salty too, i licked the wall hee hee. 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. What i think might be damp on plasterwet chimney breast. Last year i had a chimney stack taken down several layers as it was unsafe and above my childs bedroom.

This could be due to moisture and sulphates combining to form weak acids that attack lime, mortar joints and brickwork. Weve just removed the wallpaper in the living room of our new flat and discovered damp at the top of the chimney breast. Hi there, there are a few possibilities that could be causing your damp patches. When it rains heavily damp patches appear at the top of the wall and on the part of the ceiling nearest the chimney breast. As such, your approach to fixing the damp in your chimney will vary depending on the specific cause. The rest of the chimney breast feels dry and seems fine so its just that patch. The most likely cause of this kind of damp patch or stain is hygroscopic salts in the flue along with creosote and tar. 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. At this point its tempting to call for a further investigation and move on. Wet patches on wall chimney breast removal property tribes. The condensation will sit on the internal wall, and create damp patches all over it. Visual signs of chimney breast damp and how to repair them. I need to get the walls painted and can use damp seal to proceed but will this wet areas eventually dry. 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.

A very common problem here in northern ireland is a damp chimney breast. A picture in picture thermal image showing the dampness, note the holes are. Ensure the wall has been allowed to dry out fully before applying plaster. Weve had a brand new roof, guttering, chimney swept and work done to seal holes on the upper section of the chimney. 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. First port of call would be to have a roofer call by and check whether your leadwork is all intact and performing its proper function, on older homes in particular the back gutter bit where roof meets chimney can be perforated. First port of call would be to have a roofer call by and check whether your. Damp patches and brown water stains on upstairs ceilings, chimney breasts and internal walls are commonly the result of leaks around the edges of chimney stacks where they meet the roof. Damp patches always causes concern for home buyers because we dont usually know where it is coming from. They had theirs removed when they converted the corresponding room in their house to a bathroom. A guide on why chimneys get damp and stay damp, with details on salt contamination, causes and repair methods. Find out what causes damp patches including issues such as cracked mortar, roof tiles, damaged guttering or lead flashing and find out how to fix them once and for all. Showing up as damp patches on the chimney breast wall. The warm moist air coos down, and condenses back into water.

This is after, you can see the hygroscopic salts on the chimney breast now damp looking patch at the top of the chimney breast, also notice the vertical profile up the wall, bre digest 245. The signs of chimney damp can be similar to the signs of regular damp, except they all occur around your fireplace or chimney. Dampness in chimneys is a common problem and quite often many attempts at solving the problem fail due to misdiagnosis of the cause andor incorrect treatments being used. Rising dampness this will be on the ground floor skirting board level and is ground water coming up through the brickwork. A catalog of types and causes of cracks in masonry chimneys, cracks and spits in brick chimney sides what is their cause, significance, danger. Make good the walls in the home with new blocks, plasterboard, skirting boards etc as required. Selling house will repairing damp course add value. Party wall damp ingress make text bigger i own a 1900s end terraced house that had some damp water ingress via the defective chimney stack on the gable end, the chimney stack has been removed as the water was travelling down the gable wall and showing as damp on the internal wall and chimney breast its a solid wall, not cavity, this. There are two vents, both at skirting board level on 1st and ground floor. Rising marks along with yellow or brown stains on the walls are a good indicator that theres a leak. Weve got a damp patch all across the top of the chimney breast upstairs and wet joist in roof space on the chimney, looking for someone to have a look and fix the problem, maybe its the chimney leadingpointing. Different types of damp need different treatments so getting the type right is vital.

On our flat roof for the dormer, right next to the chimney, seagulls build huge nests. Damp breast page 1 homes, gardens and diy pistonheads. We noticed a damp patch on the chimney breast and just assumed it was the plaster taking time to dry out. The damp stains on the chimney breast, is it salt damp or. The main issue is at the top where the bedroom wall meets the ceiling, this morning it was actually dropping and you could see the moisture. 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. The damp wall in question was visibly very damp, it felt wet and it was cold to the touch. The patches on the wall are darker than the surrounding. Chimney breast still damp 3 years after external chimney. You might also see staining or discolouration in these areas. Many signs of a damp chimney look identical to a regular leak in the roof or wall. The average cost of replacing leadwork or lead flashings on a mediumsized chimney is. Chimneys cause damp walls,not rising damp thats a fact. Damp stains on a chimney breast and adjacent ceiling it may be.

Damp stains on a chimney breast and adjacent ceiling it. As the different types of damp all need different cures, there is no magic single cure for all damp. When a chimney is sealed up, airflow becomes restricted, which can lead to condensation forming. 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 than a meter or so up the wall. The removed chimney was heavy duty blocks and the roofers said they were saturated. Reoccuring dampness nr chimney breast page 1 homes. The damp is apparent across only the half of the chimney breast which corresponds to the flue serving the downstairs room below the beadroom. I would check the damp coarse, make sure any airbrick are clear if you have any also check to see that the outside alley way pavement is about 62 bricks below the damp. Causes and implications over time, persistent dampness can result in fungal decay developing in adjacent roof timbers, and can also cause ceilings to bow and eventually collapse. Im finding that the number of enquiries relating to damp stains on chimneys is on the up.

Condensation problems are usually dealt with by increasing ventilation through the chimney e. With windows open and a fan on the smell dissipated in four hours. Building surveys ni posted on 17th september 2016 posted in buildingsurveysni no comments v damp chimney breast. Feb 09, 2009 q at my mothers bungalow she has a damp patch over the chimney breast. On removing the wallpaper it felt wet and sticky and the wall is discoloured as you can see on the picture. The sudden appearance of a damp patch that often looks like a brown stain on the inside of an exterior wall, in the upper corners of a room, on a ceiling or near a chimney breast. I believe the stack was blocked off with a paving slab and mortar. There are a few possibilities that could be causing your damp patches. The damp patch is just on the chimney breast, about half way up on the 1st floor. The house is 1902 terrace and the bedroom with damp patched is on the top3rd floor. Since this change we started noticing damp patches either side of the chimney breast on the internal walls in the upper landing. Daly panel from wainscot, gallery of francis i, montainebleau after photo a francis i chair after good furniture doorway at clermontferrand after r. The damp stains on the chimney breast, is it salt damp or a. Not only unsightly and worrying it is usually indicative of issues related to the chimney stack.

Problems range from the simple such as a lack of cowl or adequate ventilation to more complex roofing issues and with a host of other causes in between. The damp stain either side of the chimney breast in the living room continued to about 80cm up the wall. I have just moved the bed away slightly as i think this could have been restricting the airflow slightly. Im no expert with damp but to the right of the larger damp patch there are 2 more rising from the to of the skirting board. In actual fact the wall is bone dry the pattern of damp patches is salts from the enormous chimney stack, with flues running up the wall behind the dark patches. Damp patch at top of chimney breast leadingpointing. There arguably should be some ventilation in the chimney and an airbrick or equivalent should have been left in each fireplace when they were sealed up. Damp chimney breasts secondary chimney damp even when the underlying source of dampness has been dealt with, damp patches on chimney breasts can be very persistent. Damp patches on walls and ceilings near your chimney breast are signs of a leak around the stack. 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. The different causes of damp patches, condensation and damp patches on internal walls and how to stop damp forming on your walls once and for all. 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. Always treat the cause of any damp problems, not the symptoms. The damp stains on the chimney breast, is it salt damp or a leak.

What happens is that condensation forms when warm moist air within a room touches a cold internal wall or surface. Nov 06, 2005 assuming the damp is on the chimney breast itself, i am still favouring something being left in the chimney andor it being damp from before the stack was reduced. In the section below you will find a description of a variety of visual ways that damp around a chimney breast can manifest itself and how each of these can be diagnosed and fixed. These are patches of damp on, what appears to be a chimney breast. Staining and damp patches have started to appear on your chimney breast never a good sign. First port of call would be to have a roofer call by and check whether your leadwork is all intact and performing its proper function, on older homes in particular the back gutter bit where roof meets chimney. Dont let santa get damp dealing with a damp chimney. The damp patches on the walls have been treated with this damp seal and unlike the last four times of painting it hasnt yet reappeared. 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. One 500ml can was just enough to complete the bottom of the chimney breast. Chimney breast damp the original plasterers forum the. Another damp house with paint peeling off the walls, and how to cure it.