Chimney & Fireplace

Wet patches internally on upstairs & downstairs chimney breast

Anonymous user 23/02/2024 - 2.59 PM

Hello - I have round damp patches on chimney breast in bedroom - under coving to right hand side and on the short return wall. Same place/shape each time we get heavy rain. Airbrick in skirting board. Room directly under has very large round wet patches with many long drip stains in middle of chimney breast and some patch/long drip stain from coving height on short return wall too (right hand side). These patches 'shine' in the wallpaper, even when, apparently, not wet. Fireplace tiled up, with two ventilation holes drilled in middle of tiles. Other half of house using other half of this flue has no damp at all even though identical tiled up ground floor fireplace. Upstairs room has fake fireplace, but gaps around this - ventilation. Chimney pots are capped with clay cowls that have rows of ventilation holes going all round. These sit inside the chimney pot. When lifted out there are wet drip stains going down the chimney - presumably rain is getting in through the small gap between cowl and chimney. Could such small amounts of rain be causing significant wet patches further down? No evidence of damp in loft chimney brickwork. Pointing on chimney seems ok. Would be grateful for any advice - thank you. Caroline