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Damp Proofing

Chimney stack - damp patches above alcove where fire would have been that’s now blocked off

Anonymous user 23/02/2024 - 3.33 PM

Hi, we bought a new house two weeks ago, which when we picked up the keys we found there were damp patches on one of the chimney stacks. Due to lockdown, we last saw this property in early March and were unable to view again until we completed. The damp patches were not brought up in the survey either which was completed in February. There are two round patches above the alcove that’s are wet, we re-painted two weeks ago which we knew would only temporarily cover them and they have re-appeared last night after the first bit of rainfall we have had since we moved in. Could this be coincidence, or could it be linked to the rain? The spots are very wet to touch, it comes off on my hand and leaves fingerprints on it if i touch it, almost like grease marks. There is no vent on the ground floor I can see on the chimney stack, unless it is under the floorboards and not sure what caps are on the chimney so thinking these are the first two things to investigate? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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2 Answers

Promptfix Plastering and Building Services

Rating: 4.9 out of 5

Belfast

You need your chimney looked at you may need any pots capped as rain sounds like the problem or you may need to replace the lead flashings and maybe some repointing and it's highly unlikely a vent would be fitted underfloor boards

Answered4 July 2020

Dovedale Dampcure Services Ltd

Rating: 4.9 out of 5

Hull

Nothing wrong with chimney or flashing. I’ve dealt with this many times and can tell you that you have an issue with condensation. You may have experience of a damp or musty smell in the property at times or other areas where black mould can be seen. It isn’t a coincidence that it is more prevalent when the weather is inclement: when it rains there is a massive increasing humidity and this can make the problem seem worse at this time. Ventilation is the key to this issue and you ought to look into a PIV unit fitted in the loft space to alleviate the whole problem.

Answered29 July 2020