Damp Proofing

Water coming through the chimney breast, not sure how its getting in/how to fix it

Anonymous user 28/02/2024 - 3.58 PM

I bought a house at the end of summer, and over the autumn and winter a fairly significant amount of damp/water has been appearing on the chimney breast downstairs. I initially thought it may be an issue with the pointing on the chimney, so I had this fixed. This hasn't sorted the issue, and even having a dehumidifier on all day everyday isn't helping. The damp does get lighter every now and then, and seems to get worse with the rain. An initial look at the render outside, it doesn't seem like there's any obvious area the water could be getting in. The house is an end terrace from roughly 1910, and has an old render on the outside. The render looks a little old and weathered in some areas (but not on the gable end where the chimney shares a wall). Firstly I would like to know if anyone has any idea how the water could be getting in? If I put up insulation boards (other walls already have it on when I bought it), would that be fine as a temporary measure for a couple of years? I don't have much money, so the concept of having to re-render the house is scary! Thank you!