Damp help for a blondie!!

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Lancashire
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Hi, I had white stuff coming through the walls on the chimney breast and a builder knocked off the plaster and replaced it with some waterproof sand and cement. Since then the plaster he has done is pushing off the wal and there is a big crack it looks like everything he put on is gonna fall off. I also have fungi growing on the wall in the corner. I have water run marks down the wall and can hear the rain upstairs falling down the chimney. I had a damp guy out today and he found damp all over the room he wants to pull off 1m of plaster and inject - the usual. Do you think I could have rising damp or should get the chimney checked out. Which tradesman should I ring to do that?
 
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if it is all over the room it might be condensation, unless you live in a basement.

If it is on the chimenybreast it might be condensation

For a start, check that the chimney is ventilated top and bottom.

God ventilation will always redce damo. whatever the source.

Tightly tape a piece of clear plastic to a damp wall and see if it forms beads of water on the wall side or the room side

then read

//www.diynot.com/wiki/building:condensation_in_houses
 
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Mmm no ventilation at the bottom not sure about the top. I'm pretty sure its raining in down the chimney too - can hear it!
 
I think that they will provide you with a quote to treat the symptoms - but not the cause.

If your chimney needs ventilating then get some quotes from a builder to put some ventilation into the top and bottom of the chimney.

One good treatment for damp and lack of ventilation in chimneys is to install a solid fuel fireplace and open the flue up completely ;) !
 
sherbolton said:
Mmm no ventilation at the bottom not sure about the top. I'm pretty sure its raining in down the chimney too - can hear it!
Almost certainly there's your problem; vent the bottom & cap the top!
 
Hi

I had a very similar problem a few years back
took about six guys to look at it and they all gave different reasons for the damp walls.

chances are any rain that came down the chimney would not make the wall damp providing the chimney was vented.

my dampness turned out to be the lead work around the chimney which has split and caused damp in the wall. i have a 9'' solid wall and all the plaster inside and the render the house needed to be replaced.

I first thought it was the lead work but the guy who can first to look said i had soaker tiles and the what lead was there was fine!! although he did re-render the chimney as some render was loose!

problems continued 2 guy vented in the room, 3 guy vented in the loft

4th guy said it was condensation

5th guy said start from the top, replaced all lead work. walls started to dry out, but by this time plaster and render had blown.

6th rendered and re-plastered.


If you are hearing the rain, this could be in the from the gutter, I would go in the loft when it rains and check where the wall meets the chimney if you can see it, could be the sides of the chimney either lead gone or fillet (think thats what they call it)

There was something on TV a few months ago about a machine which can anaylise a scrapping of plaster and confirm if the mosture is rain water or condensation, in this program a guy called from the council with the machine, could be worth checking with the council.

my option get several guys around and get quotes, mine varied by considerable amounts and some quotes were in the £1000s!! and that was just the lead work

good luck
 

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