Hi all,
I've just bought a 1950s semi which is built from concrete blocks (not mundic I hasten to add!) and I started stripping the wallpaper last week. When doing the living room I took the wallpaper off from around the fireplace and revealed a crack running down the left side of the chimney breast, between the wall and where the chimney breast joins. It is pretty deep and I can see there is a bit of a draught coming through (!). The crack itself is approx 5-10mm wide.
I've done some googling but can't find any info about what might have caused it. The fireplace has been blocked off and currently has a gas fire installed (with a gas cowl on the chimney stack) and I can't see any signs of damp; nor are there any upstairs or up in the loft. There has been some (fairly shonky) repair work done to the chimney in the loft but I have no idea if the flue itself is lined or suchlike.
There is a small amount of cracking to the top of the wall/chimney breast on the right-hand side, but it is nowhere near as bad as on the left.
Here are some pics so you can see the extent of it. I am concerned mainly due to it being a gas fire and therefore there being the possibility of CO escape.
Any suggestions or ideas gratefully received! Or even who I should contact about this (specialist builder/chimney expert). Many thanks.
I've just bought a 1950s semi which is built from concrete blocks (not mundic I hasten to add!) and I started stripping the wallpaper last week. When doing the living room I took the wallpaper off from around the fireplace and revealed a crack running down the left side of the chimney breast, between the wall and where the chimney breast joins. It is pretty deep and I can see there is a bit of a draught coming through (!). The crack itself is approx 5-10mm wide.
I've done some googling but can't find any info about what might have caused it. The fireplace has been blocked off and currently has a gas fire installed (with a gas cowl on the chimney stack) and I can't see any signs of damp; nor are there any upstairs or up in the loft. There has been some (fairly shonky) repair work done to the chimney in the loft but I have no idea if the flue itself is lined or suchlike.
There is a small amount of cracking to the top of the wall/chimney breast on the right-hand side, but it is nowhere near as bad as on the left.
Here are some pics so you can see the extent of it. I am concerned mainly due to it being a gas fire and therefore there being the possibility of CO escape.
Any suggestions or ideas gratefully received! Or even who I should contact about this (specialist builder/chimney expert). Many thanks.
