Chimney Breast Damp Damp can be a major issue in the home. Find answers to questions or post your own here.

[manu9579]

Right here's the whole story
Wall paper on chimney breast starting to peel off at the top edge. Had a decorator in doing other work. Asked him to look at it. Said issue with damp get specialist to come and look. Got damp specialist to come and look. Used moisture measuring thngy and said chimney breast damp about 3/4th of the way down starting from top. Will need to find source of leak, most probably flashing around chimney. Said to get a roofer to come in and look at it. Also said that internal repairs would involve stripping the plaster off the wall (external brick wall with plaster directly on brick) and putting on new plaster. Adviced not to put plaster directly onto brick wall.
My question
- I assume the brick itself is wet. Does something need to be done about it before re-plastering?
- Is any of this claimable on home insurance? (surveyor said it was probably caused by the heavy winter we had this year and said he would put it in report. When I got the report, it says no such thing. Talks about dry rot and timber and stuff. Where do timbers come into this? Looks like a standard report template that they use.)

[collectors]

Solve to incoming of the water 1st by renew flashing if needed & a cowl on the top of the chimney. If its just a chimney that has been blocked off? it is quite common to of had nesting material fall down the chimney & sit on the chimneys ledge which is quite often about 1/2 to 3/4's of the way up the rooms breast. Also if it has been blocked off, make sure there is an air vent fitted.