DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

I'm a complete DIY newbie, and want to install a couple of air vent bricks, indoors, to a damp chimney breast area. Any advice/tips at all please?!

What I've gathered so far is -

I'll need an SDS drill, with an 8mm? masonry bit.
Drill holes in to the mortar around the (imperial sized) brick.
Plus I'll need a chisel blade too, to finish off the mortar removal.
The brick should be OK to remove at this point.

For the cement, I need lime and mortar.
I'll need a masonry trowl.

The chimney breast has wallpaper on it, so do I just simply "prod about" with a drill there, in order to try and find some mortar around a brick? I have no idea.

Thanks a lot for any thoughts! They would be really appreciated!

Mat: Smoke pellets, easy plaster, trowel a rectangular laying on trowel for plastering, Box matches. Hire the drill or if you have a mains drill purchase a 25mm masonry bitbit with a turned shank that fits your drill chuck.

So you are just installing a vent without knowing if the pot on top of the chimney as been sealed off. If not drill around six 25mm holes 50mm above floor level around centre of blocked up fireplace. test for up draught using smoke pellets in case the old fireplace throat has been closed up. Poke a lit pellet into one of the holes drilled and if smoke is taken away up the flue then you have a clear flue. Just cover the holes with a none closing internal plastic vent, veins down, job done eventually the flue will dry with air circulation but you will have to re-paper the chimney breast also take off the stained plaster and replaster wait a month before papering allow plaster to thoroughly dry then seal the whole area to be papered with paper hanging mix let it dry then paper. Doing this prevents plaster sucking past/moiisture from sheet of paper and also allows it to be mover about.

Thanks!! I really appreciate your advice. I had some questions please -

1. I've been thinking about the drill a bit more since I posted my message. How about a core drill instead? I can rent one with a 30mm diamond cutter bit. They'd be no redectorating, and no "prodding about" to try and find where a brick is.

2. Regarding the drilled holes. Is it OK that I don't "line them" with plastic "duct tubes"? (I could find for instance 30mm tubes on ebay.)

3. The smoke pellet idea is great. If I light it, and the smoke isn't taken away, then would I have to rethink my plans?

4. What about carbon monoxide? Is that an issue that I need to be aware of?

5. (BTW, the chimney is capped, and not in use. There is one airbrick on the outside of the building.)

6. Silly question, but regarding the vent covers, do I need to worry about mice and insects?

7. Regarding the positioning of the holes. I thought that warm dry air rises, and cold heavier moisture laden air sinks. Therefore, would the holes be best positioned just below ceiling height, to "catch" this warm dry(ing) air?

Thanks for ANY comments at all - it's all very useful and helpful to me, as I've never done DIY before in my life.