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Chimney Problems in Bungalow with Rain Seeping in

Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2015 6:09 pm
by sjm83
Hi there,

We have an issue with a chimney which although originally part of the house the design of it means the stack looks like an addon..The house is a bungalow with a loft conversion and the stack stands a good 6ft proud of the roofline.
whenever it rains it is seeping into the lounge where the wall meets the ceiling and only in the area where the chimney would be.
the chimney is capped and not in use as there is an electric fire in place.
we have had 3 builders out who have all carried out works including replacing tiles and replacing lead flashings where the stack meets the roofline.
now when i say seeping, this has been going on for over a year and it has destroyed the plaster on the interior wall and it is strange as it does not spread just stays in the area of the chimney, when it rains heavy you can actually see the wall shiny with the damp but no actual water droplets are present but like i say it has totally ruined the wall inside.

After 3 builders all saying it is "fixed" i am totally lost, today we have had another guy out to look and he has said the bricks are leaking and he wants to take the whole chimney down and rebrick the side of the lounge where it would leave a hole.... Does this sound legit or a massive job?? or any ideas from any professionals!? we have had 3 completed jobs on it one of whom was an "expert roofer"

any hints greatly appreciated!

Re: Chimney Problems in Bungalow with Rain Seeping in

Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2015 9:11 am
by thedoctor
If all joint are sealed with good mortar, well lapped tiles and good flashing the only thing left is the porosity of the bricks themselves and if the chimney is not used any more there is no smoke-heat to dry the bricks through evapouration. The rain simply soaks into the bricks and gravity does the rest. The stack can be waterproofed in a number of ways including rendering but our favourite is the Thompsons waterproofer which simply paints on https://www.diydoctor.org.uk/DIY-superst ... litre.html

If you fancy going down the rendering route then this stuff needs to be ixed with your render https://www.diydoctor.org.uk/DIY-superst ... litre.html

You can see hoe to render yourself on this page https://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/re ... -walls.htm