Internal Damp

[jrb]

Looking for some advice please. :-) (again)

Apologies for the long post.

As you can see from the pictures I've got internal rising damp on my living wall and on the hallway wall.

It's been like that for 2 years, but it's got worse over the winter months.

As the days are now getting longer and the weather is improving, I want to get this sorted once and fall all.

A couple of years ago a friend of mine who is a builder got one of his lads to cap the chimneys. As I've not been on to the roof I don't know what kind of job the lad did and whether he capped the chimneys properly or not?

As you can see from the pictures the chimney forms part of the wall. See the vent. Previously the paint had been flaking in 3 main areas, on the hall way wall around the socket, on the right corner side of the wall in the living room, on the left corner side of the wall next to the socket, as well as small areas along the skirting board. I've repainted those areas numerous times only for paint to started flaking off again. Of late the paint hasn't been flaking of the hallway wall or on the right side of the living room wall, but the plaster looks shot on both walls. The left hand side of the wall is a different matter altogether, the damp and flaking paint has got worse on that side of the wall.

Looking at it like this. The chimney may not have been been capped properly and the rain is still coming down the chimneyt? How easy is it to cap a chimney? Or there is something wrong along the base of that internal wall where damp and moisture are coming in and rising up along the wall?

I'm either going to have to get the chimney checked to see if it has been capped properly, and if it has, then what? Or I'm going to have to take skirting board off along the wall to see what's going on along the base of the wall. Doing that would damaged the plaster. Which would you do first?

What's the best thing to do so I can get this sorted once and for all?

Thanks.

Hallway wall.

Right side living room wall.

Chimney and vent section of the wall where a gas fire used to be, with the hole boarded up and plastered.

Left side of the living wall.

Along the wall and skirting board.

All the living room wall.

 

[Corky]

DPC

 

[jrb]

DPC

That has crossed my mind. But wouldn't it be best to check the chimney first and to look along the wall to try and find out where the damp is coming from? When the gas fire was there there was never any damp. The damp only started when the gas fire was removed and the hole was boarded up and plastered. I don't want to go down the road of an expensive DPC if it isn't needed to fix the problem, hence why I need some advice before deciding what to do. Thanks.

 

[tweety]

By capping the chimney you've removed the ability of the house to breathe.

 

[BimboBob]

I loved Leonard Rossiter.

 

[Corky]

That has crossed my mind. But wouldn't it be best to check the chimney first and to look along the wall to try and find out where the damp is coming from? When the gas fire was there there was never any damp. The damp only started when the gas fire was removed and the hole was boarded up and plastered. I don't want to go down the road of an expensive DPC if it isn't needed to fix the problem, hence why I need some advice before deciding what to do. Thanks.

Sorry if it is rising damp it is what says, if it isn't it could be penetrating damp. Unlikely it is condensation from the pics.

You need a surveyor to be honest. See if these can help https://careandrepair-manchester.org.uk/

 

[Tuearts right boot]

Sorry if it is rising damp it is what says, if it isn't it could be penetrating damp. Unlikely it is condensation from the pics.

You need a surveyor to be honest. See if these can help https://careandrepair-manchester.org.uk/

I used to really like penetrating dampness.

 

[meeesh]

I used to really like penetrating dampness.

Bluemoon never fails.......ever

 

[Tuearts right boot]

Bluemoon never fails.......ever

My pleasure, dont mention it.

 

[comiskey33]

Check the leading around your chimney, worth checking first

 

[ganganvince]

Try these we had internal damp worked for us apparently they have pretty much replaced injection DPC.

Dryrod Damp-Proofing Rods | Dryrod DPC Rods

Dryrod Damp-Proofing Rods provide a higher level of performance and quicker installation than damp-proofing cream.

www.safeguardeurope.com

 

[jrb]

By capping the chimney you've removed the ability of the house to breathe.

Apparently there's nothing wrong with capping the chimney if the chimney is no longer in use. Just Googled it. Capping a chimney stops the right from falling down into the chimney. The chimney still has to be vented, so he should have used a vented chimney cap/cowl. My neighbour has a drone, so I'm going to ask him to have a look at how the chimney has been capped. If the chimney cap looks ok I'll take the skirting board off as it's slightly rotten in places and the plaster is coming away anyway. Once the skirting board is off I can then get somebody in to have a look at the damp, including the chimney space, which is behind a wooden board, which has been plastered.

 

[Resurrection Joe...]

Apparently there's nothing wrong with capping the chimney if the chimney is no longer in use. Just Googled it. Capping a chimney stops the right from falling down into the chimney. The chimney still has to be vented, so he should have used a vented chimney cap/cowl. My neighbour has a drone, so I'm going to ask him to have a look at how the chimney has been capped. If the chimney cap looks ok I'll take the skirting board off as it's slightly rotten in places and the plaster is coming away anyway. Once the skirting board is off I can then get somebody in to have a look at the damp, including the chimney space, which is behind a wooden board, which has been plastered.

chimney is only as good as its flashing to the roof. If its not in use, better to have the stack taken off above roof height.

 

[jrb]

chimney is only as good as its flashing to the roof. If its not in use, better to have the stack taken off above roof height.

Thanks.

I'll start will the least expensive option first, a replaster and a piece of new skirting board. If that doesn't show up anything I'll get somebody to inspect the chimney and the flashing. Hopefully i can find somebody honest and I don't get ripped off for work that doesn't need doing. It's impossible to know if work really needs doing or not unless I go up on the roof myself, which I can't do.

 

[tweety]

Apparently there's nothing wrong with capping the chimney if the chimney is no longer in use. Just Googled it. Capping a chimney stops the right from falling down into the chimney. The chimney still has to be vented, so he should have used a vented chimney cap/cowl. My neighbour has a drone, so I'm going to ask him to have a look at how the chimney has been capped. If the chimney cap looks ok I'll take the skirting board off as it's slightly rotten in places and the plaster is coming away anyway. Once the skirting board is off I can then get somebody in to have a look at the damp, including the chimney space, which is behind a wooden board, which has been plastered.

Right thing to do. Invariably internal damp is due to lack of ventilation.

 

[Blue Mist]

OP. I have a problem with internal damp as well.
I use Tena for men.

Here to help.
Happy to help.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

OP. I have a problem with internal damp as well.
I use Tena for men.

Here to help.
Happy to help.

That’s descending damp though.

 

[Protein Junkie]

I used to really like penetrating dampness.

:-) lmfao -afternoon Snorky.

 

[jrb]

Right thing to do. Invariably internal damp is due to lack of ventilation.

Just on that point. Why isn't the open vent in the wall creating enough ventilation? Or could that be the reason for the damp, as the vent is always open, and the living room pretty much hasn't been heated this winter?

 

[KS55]

By capping the chimney you've removed the ability of the house to breathe.

Not if it’s a proper cowl. I had damp from a chimney after the fire was removed. A cowl did the trick, stopped rain coming in but preserved breathing. A flattish pot with vents round the vertical edges.