Damp.........

alisonrose3764alisonrose3764 Posts: 1,493
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Hi - I wonder if anyone can help.
I have a top floor flat - I moved in and had it painted - this showed up huge damp patches on the chimney breast and acutally inside the chimney which has just been painted I had a round damp patch which was wet to touch and a little oily looking - the chimney was sealed off - so I had an air vent put in the chimney, dampsealed everything and had it repainted.
Also had a roofer in who repaired the pargins around the existing chimney.
Today I have just noticed the round oily stain is back, slightly wet to touch - painful - does anyone have an idea what this could be.
The roofer had a look at the outter wall while he was working and said he did not see any issues with the brickwork so I don't think its an external leak in the wall or anything.
Sorry to rattle on - any ideas?

Comments

  • bmillambmillam Posts: 6,065
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    the air vent ? is it in your room or outside. if its in your room its condensation inside the chimney. and the oily substance will be from the soot.

    pargins ? is that roof tiles put upright. if it is you might be much better off with lead flushing.
  • alisonrose3764alisonrose3764 Posts: 1,493
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    bmillam wrote: »
    the air vent ? is it in your room or outside. if its in your room its condensation inside the chimney. and the oily substance will be from the soot.

    hi - the air vent is actually in the chimney - i think the people before me just had it closed off - literally with just a slab of cement - so the roofer cut a hole in it and placed an air vent in it - i can feel the air come down the chimney - does that make sense?
    Its nothing to do with the fact that I had a candle going in the alcove all last night is it - would that heat the air in the chimney space and cause the condensation? Or is that too girly for words!
  • camercamer Posts: 5,237
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    If moisture is mixing with the soot you will have a smell similar to window cleaning fluid (ammonia), I would check the flashing around the chimney/roof tiles incase you have a leak there.
  • camercamer Posts: 5,237
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    hi - the air vent is actually in the chimney - i think the people before me just had it closed off - literally with just a slab of cement - so the roofer cut a hole in it and placed an air vent in it - i can feel the air come down the chimney - does that make sense?
    Its nothing to do with the fact that I had a candle going in the alcove all last night is it - would that heat the air in the chimney space and cause the condensation? Or is that too girly for words!

    Does the actual chimney pot have a cap on it or some form of water proof vent, you should be able to see this from outside the building?
  • alisonrose3764alisonrose3764 Posts: 1,493
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    camer wrote: »
    If moisture is mixing with the soot you will have a smell similar to window cleaning fluid (ammonia), I would check the flashing around the chimney/roof tiles incase you have a leak there.

    Def no flashing issues - no leaks. Just this little circle of damp - its a perfect circle - the same size as the vase I had my candle in which makes me think its something to do with that!
  • camercamer Posts: 5,237
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    Def no flashing issues - no leaks. Just this little circle of damp - its a perfect circle - the same size as the vase I had my candle in which makes me think its something to do with that!
    It could be the burnt wax from the candle that has been absorbed into the plasterwork, if water was getting in from the outside and mixing with any soot you will have a very strong ammonia smell comming from the vent on the chimney breast.
  • alisonrose3764alisonrose3764 Posts: 1,493
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    camer wrote: »
    It could be the burnt wax from the candle that has been absorbed into the plasterwork, if water was getting in from the outside and mixing with any soot you will have a very strong ammonia smell comming from the vent on the chimney breast.

    Hi - no smell - have had a good old sniff!
    Can actually see up the chimney - there is a bit of light up there-chimney is capped off - when we had the roofer over he had a really good repair session up there.
    I think its the bloody candle I really do but wanted to check.
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