Damp

jakejenson

Our house is a 1900 end terrace house.

We have two big wet patches in my sons bedroom which is at the top of the wall where the chimney is. The room had been re-plastered & has air vents which had been installed prior to us moving in so suggests that it has been affected by damp in the past.

The wet patches are getting worse and i've also discovered black spots in the corner of the room.

The room is always freezing cold even in summer not helped by the fact it is painted (no wallpaper) and laminate flooring.

My son has a bad re-occurring cough which is probably made worse by the damp.

Has anyone any idea on what the cause might be. We suspect it has something to do with the chimney pot as its not capped, cause it gets worse when it rains.

bobinbognor

It sounds like the lead flashing that seals the roof tiles around the chimney on the outside has broken down and rain water is leaking through into the ceiling of your sons room. The black spots are mould and can be removed with a proprietary mould remover from a DIY or hardware shop, or by applying some diluted bleach...be careful, use vynyl gloves & goggles! Get a builder to check the flashing from the outside or you might be able to see something from inside the loft. If the flashing has broken down don't be tempted to fill gaps with silicone...get a pro to replacethe lead. It also sounds as if there is no insulation in the loft...get some installed asap, that should help keep it warm.

jakejenson

Thanks for your help. Do you have any idea how much (roughly) this will cost, before I start getting quotes.

nitnurse-not2

Probably around 150 quid. Not cheap but very necessary for your son. Ask for recommendations. Someone in the surrounding streets have probably had the same problem.
My house is the same age and there have been loads of people getting new roofing applied.
Word of mouth is better than a cheap quote then the job may just be bodged
Good luck

jakejenson

Thanks i'll ask my uncle to take a look (he's a roofer)

Is there a grant that we could get for the insulation in the loft