Could it be the chimney I'm smelling?

aliasojo

We're presently renting an old church owned property. Every now and again (but quite frequently - several times a day) I can smell what I would describe as smoke. (Not cigarette smoke.)

I've been all over the place and checked the electrics etc, they are old but seem intact and stable.

There are two separate chimney stacks on the property but no coal fires, I'm assuming the fireplaces were blocked off and plasterboarded over. The chimney stacks are capped but not sealed, they were left like this to allow air to circulate.

Could the smell I've been getting be coming from the old fireplace, through the plasterboard? I don't know how well the fireplaces were plasterboarded over, there could be big gaps behind the skirting for all I know. Maybe when a breeze passes through the stack that's when I smell the smokey smell? I'm at a loss to know what else it could be?

iamcornholio

Unused chimneys should be vented top and bottom.

If yours are not, then yes any slight gap from the flue could be causing a smell of soot

But equally, there could be old soot dust under or between floors