Chimney problems

jstvj

Firstly I have damp patches on my upstairs bedroom ceilings on the chimney breasts and small concrete pieces falling into the bedroom fireplaces. We can now smell cooking and paraffin fumes in the downstairs lounge fireplace which are coming from the next door attached house.

Being retired with numerous health problems and very little money, this is worrying and I would appreciate anyone's advice on what might be the problem and how to go about fixing it.

jstvj

Just to add. We blocked up the lounge downstairs fire place with taped cardboard and the bedroom ceiling damp has got worse ?

welshmoneylover

Do you own or rent the house?

alleycat`

jstvj wrote: »

Just to add. We blocked up the lounge downstairs fire place with taped cardboard and the bedroom ceiling damp has got worse ?

That probably makes sense.

Chimneys "breath" and by blocking up part of it warm air is no longer getting drawn up from downstairs.

In turn that warm air won't be drying out any damp that is getting in.

It could be the chimney has breached, Re the fumes.
Do you speak to the neighbours to see if they are using any appliances?

A CO alarm might be a good investment until you find out the source of the fumes.

southcoastrgi

the chimney needs to be vented to prevent damp, even if you block up the chimney it needs to have a vent in it, if you can smell things from next door then that could be another issue entirerly or it all could be linked

plus as AC said it needs checking & get a CO alarm if you don't already have one

Mayflower10cat

Agree with all the suggestions made above - just to add, perhaps the flashings around the chimney stack need checking in case they're leaking. I'd suggest ringing a chimney sweep, one that's recommended locally, to come and have a look for you. Maybe you need a 'weather cowl' (is that what they call it?) on your chimney pot to allow ventilation rather than boarding up the fireplace.

Greenfires

I'd suggest something like a C-Cap on your disused chimney and fitting a vent in the closed off fireplace - chimneys need to be ventilated whether they're in use or not really as has been said.

As far as fumes from next door - that would suggest the feathers between the different flues are breached somewhere, allowing fumes from next door into your house. This is potentially dangerous - you may be able to smell some fumes but you can't smell carbon monoxide and that's the stuff that kills people. I'd be going round there immediately - if their flue is breached they have a responsibility to you to fix it.

jstvj

welshmoneylover wrote: »

Do you own or rent the house?

I own the house

jstvj

Thank you all for your helpful advise. By coincidence and due to Coronation Street we have ordered a CO2 alarm.

I am going to get the chimney swept and hopefully being on site the sweep might be able to advise us further.

Our neighbour is very weird and will not speak to anyone. He won't answer his door and my wife is too afraid to try. Being laid up in bed, there's not a lot I can do.

As I say, maybe the chimney sweep will help.

Thanks again.

Greenfires

Easy to say sitting here - but weird or not - gassing your neighbours isn't really on!!

muckybutt

jstvj wrote: »

Thank you all for your helpful advise. By coincidence and due to Coronation Street we have ordered a CO2 alarm.

I am going to get the chimney swept and hopefully being on site the sweep might be able to advise us further.

Our neighbour is very weird and will not speak to anyone. He won't answer his door and my wife is too afraid to try. Being laid up in bed, there's not a lot I can do.

As I say, maybe the chimney sweep will help.

Thanks again.

I think you mean a CO detector ?

CO = Carbon Monoxide
Co2 = Carbon Dioxide