Damp chimney breast?!

Beeboo23

I noticed around July time that there was damp around the chimney breast. We had a roofer out who placed a cowl, repointed the chimney and checked all of the flashing and fixed a loose tile to the tune of £1274. 
This was around a month ago. Since then the damp patch still seems to get darker when it rains and seems to get lighter if we have a few days of dry weather. The chimney breast is shared with next door but is out of use. When looking in the top corner it appears this has been patched up by the previous owners so has probably been an issue for a while. 

I want to get it sorted but unsure what to do next. The house was built around the 50s so is fairly old. I’ve read online about hygroscopic salts so wondering if it could be that? Can anyone recommend what type of company to get out next to have a look? I don’t mind paying more so long as it addresses the actual issue. TIA.  

naf123

Is it a sealed chimney? Is there any vents ? 

FreeBear

Is the chimney pot capped ?

If not, get one fitted to stop rain getting in.

rob7475

£1274 seems a bit steep for that bit of work. How long did it take them?

Can you post of pic of the pot with the cowl on? We had to have a cowl fitted to one of our pots as we were getting a damp ceiling in our bedroom where a chimney breast had been removed. The first cowl was too far above the pot so drinving rain still got in. The roofers had to replace it with different cowl.

Also, is there a fire place in that chimney breast at all? If not, you may need to fit a vent to aid ventilation through it.

grumbler

FreeBear said:

Is the chimney pot capped ?

If not, get one fitted to stop rain getting in.

Is a cap not the same as a cowl?

We had a roofer out who placed a cowl

My first thought is flashing around the chimney, especially the back gutter at the top.

FreeBear

grumbler said:

FreeBear said:

Is the chimney pot capped ?

If not, get one fitted to stop rain getting in.

Is a cap not the same as a cowl?

It was late, and I failed to read the post in full <hangs head in shame>...

It could be cracks in the flaunching (the cement at the top of the chimney surrounding the pot). But for the price charged, I would have expected that to have been checked.

Any photos from outside and in the loft space ?

stuart45

A chimney built in the 50's probably hasn't got a lead tray built into it. Back then the flues were more in use than nowadays so the chimneys were kept drier. 
Modern chimney stacks have trays built into them.

MorganClio

You can Try a Damp and Mould treatment, i used this one Ronseal OCDSW250 250 ml One Coat Damp Seal - White and it fixed the issue for me there's also some information on damp and mould on this site National Disrepair Claims which i had to use eventually as it was getting worse in my property in every room and got it all sorted

FreeBear

MorganClio said: You can Try a Damp and Mould treatment, i used this one Ronseal OCDSW250 250 ml One Coat Damp Seal - White and it fixed the issue for me there's also some information on damp and mould on this site

Sorry. All you did was to mask the problem in the short term. It hasn't fixed the root cause, and quite likely will cost more to fix in a few years time. Something that your NWNF bunch won't be able to successfully claim back.

FaceHead

You paid a roofer to do some stuff, but it hasn't remedied the problem that there is penetrating damp through the chimney. I'd be getting in touch with them and getting them to clearly tell you what the problem continues to be, and why their work didn't resolve it. Potentially you want to come back with that explanation and ask the knowledgeable people here whether it's a plausible explanation that you should go with.

What about you neighbour's side of the roof? Could dampness be getting though their side, and then making its way into your house?

Eldi_Dos

@Beeboo23, it might be advisable to remove clothes and other items from cupboards until you get chimney sorted out just in case they get a bit damp in there.