leaking chimney stack

2twometers

Over the past couple of years we have been trying to cure our chimney problems and seem to have come to the end of options,the last resort being to remove stack and re-instate roof.

Symptoms are really bad staining and damp around bedroom chimney breast,classic signs of flashing failure. The stack has six chimneys in,all unused except for one which has flue liner and cowl used for woodburner.Remaining chimneys have caps on and unused fireplaces internally are sealed with ventilation grills into rooms.

Up to now we have replaced flashing,repaired flaunching around pots,re-pointed,replaced all damaged bricks,ventilation bricks fitted into stack to help with air flow.

We need scaffolding when work is done on the chimney-two storey house and very tall chimney stack.

Last week in the heavy rain water running down side of chimney breast internally and more staining so checked in loft and the whole of only one face of chimney stack is absolutely saturated,so water still obviously getting in somewhere,and we need to do something before the roof structure gets damaged any more.

We have no reason not to trust or believe our roofer when he tells us he's done everything he can and that now the best option is to remove the stack,especially as it is not in use-pretty certain there will be a way round the woodburner flu exit.He feels that as there is now a mixture of replaced bricks and original 1800's red brick which appear sound,there is a problem with the combination of much more wet weather and very porous bricks that are letting the water through in certain conditions.To replace the original bricks would mean removal of stack down to ridge level and re-build,not really a good idea especially as the chimney stack is mostly 'decorative' now.

Has anyone any suggestions or advice? thankyou

stuart45

It's quite common for old chimney stack to leak, even after new flashings, repointing etc. Have a look at the video below. Nowadays a lead tray is always installed in new stacks. Without one or sometimes 2, watercan penetrate through.

Bing Videos