damp on chimney breast

[GB908010]

i have a 1930s house which i have renovated over 6 months, on the survey there was damp evident on the chimey breast, so i had the chimney capped and ventilated.


It turns out that the damp is rising damp, no other internal wall has this (touch wood)

its not really bad but gets worse when we have a down pour, now the back garden patio was never laid correctly, who ever had the ouse before just laid the slabs ontop of the floor and never dug down 6 inch below the DPC.

If i get the patio to rougly 6 " below the DPC this should cure the Rising damp on the chimney breast?

Am i right?

I want to eventually deck the patio anyway so removing the soil is a job i will have to do.

I just dont want to inject the chimney breast as we have only had it decorated a few months and it may cause a mess. If by digging the patio up will dry the damp out then i have saved my self a job.

what do you peeps think

[Welsh Decorator]

Digging up is one way, not certain how effective this will be?

From a dec's standpoint, if it is just local dampness, then if you can find any? use Rattcliffe's 'Glutenglas' ( i think thats the right spelling?) and paint this on to the affected areas, then re paint as normal.

[Gadget]

If the damp is on the front of the CB, it might worth taking up a few floor boards and checking in the area where the hearth used to be. Maybe the soil/rubbish is piled up high just below the floor!

[leebwk]

Externally you should have at least 150mm clear below the DPC and internally i would check around the hearth (under the floor) to make sure there is not a build up of debris breaching your DPC

[GB908010]

cheers for the replies guys, it is a solid floor so i cant check underneath. I will deffon get some of that paint as i need for some Kitchen ceiling as i had a slight leak in bathroom(overflow pipe decided to disconnect itself)


I will remove the earth outside and paint the chimeny breast again and see how i get on.

If it still is getting damp then injecting it will be.