Chimney stack repair/rebuild?

[tycarregydwr]

As warned, I'm diving right in with more questions.

The house is a mish-mash of new extensions on a stone house that is slightly over 100 years old. There is a fireplace in the living room with the chimney running up what once was an exterior wall, but now adjoins the kitchen extension. It has a ghastly 60s surround in it, tile, and the wall above has been stripped back to plaster - probably over a cement render, again, this is all new to me! When it rains a lot there sometimes is a small patch of moisture on the plaster wall just above the mantel. When the damp guy came he used the meter and it was 'bone dry'. The builders said that there is probably a sort of shelf extending back into the chimney, and it's catching rainwater coming down the chimney, like a plate, and that's coming through the wall. The chimney has a pot on it but not a rain cowl.

They said modern chimneys are built with a lead 'tray' in them to help ensure water is funneled away down the roof, but ours doesn't have one. They have not inspected it above the roof line, but they said that in their experience the best course of action is to completely rebuild the stack above the roofline. Obviously, this is the most complicated and therefore most expensive approach, and they awknowledged this, but said that they've had many cases where the owners opted for less extensive repairs, and still ended up with water coming in one way or another.

I don't feel like they are trying to scam us, they have thus far been helpful, presenting an itemized quote and being very understanding about our limited funds and our need to take things slowly and probably do a lot of interior work ourselves, etc. And on the one hand I would definitely like a chimney I can be completely confident in, but I'm just wondering if this makes sense? To go for the most expensive option straight away? They've quoted about £1700 I think for this work.

If anyone has any opinions about this I would appreciate them!

 

[middi]

From a builders point of view there are two ways to look at it-
1) Inspect the chimney condition with regards to it's structural and serviceable integrity, ascertain if it is repairable, and if so, repair it whilst assuring the customer that work carried out will guarantee it's serviceability for years to come.---or---

2) We ( the builder) cannot be totally confident that if the chimney is repaired the problems will be solved, the best solution is to advise the customer to spend a few hundred pounds extra, partly rebuild it, so we can sleep easy at night when it rains and will not topple over at the first gale.

If this is what the builders are telling you, at least they are honest.

As to their evaluation regarding the " repairable" option, as in the first scenario, this depends as to how good they are at evaluating such situations and the only way to test this is to have more than one builder to quote, or, to have a structural evaluation done by a professional that understands you dilemma---This will cost money !!!----

You have to make the decision, either by intuition or references, if your chosen builders are the correct ones for the job at hand. Decide if you want to take chance's or spent the extra money to obtain a cast iron Guarantee ( as if there ever is such a thing !!!!)
I may be right to say that all you receive from this forum ( on this particular problem, anyway) is a lot of encouraging and supporting words but no clear solution to your particular problem, simply because none of us have seen or surveyed the chimney.

We, on the forum, ( I am quite sure) will try and help you reach a solution and help make a decision which, ultimately, will be your decision as to which is the best path to take.
All I can say is that unless that chimney is at an imminent point of collapse it is highly unlikely that it needs to be rebuilt. It must also be noted that if the repairs are that extreme the difference in cost, as compaired to a rebuild, may not be much different.

Middi

 

[Keith Bowman]

My pennyworth, (and it is probably not even worth that much) points out that you say you sometimes see a small patch of damp when it has been raining hard and when someone checked it, it was bone dry. Unless you are itching to spend money, hang a picture over the spot and see what other, possibly more urgent, problems arise with the house over the next twelve months! We had a spot like that on a chimney which is most certainly not going to get rebuilt for a generation or two. Strangley enough it has not reappeared since we distempered the room in the summer. (You remember the summer? Sometimes called the rainy season.) Good luck.

 

[stuart45]

This video will give you a better idea of a lead tray.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAdcYazFIio&feature=player_embedded#!
You need to be sure that the cause of the dampness is penetrating damp through the brickwork and down the outside of the liner.

 

[88v8]

If the stack is sound, no need to rebuild it, you can be 100% sure of keeping the water out by fitting a T pot, and keep the fire in use.
We had problems with water coming down the bathroom flue twenty years ago, the T pot cured it totally and the draw on the fire was still excellent.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LARGE-T-TOP-CHIMNEY-POT-/221129036612?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item337c515344

Ivor

edit... amend your profile to show your general location, will assist in giving local recommendations.

 

[billybuntus]

Without actually having seen the problem. And as an enthusiastic DIY'er. Its sounds like your chimney needs flashing and if theres no sign of gallons of water pouring into your home use zinsser watertight over the area so no damp patch forms.

I'm sure many will see it as a modern bodge but unless your a banker. Rebuilding a stack for one small damp patch is somewhat extreme in my eyes.

 

[Lime]

The addition of a lead tray will do nothing to prevent water entering the chimney opening and falling/running down inside the chimney.
Your older chimney is unlikely to have any pipe liners built within it.
IMO if the stack is in good condition it would be foolish to take it down to fit a tray.

 

[tycarregydwr]

Thank you everyone. Of course I appreciate no one can advise without having seen it, but you are all kind of confirming what we were thinking - that it seems like overkill. It certainly doesn't appear to be in imminent danger of falling down. Think we're going to go back to the drawing board on this one, get another quote, and rethink the strategy. From what we can see, I think a new pot - maybe a T-pot, or a new pot with a proper rain cowl - and some repointing and possibly small repairs to the flashing may well sort this out.
And given the quote we've had for a complete rebuild, it still seems to make financial sense to try small repairs first, in the knowledge that we may ultimately have to rebuild in the future.

 

[billybuntus]

For a rough cost comparison we had our chimney pointed and leaded for the princely sum of £170 (including lead). He was there 8am until 7 pm.