Cracks on internal chimney breast

[Annabel]

I have recently purchased a middle terraced house built in late 1890’s. Rising damp has been diagnosed and I have recently had a damp proof course completed last week. Today when ripping off the vinyl wallpaper to the downstairs living room - the chimney breast is very damp and sticky underneath with these cracks on the plaster. Does this signify structural movement/subsidence ? Or have these cracks appeared because the plaster is so damp ? Thanks

 

[malcolm]

It's probably a bit of movement causing the cracks. Worth a zoomed out photo of the whole wall. It's not necessarily a problem - I have walls moving a lot more than that.

 

[88v8]

Hello and welcome.

Is that near the top? The bottom?

Presume the fireplace has been blocked up? Shame.... but if it's near the bottom, could just be that someone did a lousy job of infilling the fireplace.

As Malcolm says, couple more pics please...

Ivor

 

[Annabel]

Hi, yes the fireplace has been blocked up, the cracks are close to the bottom where it has been blocked

 

[malcolm]

It does look like something you would want to have a closer look at before decorating. Certainly worth removing the plaster around the top right of the fireplace to see what sort of lintel is in there. Possibly they've put a lintel in and done it badly. The 45 degree cracks on the side of the fireplace could also indicate the whole right side of the fireplace has dropped rather than just a lintel. Maybe remove some plaster over the bottom 6 inches of the right side of the fireplace to see what's going on there.

The finish doesn't look very well done so there is a fair chance the work behind won't be good either. It's worth removing some plaster to have a look and understand what has been done. Probably that will also help find why it's damp.

 

[Annabel]

What would need to be done if it has dropped ?

 

[malcolm]

Difficult to say until you can see what's wrong. Foundations have presumably worked for a hundred of years so that's unlikely. More likely whoever blocked up the fireplace did a terrible job and their work will need to be redone.

 

[88v8]

What would need to be done if it has dropped ?

Whatever else, unless the flue has been removed there should at least be an air vent put in where the fireplace was, or damp will come through the wall from seasonal condensation in the flue.

 

[paulc]

Whatever else, unless the flue has been removed there should at least be an air vent put in where the fireplace was, or damp will come through the wall from seasonal condensation in the flue.

And don't forget to cap the pot at the top. That will stop rain getting in as well as the odd bird or two.