Damp issues, help wanted please

[steve43]

Hi Everybody,

I have an 1870's house in North Wales that has solid slate walls and a slate roof. There is a damp patch at the top of the stairs so I went up into the loft and the inside loft wall has water fairly well dripping down it. This wall is the triangular shaped one at the end of the loft. Although the wall is made of slate there is a series if new house bricks laid into the wall two abreast that comes down at a slight angle. As if somebody has needed to get into the wall at some stage. This is only on the inner wall the outer is all slate. Above this wall is a chimney stack but there is no evidence of a breast below it anywhere. When you look at the same wall from the outside there is a damp patch about 10' wide running down from the roof approx 20'. We had the mother of all wind and rain storms last night, driving sideways into the building although this wall is at the sheltered end of the house. Any ideas why this wall is watering like it is?? Any things I should look for that maybe the cause. Thanks for any help, Steve.

 

[Moo]

It's often a help if you can provide some photos - internal and external.

 

[middi]

It sounds to me that the chimney is acting as a funnel in collecting water which has been blocked wirh new brickwork when they removed the stack and this is acting as "cork" stopper at the end of the funnel.

Water accumulates in the void with nowhere to go exept dissipate through the walls, that coupled with no ventilation in the chimney is an insurance to make sure the damp never goes away.

Initially find a way to clean and re-ventilate what is left of the chimney flue, at least that will help dry it out if it gets wet.

It is difficult to give advise whithout a visual evaluation of your particular set up, as Moo suggested pictures would help.

 

[Mark]

Is the chimmey capped or open ?

edit:

And the obvious question - the stack above *is* properly supported isnt it ?