readiescards Posted January 9, 2018 Share Posted January 9, 2018 3 days now after a few days of prolonged heavy rain and I've still got a damp patch on my SW facing gable/chimney. The 4 chimney pots are blanks filled with various stuff (as supplied by builder) over a lead tray but I fear the pots are collecting water. Before I suggest this to the builder are there likely to be any other reasons? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted January 9, 2018 Share Posted January 9, 2018 Obviously there's a reservoir there filled with rainwater. That should be a relatively quick fix. To advise any further we would really need to be up some scaffolding poking around . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckylad Posted January 9, 2018 Share Posted January 9, 2018 Hi Plus one to the above but I would think that's going to leave some salts behind when it does dry out. I'd have a word with the brick manufacturer to see if that's going to be a problem and how best to treat it 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger440 Posted January 9, 2018 Share Posted January 9, 2018 Nothing to add abut the bricks - but great garage!!!!!! 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 I have a similar problem with my west facing wall, permenantly soggy ( well it has been such a wet winter/ summer). My builder ( who’s been brilliant) has suggested a water proofing agent on that wall ( when/if it dries out in the summer) he has done this many times in our location next to the Atlantic ?. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 Waterproofer will hold the moisture / damp in. That's the opposite to a cure ! ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamiehamy Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 7 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said: Waterproofer will hold the moisture / damp in. That's the opposite to a cure ! ? I concur - it's the quick and easy solution that causes more problems than it solves. They do that on sandstone tenements up here to stop moisture penetrating, but it always gets in and if it's been waterproofed, never gets back out causing more untold misery. The other sin is to re-point the walls using cement (rather than a lime mix) - which does the same - moisture in never gets out. Def worth finding out if it's the pots holding water (very likely) - when we got ours fixed they guy put a 'Chinaman's bunnet' on it to let most of the water run off before it even got to the pot - but might not be the look you want! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 (edited) If the dummy pots are filling with water, then how about drilling drain holes in them right at the base, so the water can drain out over the flashing? Edited January 10, 2018 by JSHarris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 7 minutes ago, jamiehamy said: I concur - it's the quick and easy solution that causes more problems than it solves. They do that on sandstone tenements up here to stop moisture penetrating, but it always gets in and if it's been waterproofed, never gets back out causing more untold misery. The other sin is to re-point the walls using cement (rather than a lime mix) - which does the same - moisture in never gets out. Def worth finding out if it's the pots holding water (very likely) - when we got ours fixed they guy put a 'Chinaman's bunnet' on it to let most of the water run off before it even got to the pot - but might not be the look you want! They could be cut down so they just project 5mm or so and spray paint them to match the pots. Deflecting the majority of the water away will solve most, if not all of the problem, as long as it's 100% deffo not getting into the chimney under the pots. @readiescards, what is under the pots? Does it have a slab or other as a closure plate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Declan52 Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 Has the lead not been bent up to form a lip around 3 sides so you make any water fall out onto the roof and into the downspouts. Looks like all yours is running down the gable wall. The base for the pots should have been totally smoothed over with a concrete/motar mix and the pots filled the same so there could be nowhere for any rain to pool and work it's way down. Could the pots have moved slightly from wind or maybe not been seated properly and you have a gap between the pots and the motar/concrete and rain is getting in here. The longer the bricks are left wet then the more salt will come out and no matter how much you clean them it takes years to weather out. Will be a case of scaffolding back up and have a look at what's there and redoing. Has the other chimney the same issue??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Punter Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 1 hour ago, joe90 said: I have a similar problem with my west facing wall, permenantly soggy ( well it has been such a wet winter/ summer). My builder ( who’s been brilliant) has suggested a water proofing agent on that wall ( when/if it dries out in the summer) he has done this many times in our location next to the Atlantic ?. I would wait until it dries out and apply a clear coating of silane / siloxane. If you leave it wet, it may get damaged by freeze / thaw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gone West Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 6 hours ago, joe90 said: My builder ( who’s been brilliant) has suggested a water proofing agent on that wall ( when/if it dries out in the summer) he has done this many times in our location next to the Atlantic ?. I have used a water repellent on an old porous brick wall many years ago. IIRC it was silicon based and worked a treat. You could see the rain beading on it for years after. Being a repellent it allows the brickwork to breath and it stays dry. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 Not sure if this stuff would be any good: http://www.stormdry.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readiescards Posted January 23, 2018 Author Share Posted January 23, 2018 Ta, I'm just yet to understand whether it is water seeping through the brick work or whether it is water escaping through the seep holes and draining the outside face. So am nervous of applying anything until I know. (Could do with a drone that can fly in really bad weather to see if the crown pot is filling up) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 3 hours ago, readiescards said: Ta, I'm just yet to understand whether it is water seeping through the brick work or whether it is water escaping through the seep holes and draining the outside face. So am nervous of applying anything until I know. (Could do with a drone that can fly in really bad weather to see if the crown pot is filling up) Get me 8 bottles of super strength larger and an industrial catapult 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readiescards Posted October 27, 2020 Author Share Posted October 27, 2020 Well after rebuilding both stacks, with new lime mortar and applying a water sealant in early 2020 - it now looks mighty ugly (on both stacks) and I still have concerns of internal damp - hoping to get an expert out and will see how it fairs this winter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readiescards Posted December 28, 2020 Author Share Posted December 28, 2020 So the soaked looking bricks (in the yellow area) actually extends into the attic space of the clay tiled roofed utility ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 So where is the lead tray in this build up, and what are the chimneys ..? Fake or liner system ..? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readiescards Posted December 28, 2020 Author Share Posted December 28, 2020 Both stacks only extend into the house attic space i.e. they do not run all the way down to the ground floor. The right hand stack (when viewing the house from this aspect), has a twin wall log burner tube liner passing through into it. Not sure whether you would call them fake/false stacks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 How are the pots capped ..? And are they “standard” clay pots ..?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readiescards Posted December 28, 2020 Author Share Posted December 28, 2020 Yes I would call them 'standard' clay pots. They have been capped with a fibre glass lid and sealed as per this image. Since the image was taken the shorter king pot has been de-crowned and also likewise capped and sealed (during this process the existing lids and seals were confirmed to be in good order). Question can the clay pots act as 'moisture gatherer' - as I'm likewise wondering if the uninsulated void below the lead tray acts as moisture gatherer - i.e. the damp in the air is able to penetrate the bricks and/or clay pots and build up to significant levels within the void. (There are damp trays in both stacks below the lead tray designed to dump any water that gets inside the stack through weap holes onto the outer edge). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 1 hour ago, readiescards said: So the soaked looking bricks (in the yellow area) actually extends into the attic space of the clay tiled roofed utility ? No cavity tray installed above the utility roof line ..?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 1 minute ago, readiescards said: Yes I would call them 'standard' clay pots. They have been capped with a fibre glass lid and sealed as per this image. Since the image was taken the shorter king pot has been de-crowned and also likewise capped and sealed (during this process the existing lids and seals were confirmed to be in good order). Question can the clay pots act as 'moisture gatherer' - as I'm likewise wondering if the uninsulated void below the lead tray acts as moisture gatherer - i.e. the damp in the air is able to penetrate the bricks and/or clay pots and build up to significant levels within the void. (There are damp trays in both stacks below the lead tray designed to dump any water that gets inside the stack through weap holes onto the outer edge). Clay pots are porous. They will soak up rain and moisture and let it out - is there a void below the pots then ..?? got any photos of them being built or the cross section designs as to how they integrate into the walls..? Who designed them ..? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readiescards Posted December 28, 2020 Author Share Posted December 28, 2020 There is a cavity tray (thanks for correct term) higher up the wall but nothing directly over the utility roof line. The dummy pots sit on concrete tiles built into the top lip and then surrounded by a concrete bed. Below that tile is a void and below the lead tray is another void. Best picture I can find: Any moisture that the pots get internally should be held by the tile I think the builder said, though how the brick course above the lead tray is so damp I've no idea: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gav_P Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 I’ve got nothing to add regarding the damp issue... but I love the house 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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