What is happening to my chimney stack bricks and why?

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmUwRSEW

It is a non-working chimney though I don't know if that has always
been the case.

How do I fix it?

--
AnthonyL

Why ever wait to finish a job before starting the next?

On 26/02/2021 21:03, AnthonyL wrote:
What is happening to my chimney stack bricks and why?

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmUwRSEW

It is a non-working chimney though I don't know if that has always
been the case.

How do I fix it?


Porous bricks that have got wet and the the water has frozen spalling
off the front of the bricks. Some attempt has been made in the past to
stop this by painting the surface.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW6GzBPYk5I

It's not obvious how that tall mast is secured but perhaps its not doing
your chimney any favours as you also seem to have cracks running through
the centre of bricks.

--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

On 26/02/2021 21:03, AnthonyL wrote:
What is happening to my chimney stack bricks and why?

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmUwRSEW

It is a non-working chimney though I don't know if that has always
been the case.

How do I fix it?

If it's not used, why not just remove it? Bring it down to just above
the flashing level and fit a vented cap?

On 26/02/2021 21:18, alan_m wrote:

It's not obvious how that tall mast is secured but perhaps its not doing
your chimney any favours as you also seem to have cracks running through
the centre of bricks.


Actually it's possibly not a structural crack but part of the next brick
about to spall but the flake of brick is being held on by the paint.

New paint may prevent water entering the surface of the brick but old
paint that is failing may let water in behind the paint layer and then
prevent it from evaporating. One problem with painting a wall/brickwork
to prevent water ingress is that regular maintenance is then required to
maintain the paintwork.

There is another section further down the chimney that is showing
failing paint, probably because the brick behind is also spalling.

If that chimney is to be repainted a repair could be attempted by first
removing any obvious failing paint. Soak the surface of the bricks that
have spalled with a water seal and use a sand cement render just to fill
the missing surface layer on those bricks - then repaint. Possibly rake
out and replace any dodgy pointing which may also let water in to the
top of the brick. I did this 30+ years ago on my current house for a few
bricks that had minor surface spalling and have noted no further
deterioration or failure since.

Water Seal
https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Wate...---5L/p/600336

If you are not going to DIY consider getting in a company that use
alternative surface coatings that are meant to last maintenance free 25+
years. Or, as others have indicated, in not used remove the chimney
above roof level.


--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

On Fri, 26 Feb 2021 21:03:26 +0000, AnthonyL wrote:

What is happening to my chimney stack bricks and why?

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmUwRSEW

It is a non-working chimney though I don't know if that has always been
the case.

How do I fix it?

Light a fire and dry out the bricks.

When I had a large rota aerial on the chimney the chimney was great, but
after the lot had to come down due to age and all the lashing wires removed,
a couple of years down the line and it needed work.
So aerials can be good or bad for constructions. I guess we do tend to
ignore chimney stacks when getting the house decorated. The guys who I
engaged to do the coating of the walls did not want to know about the
chimney stack. It is now rendered but painted only with normal outdoor
paint.
Brian

--

This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"alan_m" wrote in message
...
On 26/02/2021 21:03, AnthonyL wrote:
What is happening to my chimney stack bricks and why?

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmUwRSEW

It is a non-working chimney though I don't know if that has always
been the case.

How do I fix it?


Porous bricks that have got wet and the the water has frozen spalling off
the front of the bricks. Some attempt has been made in the past to stop
this by painting the surface.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW6GzBPYk5I

It's not obvious how that tall mast is secured but perhaps its not doing
your chimney any favours as you also seem to have cracks running through
the centre of bricks.

--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

Round here due to it being a conservation area in a lot of places, the
chimney has to stay.
Brian

--

This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"alan_m" wrote in message
...
On 26/02/2021 21:18, alan_m wrote:

It's not obvious how that tall mast is secured but perhaps its not doing
your chimney any favours as you also seem to have cracks running through
the centre of bricks.


Actually it's possibly not a structural crack but part of the next brick
about to spall but the flake of brick is being held on by the paint.

New paint may prevent water entering the surface of the brick but old
paint that is failing may let water in behind the paint layer and then
prevent it from evaporating. One problem with painting a wall/brickwork to
prevent water ingress is that regular maintenance is then required to
maintain the paintwork.

There is another section further down the chimney that is showing failing
paint, probably because the brick behind is also spalling.

If that chimney is to be repainted a repair could be attempted by first
removing any obvious failing paint. Soak the surface of the bricks that
have spalled with a water seal and use a sand cement render just to fill
the missing surface layer on those bricks - then repaint. Possibly rake
out and replace any dodgy pointing which may also let water in to the top
of the brick. I did this 30+ years ago on my current house for a few
bricks that had minor surface spalling and have noted no further
deterioration or failure since.

Water Seal
https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Wate...---5L/p/600336

If you are not going to DIY consider getting in a company that use
alternative surface coatings that are meant to last maintenance free 25+
years. Or, as others have indicated, in not used remove the chimney above
roof level.


--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

On 26/02/2021 21:03, AnthonyL wrote:
What is happening to my chimney stack bricks and why?

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmUwRSEW

It is a non-working chimney though I don't know if that has always
been the case.

How do I fix it?

Cheap bricks tend to do that. Rebuild with better bricks is the only
permanent solution.

Mike

On 27/02/2021 09:39, Muddymike wrote:
On 26/02/2021 21:03, AnthonyL wrote:
What is happening to my chimney stack bricks and why?

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmUwRSEW

It is a non-working chimney though I don't know if that has always
been the case.

How do I fix it?

Cheap bricks tend to do that. Rebuild with better bricks is the only
permanent solution.

Mike
engineering bricks

On Sat, 27 Feb 2021 05:19:15 -0000 (UTC), jon wrote:

On Fri, 26 Feb 2021 21:03:26 +0000, AnthonyL wrote:

What is happening to my chimney stack bricks and why?

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmUwRSEW

It is a non-working chimney though I don't know if that has always been
the case.

How do I fix it?

Light a fire and dry out the bricks.

No firepace - but the chimney isn't capped - so getting damp from the
inside, paint flaking, water getting behind the paint, cold weather,
freezing, winds, aerial vibration. Is that fitting the picture?

Most of the similar properties are not painted at all, the whole of
ours is.

--
AnthonyL

Why ever wait to finish a job before starting the next?

alan_m brought next idea :
Porous bricks that have got wet and the the water has frozen spalling off the
front of the bricks. Some attempt has been made in the past to stop this by
painting the surface.

With not very good paint, or maybe not even proper paint for the job.

On Sun, 28 Feb 2021 07:43:41 +0000, Chris Hogg wrote:

On Sat, 27 Feb 2021 05:19:15 -0000 (UTC), jon wrote:

On Fri, 26 Feb 2021 21:03:26 +0000, AnthonyL wrote:

What is happening to my chimney stack bricks and why?

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmUwRSEW

It is a non-working chimney though I don't know if that has always been
the case.

How do I fix it?

Light a fire and dry out the bricks.

And in that vein, is there an airbrick or other form of ventilation at
the bottom end of the chimney where the fireplace used to be, to help
keep it dry, or is it sealed completely?

But as others have said, the underlying problem is poor quality
bricks.


If there was an airbrick it's been plastered over.

Most of the estate uses the same bricks, same house design and and
look around at their chimneys doesn't show the problem but most of
them are not painted. I'd be sceptical about the bricks being poor as
a cause.

The area is a smoke free zone so no-one is using their chimney's for
solid fuel though I don't know if anyone is using them as a flue for a
gas fire.

This house has had some wierd things done - I've mentioned elsewhere I
blame the Italians who were the owners before the ones I purchased
from. The side of the house, as the photo shows, as an extension so
the outside of the chimney is now on the inside of the extension.

I think I'm going to have to get someone to have a more professional
look at it.


--
AnthonyL

Why ever wait to finish a job before starting the next?

On 28/02/2021 17:06, Chris Hogg wrote:

It looks to me like the builder had some F0 bricks left over and
decided to use them up. Nearby properties may have had better bricks.
Only F2 bricks should be used for chimneys.

Or it is the result of painting.

A bare brick will get wet but also dry out. A brick that is behind a
layer of failing paint may get wet because water runs down behind the
layer of failing paint (a crack where the paint is at the pointing) and
then is prevented from drying out by the paint being an waterproof layer.

A brick wall can prevent water ingress to a house although it does soak
up some water when it rains but, say, as a result of a broken gutter or
dripping overflow pipe the same wall can get much wetter and become
saturated leading to internal damp problems.


--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk