Dirty chimney

NotSpaghetti

Is it a pointing problem?
It looks as though soot is somehow seeping through below the redder bricks.

I too thought the pointing is eroded in the top part of the chimney, in the section between the two bands of contrasting bricks. Perhaps that section has been rebuild by other hands (less skilled) that the rest of the chimney? The chimney lining may be faulty there, and if there is no ventilation there could be condensation where the chimney is colder above the roof. That would make it vulnerable to dirt and to mould growth. A chimney sweep or a builder would be able to advise you. it doesn't look very sound, though. The surveyor sounds a bit vague. You do wonder what you are paying for - they even have a disclaimer saying (in effect) that if they miss something important they are not to be blamed.

Didn’t your surveyor mention anything about the chimney?

The report said:

"The property has a brick chimney stack, with chimney pots, flaunching, and flashing. Where visible the chimney stack appeared to be in good overall condition. The chimney pots have covers so are not vulnerable to rain penetration."

And:

"The original open fireplaces have been removed and boarded up, so there is no ventilation to the chimney to help prevent condensation in the flue. Condition rating 2. The provision of an air vent is recommended as a precaution."

Cabowich

The chimney is boarded off, I have no idea when this happened, but I doubt recently, so no up-to-date certificate for chimney sweeping. It's recommended that I get an air vent installed.

I hope it is just soot on the surface - apparently it isn't too difficult to clean up bricks.

It might not be difficult, but whoever does it will need scaffolding so it won’t be cheap.

You will need a vent as the chimney will probably be very damp inside as I didn’t notice a cowl on the top to stop the rain pouring down it, have you checked for birds nests?

Check for damp inside on the ‘chimney side’ walls as well.

Didn’t your surveyor mention anything about the chimney?

Our Insurer insists on a chimney sweep certificate each year.

The chimney is boarded off, I have no idea when this happened, but I doubt recently, so no up-to-date certificate for chimney sweeping. It's recommended that I get an air vent installed.

I hope it is just soot on the surface - apparently it isn't too difficult to clean up bricks.

Franbern It is not compulsory, although it is possible a mortgage provider may ask for it and some insurance companies make having the chimney swept annually a condition of insurance. We live in a Listed property, not thatched, and have our chimney swept every year. No insurance company, nor mortage provider has asked us for evidence that the chimney has been swept, nor that it is swept regulalry

Surely, the seller of this house should be supplying an up to date certificate regarding chimney cleaning.

I am sorry, I misunderstood.

I didn’t! I merely commented that they hadn’t!

But you asked why they hadn't discoloured.

M0nica

Barleyfields I must agree to differ. The reason the red bricks haven't stained is that not because oftheir colour but because they are an entirely different type of brick with a much finer denser surface, so that soot deposite will only be very superficial and will wash off in rain. This is why the row of bricks below the lower band of bricks is slightly stained. The yellow bricks, London Stocks from the look of them, have a more open porous texture that means that the soot goes into the pores of the brick and the soot does not all run off when it rains.

As a serial old house owner, who has the chimney in my current home swept every year, and hoping to sell my current hous, 550+ years old to buy another old house, I have read a lot of surveyors reports and I can assure you I would trust a chimney sweeps practical expertise and knowledge over a generic building surveyor's any day.

Er - I do realise that the red bricks are of a different type MOnica. Have I suggested that the red bricks haven’t discoloured due to their colour? No.

I swear when I wrote the above post, it didn't have so many mistakes in it .

Thank you for all your comments - it's given me food for thought.

We did have a survey but apart from some pointing might need, doing, the chimney was barely mentioned. So, yes, it would need a chimney sweep for an inspection.

The fireplace was never used for wood burning, so I double creosote would be the problem.

I didn't realize there were so many problems regarding chimneys. I only wanted it to look cleaner than what it does now.

Another big doubt in this moving lark that I could do without! Six months it's been going on and it's been nothing but problems with all parties concerned.

Yes, I agree absolutely, if you have a usable fireplace always have the chimney swept every year. Then you know that it is safe to use.

We were once without gas for a fortnight in November and we were able to use our stove non-stop for that fortnight knowing that the chimney had been swept and inspected a few months previously and thatnit was safe to keep it burning that long.

chimney sweep for an inspection, he can get on the roof and could also inspect the cowl at the same time. A surveyor would not go up there and a chimney sweep is a chimney specialist. Tt could be a metal liner which has started to corrode top down, acid gases meeting moisture. Could be smoke getting through the pointing, which may also be weakened

Mine is marvelous, had a simple ladder system to get to my chimney to add a new cowl. He also inspected the liner and told me it was the new stone, not metal, which can corrode. The liner in mine will never corrode. Metal is the most common liner

Same as oops, I have mine swept every year, even if I hardly use the stove. The certificate is essential to be covered for insurance.

PS always go to a chimney sweep who will give you a Certificate to state that the chimney has been swept, this will be accepted by your Insurance Company if ever needed.
There are some good reputable ones, but you will have to book well in advance.

Hopefully you have had a full survey done? On a recent survey we told the Surveyor to look at certain things in the house that we thought might be a problem.
What did yours say about it?

Probably due to excessive creosote inside your chimney due to poor cleaning and/or burning inappropriate fuel.
There are excellent chimney sweeps and there are complete chancers, the second type can be extremely convincing and very dangerous, l had a chimney fire and the fireman said l should have had the chimney cleaned, l told him it had been done a week before, he asked who by and told me not to use him again (he'd been highly recommended).
Anyway, creosote is your likely problem.

Barleyfields I must agree to differ. The reason the red bricks haven't stained is that not because oftheir colour but because they are an entirely different type of brick with a much finer denser surface, so that soot deposite will only be very superficial and will wash off in rain. This is why the row of bricks below the lower band of bricks is slightly stained. The yellow bricks, London Stocks from the look of them, have a more open porous texture that means that the soot goes into the pores of the brick and the soot does not all run off when it rains.

As a serial old house owner, who has the chimney in my current home swept every year, and hoping to sell my current hous, 550+ years old to buy another old house, I have read a lot of surveyors reports and I can assure you I would trust a chimney sweeps practical expertise and knowledge over a generic building surveyor's any day.

M0nica

I suspect in some wind conditions the smoke is blown down and around the chimney and deposits soot on the brick. This is why only the top part of the chimney is soot coated.

The simplest solution is to book in a sweep to clean the chimney and inspect it and tell you what the cause is.

A chimney sweep will know far more about a chimney and its problems when soot is involved than any surveyor.

The red bricks don’t appear to be affected though. If the flue is defective I would rather have the opinion of a surveyor than a chimney sweep.

Is it a pointing problem?
It looks as though soot is somehow seeping through below the redder bricks.

I suspect in some wind conditions the smoke is blown down and around the chimney and deposits soot on the brick. This is why only the top part of the chimney is soot coated.

The simplest solution is to book in a sweep to clean the chimney and inspect it and tell you what the cause is.

A chimney sweep will know far more about a chimney and its problems when soot is involved than any surveyor.

It could be soot........but looking at the construction of the stack, it might be a different type of brick in that section which has 'weathered' differently to the rest.

But I agree, best to get it checked by a sweep and a builder and I hope it's not a costly fix.

I agree with Auntieflo, it’s soot. I would suggest getting a builder to look at the state of the flue. If you’re in the process of buying, have you not had a survey carried out? You should, it’s money well spent. And get a quote for the cost of doing whatever’s necessary to put this problem right - the seller should pay or at least contribute.

It does look sooty, doesn't it? I'll ask a chimney sweep/specialist to have a look at it (when we move in..if we move...going on for ever..).

Looks like soot seeping through the brickwork.
Maybe a chimney sweep could advise? Or a cowl thingy on the very top?