Ceiling damage
#1
05-24-15, 07:59 PM
Ceiling damage
Hi,
I have some discoloration on the ceiling in my kitchen as seen in the attached photo. It doesn't appear to be soft in the discolored area, and has been an issue for a while now at this point (well over a year), although it has spread over time. I'm pretty sure the cause is a cracked chimney flue, as it smells musty if I go up on the roof and stick my face near it. This flue was used for a boiler that was previously mounted in the kitchen. Boiler is now in the garage so it's not being used - I attached another picture showing the discoloration where it used to leak (hasn't in a while) from opening where the boiler connected into the chimney. I could not detect any water damage in the attic when I went up, so I think the flue is the culprit (and not the flashing or other possible chimney leaks).
I showed this to a handyman who was helping me with some other stuff and he recommended I just cover the flue with a heavy duty trash bag. I would like something a little nicer than this - I don't think I need an expensive flue damper since I just want to cap it for now, although it would be nice if it were easy to remove if needed. I put a chimney cap on a while back also but I think some water is still getting in there when the wind blows it around. Should I just put a cheap cap over the flue and paint over the discoloration inside? Thanks
Dan
I have some discoloration on the ceiling in my kitchen as seen in the attached photo. It doesn't appear to be soft in the discolored area, and has been an issue for a while now at this point (well over a year), although it has spread over time. I'm pretty sure the cause is a cracked chimney flue, as it smells musty if I go up on the roof and stick my face near it. This flue was used for a boiler that was previously mounted in the kitchen. Boiler is now in the garage so it's not being used - I attached another picture showing the discoloration where it used to leak (hasn't in a while) from opening where the boiler connected into the chimney. I could not detect any water damage in the attic when I went up, so I think the flue is the culprit (and not the flashing or other possible chimney leaks).
I showed this to a handyman who was helping me with some other stuff and he recommended I just cover the flue with a heavy duty trash bag. I would like something a little nicer than this - I don't think I need an expensive flue damper since I just want to cap it for now, although it would be nice if it were easy to remove if needed. I put a chimney cap on a while back also but I think some water is still getting in there when the wind blows it around. Should I just put a cheap cap over the flue and paint over the discoloration inside? Thanks
Dan
#2
05-25-15, 03:18 AM
The stains need to be coated with a solvent based primer before you paint them. That will prevent the water stains from bleeding thru the paint. The leaky flue needs to be fixed at the top or wherever the water is entering.
#3
05-25-15, 04:09 AM
Member
Give us some pictures of the top side so we can get a better idea of the scope of the problem. While you may think the flashing is OK, it can be tricky at times. Water will seek its own level, but with a chimney, there are multiple possible entry points.
#4
05-27-15, 08:38 PM
I added a couple of pics of the flashing from the front as well as one pic looking straight down the leaky flue from above. I have covered this flue with a heavy duty trash bag and a few small pieces of flagstone for now, would like a more permanent solution - a nice tight fitting stainless steel cap or similar would be great, thoughts? Thanks
Dan
Dan
