Neighbour's chimney leaking into our house!

[sarahj]

Hello,

My neighbour's chimney began leaking smoke into our house it was coming out in plumes from various parts of the adjoining wall. They stopped lighting the fire and said they would get it fixed but they didn't want to have it lined due to the expense. Our houses are around 200 years old and built with the usual stone and rubble in the middle construction for that time. We have had to take some of the plaster off our wall due to damp, although the wall under the stairs doesn't have any plaster on anyway; the mortar has crumbled away in some places leaving holes big enough for mice to get in and out of. We will eventually repoint when we have removed all the plaster.

They have now had their fireplace 'repaired' - they even laughed when they told us the fireplace people had strongly recommended lining their chimney (steel liner as we are both listed properties), but we are still getting a smell of smoke in our house though not as strong. Are they still responsible for this or is it our fault for not redoing the pointing yet? The plaster has been off the wall for years but the smoke has only just begun recently.

Always tricky when dealing with neighbours!

Thank you,

Sarah

 

[skier-hughes]

Hard to say, of course you ahve a responsibility to keep your house in good order. If your pointing was all done it would perhaps all be ok, in which case problem solved. Until you do this though, you won't know.
Do they have an open fire/wood burner?
If it was recently fitted then it would need a liner to meet building control standards, if it's been there a while it wouldn't.

I'd get a carbon monoxide detector without delay and check if there are any dangerous fumes coming your way.

Even if there are, I'd suspect anyone coming to see you about it would tell you to point your wall................

Rock and hard place!!!!!!!!!

 

[JohnB]

Did the neighbours do a smoke test, while you were around to check your side? It's amazing where the smoke escapes from!

 

[sarahj]

Thank you for your replies - it is an open fire; however, even if the walls were pointed, the smoke is still getting into the cavities isn't it? I will get a carbon monoxide meter - there are some bits where its coming out at the bottom of the wall where it meets the floor (don't laugh, some of my walls don't reach the floor!), and I'm not sure its only our reponsibility to plug all the holes on our side - it could get into the loft on their side and seep into their bedrooms? They have small children, I wouldn't be happy with that.

 

[sarahj]

Sorry, no they didn't do a smoke test while we were there; also, we have done nothing to our wall for a while, I think it must have been the recent bad weather which has caused something their side to go astray.

 

[Penners]

Iget a carbon monoxide detector without delay

I quite agree - number one priority! Remember that carbon monoxide is colourless and odourless, so without a detector you'll have no idea whether it's entering your house. And it's a killer.

As for responsibility, I would certainly not be happy if the only thing protecting me from a neighbour's fire fumes was the pointing in my brickwork and a layer of plaster. If they think that they have repaired their chimney, I suggest that they're wrong.

They may not like the expense of having a liner put into the chimney, but frankly that's tough. They should ensure that they have a safe and properly functioning system for removing their combustion products from the building.

I'm not a lawyer and the above is my amateur opinion.

By the way, if some of your walls don't reach the floor, you may find that your house has been constructed by hanging it from skyhooks. :wink:

 

[Flyfisher]

I would echo all of that.

I bought one of these CO detectors last year. I thought it was good value at £30 but after finding the link I see it is now almost half that - so no excuses, place an order now!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0030BEM00/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1/276-6765000-0401315?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_r=05F0NF9E8TJ68GENPD6D&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=103612307&pf_rd_i=B0001IW4OQ

I'm not a lawyer either but I find it hard to imagine that causing smoke and fumes to enter a neighbouring house cannot be stopped. Even more so if you have evidence that poisonous gas is entering your house, which the CO alarm would prove.

I appreciate that such issues can be sensitive and nobody want to fall out with neighbours (well, most people!) but safety first, diplomacy second.

 

[Penners]

safety first, diplomacy second.

I totally agree.