Decaying Wall /Moisture from 1862 Fireplace
We live in a Italianate home built in 1862. The main room downstairs has a fireplace Directly below our daughter upstairs bedroom.Water is getting trapped outside between the wall and fireplace outside and causing paint bubbling to her room. Is this a dangerous mold/fungus? Small layers it seems fall off daily. Not large pieces and…
We live in a Italianate home built in 1862. The main room downstairs has a fireplace Directly below our daughter upstairs bedroom.Water is getting trapped outside between the wall and fireplace outside and causing paint bubbling to her room. Is this a dangerous mold/fungus? Small layers it seems fall off daily. Not large pieces and mostly paint and a yellowish/white substance. Any advice appreciated as we are quite concerned that it could cause sickness.
If your daughter is an infant or toddler, don’t let her in that room until you fix the problem.
I had some bubbling of paint off of the plaster. it was due to too much moisture in the flue. Get a flue. Make sure it has vents if the chimney is in use for the furnace and/or hot water heater otherwise you’ll trap even more moisture.
smoky’s right, with a kid in the house you should worry about lead exposure.
Stop the leak and get the wall repaired. The flaking paint will have lead in it.
Here you go…
http://www.oldhouseweb.com/how-to-advice/removing-efflorescence-from-plaster.shtml
Does your chimney have a flue cap to keep the rain from entering? You need to stop the water from entering or the condition will continue. There is always the possibility of lead in the paint.