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Hi - I'm trying to solve an odd problem with a brick chimney. I've lived in this house for more than 25 years. But only recently I've noticed that some of the lines of mortar between 5-6 rows of bricks on 2 sides of the chimney, about 4 feet below the ceiling, look and feel damp. The damp areas vary from 6-12 inches long. The chimney goes through the attic, so these damp areas are about 8-9 feet below the level of the roof, and about 13-14 feet below the top of the chimney.
The problem is that these damp areas have begun to give off a strong odor of perfume! You can smell it from 10 feet away. Both my wife and I smell the same sweet smell, like a cheap perfume in a detergent. The smell is so bad it makes me feel sick and cough.
The mortar that looks and feels slightly damp is darker than the surrounding mortar (which doesn't smell). We assume, but don't know, that the smell is due to mold. There isn't any fuzzy mold growth on the surface of the mortar, and brushing pure bleach on these areas doesn't stop the smell, nor does using X-14 mold and mildew killer.
So I have 2 questions: How to get rid of this sickening smell, and what to do to stop the mortar from getting wet.
We live in the NW, so get a lot of rain. The chimney has a metal chimney cap (the kind that rotates in the wind), but heavy wind will blow rain into the chimney opening. The liner is made of ceramic (at least that's what it looks like). The chimney goes down through the center of the house.
Thanks for any help!
The problem is that these damp areas have begun to give off a strong odor of perfume! You can smell it from 10 feet away. Both my wife and I smell the same sweet smell, like a cheap perfume in a detergent. The smell is so bad it makes me feel sick and cough.
The mortar that looks and feels slightly damp is darker than the surrounding mortar (which doesn't smell). We assume, but don't know, that the smell is due to mold. There isn't any fuzzy mold growth on the surface of the mortar, and brushing pure bleach on these areas doesn't stop the smell, nor does using X-14 mold and mildew killer.
So I have 2 questions: How to get rid of this sickening smell, and what to do to stop the mortar from getting wet.
We live in the NW, so get a lot of rain. The chimney has a metal chimney cap (the kind that rotates in the wind), but heavy wind will blow rain into the chimney opening. The liner is made of ceramic (at least that's what it looks like). The chimney goes down through the center of the house.
Thanks for any help!
