Leak/Damp Specialist

[winnie80]

A couple of years ago now we had a lintel in a fire place raised so we could fit shelving into the alcove. The builder we used used plaster board to square it all off and make it look "good". The plaster simply didnt dry in certain patches and the paint continues now to bubble and powder. We have had numerous revisits and numerous suggestions of what might be causing the problem, including the possibility that the chimney isnt ventilated properly or is leaking. The damp is not consistent with the characteristics of rising damp. One suggestion was that the plaster just absorbs the water in the kitchen's atmosphere, and unless we have this re-done using a non-salt based plaster, the problem will continue.

We'd really like some specialist advice on this so we can finally fix the problem. Any recommendations of such an expert would be gratefully received. Someone who can both advise and carry out the work would be ideal.

Thanks