Damp found under wooden floor - next steps?
Discussion
Hi - would really appreciate any advice (happy to admit I’m a complete novice with stuff like this). We’ve just bought this house, we’ve got carpenter coming in on Monday to start building wardrobes / units / etc in this room. The carpet fitter was going to take the wooden flooring up and then return after the carpenter to fit a carpet. He took up part of the flooring and found what looked like damp beneath it (he then disappeared and hasn’t replied to any messages since!). I’m trying to work out how serious this is and what I should do to find the cause. If you touch the floor and underlay material it’s maybe very slightly wet but definitely not soaking, the stain makes it look wetter in the photo than it is. That’s a bathroom behind (which hasn’t been used in the 3 months we were in here). In case it’s relevant the previous owner was running a personal training business from this room so it’s had heavy use as a gym. Any advice on what I need to do / consider? What trade would I need to assess / resolve - plumber? builder? Many thanks.
It looks like an internal space so I’d say that was coming from a water pipe. You know if it was your heating because the pressure would plummet.
I’d ask for a plumber although I suspect a general builder would be just as helpful.
It’s then a question of fixing the leak, allowing the space to dry out and then progressing with the work again,
I’d ask for a plumber although I suspect a general builder would be just as helpful.
It’s then a question of fixing the leak, allowing the space to dry out and then progressing with the work again,
Could be / have been coming from the radiator or the shower room at some point and its got wet under the floor and been unable to dry out properly ( looks a bit mouldy)
I would rip everything out and let it dry out and keep an eye on it to see then if any water appears from anywhere.
It could have been something like a spilt bucket of water that has got under the floor and not dried out.
Always start with the simplest things and then progress from that .
I would rip everything out and let it dry out and keep an eye on it to see then if any water appears from anywhere.
It could have been something like a spilt bucket of water that has got under the floor and not dried out.
Always start with the simplest things and then progress from that .
If your lucky it may have been the drain in the shower being partially blocked causing water to flood out from the shower. If it's not been dried out properly and left for 3 months it could cause that damage.
Alternatively it could be an issue with pipework in the shower in which case it will need opened up. Possibly a good opportunity to fit a new bathroom.
If you've just bought the place I'd be taking the issue up with your lawyer who handled the purchase.
Alternatively it could be an issue with pipework in the shower in which case it will need opened up. Possibly a good opportunity to fit a new bathroom.
If you've just bought the place I'd be taking the issue up with your lawyer who handled the purchase.
Lift the diagonal cut board directly in front of the door , it needs replacing anyway , and take a look underneath to start with. Judging by the way the boards are cut there’s pipe work for the rad at least running underneath , but you’ll not know until the boards come up , a plumber or decent one man band general builder is your best bet .
Mr Pointy said:
What is happening with the shower room? Is it staying as it or all coming out & being replaced?
You need to find out if the issue is a leak from the shower tray when in use or a constant leak from a pipe under the floor. If you run the shower does the damp area get worse?
Thanks. We were hoping to leave the bathroom at least for now. I’ll try running the shower. You need to find out if the issue is a leak from the shower tray when in use or a constant leak from a pipe under the floor. If you run the shower does the damp area get worse?
LennyM1984 said:
Terzo123 said:
If you've just bought the place I'd be taking the issue up with your lawyer who handled the purchase.
Why? They wouldn't have known about it, a surveyor won't have known about it, and it's highly likely that the seller didn't know about it eitherLennyM1984 said:
Terzo123 said:
If you've just bought the place I'd be taking the issue up with your lawyer who handled the purchase.
Why? They wouldn't have known about it, a surveyor won't have known about it, and it's highly likely that the seller didn't know about it eitherIf that was an old damp patch it would be mouldy, have spores etc on it, if it’s wet to touch it’s still a live leak, trace that first whether it’s shower, rads, other side of wall etc, but it all needs exposing now, no point leaving damp boards, timber in situ get it ripped up today and let air circulate and trace the leak if possible.
If left it could get worse, ie start the process of dry rot for one, you don’t want that at all.
Given the way it's spread the origin is going to be in the bathroom, and 99% a source that can wet the floor from the top/edge rather than coming up from underneath.
Doesn't need to be a big leak, or even more than someone splashing a lot of water on the floor over time as it will have struggled to dry out once damp.
Last thing I had that was similar was a tiny drip of a leak from a visible pipe and it had radiated out the door in a similar way.
Doesn't need to be a big leak, or even more than someone splashing a lot of water on the floor over time as it will have struggled to dry out once damp.
Last thing I had that was similar was a tiny drip of a leak from a visible pipe and it had radiated out the door in a similar way.
Simon_GH said:
It looks like an internal space so I’d say that was coming from a water pipe. You know if it was your heating because the pressure would plummet.
I’d ask for a plumber although I suspect a general builder would be just as helpful.
It’s then a question of fixing the leak, allowing the space to dry out and then progressing with the work again,
I may have missed it but haven't seen if it is a pressurised heating system or not. Good advice if it is of course, also if he's on a water meter then shutting everything in the house off could answer if it's a leak from that pipework.I’d ask for a plumber although I suspect a general builder would be just as helpful.
It’s then a question of fixing the leak, allowing the space to dry out and then progressing with the work again,
edit: Although the above poster's experience suggests it could be too small a leak to show on a meter despite appearances.
Edited by Richard-D on Saturday 7th December 18:16
Richard-D said:
I may have missed it but haven't seen if it is a pressurised heating system or not. Good advice if it is of course, also if he's on a water meter then shutting everything in the house off could answer if it's a leak from that pipework.
edit: Although the above poster's experience suggests it could be too small a leak to show on a meter despite appearances.
A mate asked me about his boiler which was losing pressure to the extent it shut down every.few days. We traced it to a leaking TRV connection in his lounge. The carpet was soggy around the pipe to the TRV but not anywhere near the extent of the OP’s. This led me to assume ithe OP’s is a live water pipe leaking. I think checking the water meter when everything is off is sound idea. May not show anything but an easy enough test. edit: Although the above poster's experience suggests it could be too small a leak to show on a meter despite appearances.
Edited by Richard-D on Saturday 7th December 18:16
I’d want to look under the bath and shower tray for leaks. It would be great if the bathroom supply could be isolated but that’s wishful thinking. It’s a pain but I’m sure it can be solved.
Simon_GH said:
A mate asked me about his boiler which was losing pressure to the extent it shut down every.few days. We traced it to a leaking TRV connection in his lounge. The carpet was soggy around the pipe to the TRV but not anywhere near the extent of the OP’s. This led me to assume ithe OP’s is a live water pipe leaking. I think checking the water meter when everything is off is sound idea. May not show anything but an easy enough test.
I’d want to look under the bath and shower tray for leaks. It would be great if the bathroom supply could be isolated but that’s wishful thinking. It’s a pain but I’m sure it can be solved.
Apologies, I wasn't very clear. I meant that the OP's system could have a header tank as opposed to an accumulator. With a header tank you could tie the ball valve up but if the level dropped a small amount you wouldn't know if it was a leak or evaporation.I’d want to look under the bath and shower tray for leaks. It would be great if the bathroom supply could be isolated but that’s wishful thinking. It’s a pain but I’m sure it can be solved.
For me, the presence of a shower tray would cause my initial starting point to be an assumption that the water emanated from the use of the shower, whether an actual leak from the drain or just from endless wet people standing on the floor of the washroom.
I'd pencil mark the damp, dry it out and generally see if the damp reappears without the shower being used or whether it does so after being used for a period of time.
But either way the logical priority is certainly establishing the source prior to any new flooring etc.
I'd pencil mark the damp, dry it out and generally see if the damp reappears without the shower being used or whether it does so after being used for a period of time.
But either way the logical priority is certainly establishing the source prior to any new flooring etc.
djohnson said:
The carpet fitter was going to take the wooden flooring up and then return after the carpenter to fit a carpet. He took up part of the flooring and found what looked like damp beneath it (he then disappeared and hasn’t replied to any messages since!).
Also meant to comment on this earlier. The carpet fitter is presumably of no use to you until you've fixed it, dried it out and are ready for flooring. If you've been asking him about anything other that laying a new flooring he'll probably be ignoring you because that's nothing to do with him.Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff