Carpet very we in a patch on a concrete floor.

[ETAF]

turned out to be a long post

My son has just moved into a flat
On monday we noticed a Very wet patch about 9" diameter in the middle of the room ( Bedroom) - we assumed this maybe the previous owner - cleaning the carpet and a stain before leaving - as the property was spotless and clean through out
We have tried to contact the previous owner and had no reply yet

so we lifted the carpet
and the underlay was wet on the top BUT the bottom of the underlay was dry and so was the concrete

took the carpet out completely
and the underlay was perfect all over

This morning - there are a couple of wet spots on the underlay

Like a bowl was left on top and the water spilled - The boys had been cleaning all the walls and skirting board and they are sure NO water was spilled out of the bowl - but thats what it looks like

We lifted all the underlay and the concrete floor is fine No sign of damp and no change of colour anywhere and dry

Its like some dogs have relived themselves in three spaces
Or water is dripping through the ceiling
or a bowl with a small leak has been left on the various patches

No real damp smell
the underlay at the bottom is a white/cream/coloured material and its perfectly clean and no water - the top paper cover is very wet - you could ring it out

i throw some water over a patch on the top and that was the same after 4 hours
wet on top and dry underneath

I'm confused - I would expect to see
1) change of colour on the concrete floor
2) mould or green on the bottom of underlay
3) mould / black on the walls or skirting board - which is all perfect
4) we have rubbed down all the wood work and walls for painting and nothing is showing any sign of damp
5) all the edges are fine
6) No cracks or patches on the concrete at all
7) the patches of wetness on the underlay this morning was not in the same area as the wet carpet

No water in there only the pressurised central heating - so if a pipe has leaked then that would let out a lot of water and we should have seen the pressure gauge on the boiler go down
nothing

the dampcourse is 3 or 4 bricks above the ground with airbricks
nothing covering the dampcourse
BuT again I would expect an issue on the walls

I'm at a loss - we are leaving the underlay but folding back in the patch areas to see what happens tomorrow

any ideas at all please

 

[foxhole]

Perhaps revisit your post and see if it makes sense?

 

[Burnerman]

Poltergeist drip from the ceiling directly above......
John

 

[ETAF]

foxhole
Thanks for the reply,
had a re-read and seems to make sense to me -
What does not make sense


Burnerman - yep or even a ghost dog - using it as a toilet - with NO smell

thats why I'm really confused
or the Boys did spill a load of water last night - Just seems too much of a coincidence - to have a wet carpet - when we first walked into the place on monday
and then again this morning on the top of the underlay

BUT i'm not an expert on concrete floors - but if wet, i would expect the concrete to be a slight colour change, and be very visable when you pull back to see all the floor -
I would expect to be able to a least see a change of colour or patches across the surface of the concrete floor

 

[ETAF]

The flat is only 10 years OLD

i guess members are as confused as I am

I plan to cover the floor in newspaper and chalk mark all the sections that are getting wet

If it is a faulty DPC membrane under the concrete floor -
what the repair

Dig the floor up and relay the membrane
OR
do i just cover the top of the concrete in a dpc mastic paint and put a couple of coats over

as I say the walls are fine - so is the plasterboard partition wall
the cupboard inside is clean
the walls are plasterboard painted and they all look fine

the wetness is in about 4 places around the centre of the room
Like someone has placed a very wet outside of a bowl down and its soaked the top of the underlay

its just does not make any sense to me
As i would expect to see a wet patch and even black on the surface and on the underside of the underlay

 

[ETAF]

i guess no surprise to anyone -
took the underlay up - laid newspaper and its been fine

so just a coincidence - that the previous owner must have cleaned the carpet - so it was wet when moved in

took it up and next day - wet underlay - caused by my son and friend cleaning all the walls and spilling water

thanks

 

[cajar]

lol