Cupboard under stairs concrete floor possible damp issue?

[wiggy11]

https://imgur.com/5hQTolF

For info it's a terraced house, gas pipes to the meter are in this space.

Cupboard under stairs was full of stuff, mostly standing on the floor. I noticed salt crystals on lower bricks and paint flaking, also mold on outer walls (left).
I should have taken a before pic, but this is after tidying it all up, scraping the flaking paint off the wall, and taking up what was a carpet on the floor.
There seemed to be damp patches under the carpet, and the underlay for carpet was quite stuck to the concrete, but not long after tidying the patches seemed to have gone.

I'm just wondering if its due to bad circulation of air, it was pretty crammed, there isn't an air brick in here, so lack of air circulation. But also wonder if damp may be creeping up walls a bit?
Apart from a few bricks which had a bit of a crumbling surface, they are fine now I've taken the loose surface off, there isn't any other signs of real damp damage.

I'm wondering how best to prepare the floor to minimise damp issues again, ideally to put vinyl down on top of underlay due to it being quite rough concrete currently, but could do self-levelling compound and then paint floor?

 

[sircerebus666]

What pic?

 

[wiggy11]

What pic?

It's back now.

 

[JohnD]

is that an old water pipe coming up through the floor?

have you got an outside stopcock?

do you know a young person with sharp hearing?

 

[JohnD]

I'm wondering how best to prepare the floor to minimise damp issues

best course to find the source of the water and repair it.

 

[wiggy11]

is that an old water pipe coming up through the floor?

have you got an outside stopcock?

do you know a young person with sharp hearing?

No its the piping to the gas meter that is also in this space.

 

[JohnD]

tell me about the outside stopcock and the young person.

and what is on the other side of each of the three walls?

 

[wiggy11]

best course to find the source of the water and repair it.

Thats part of the mystery, not sure if water is actually seeping in from underneath, or there's just bad air circulation? This space is off the kitchen, so cooking steam etc could well get trapped in here.

 

[JohnD]

stopcock?

 

[JohnD]

not sure if water is actually seeping in from underneath

yes

so cooking steam etc could well get trapped in here.

no

This space is off the kitchen

kitchens contain water pipes and drains.

 

[wiggy11]

tell me about the outside stopcock and the young person.
what is on the other side of each of the three walls?

There aren't any water pipes near this space, only gas pipes. The outside stopcock is the other side of the house.
To the left is the outside (this wall had some mold on it and the most flaking paint on bricks.
To the right is living room.
The place I'm standing to take picture is kitchen.

 

[JohnD]

does the water pipe enter the house in the ground? therefore in or under the floor?

have you got an outside stopcock?

do you know a young person with sharp hearing?

 

[wiggy11]

kitchens contain water pipes and drains.

Yes but the pipes to water, drains and boiler outlet tap are the other side of the kitchen, at least 5 metres away from this space.

 

[JohnD]

OK, I appreciate that you are convinced that unwanted water in the floor cannot be coming from a leaking water pipe or drain.

But it usually does.

Sometimes it is due to a source on the other side of the wall.

When you find out about the stopcock and the young person we can go further.

 

[wiggy11]

does the water pipe enter the house in the ground?

have you got an outside stopcock?

do you know a young person with sharp hearing?

Mains water pipe enters house from front, this is also where stopcock is. At least 6 metres away from this space. This space is on the side of the house, where a driveway is located.
There is drainage running under this drive to the main road.
Most of house is wooden floorboards with water pipes running underneath. This floor is concrete for some reason. The boiler was replaced not too long ago and I'm pretty sure no pipes go under this concrete.

As for a young person, I'm unable to source one I'm afraid. The floor doesn't feel or seem damp now everything is out of there.