Water under vinyl in Kitchen

[RrogerD]

Hi,

I know this has been covered before but I'm struggling to find exactly what I need.

I am refurbing an 1850's property. On lifting the sheet vinyl in the Kitchen and adjacent downstairs Bathroom there was clearly visible damp patches on the surface beneath. The under surface consists of vinyl tiles in the Bathroom and some form of stone / ceramic floor tiles in the Kitchen. The vinyl was of course also mouldy on the under side.

What to do going forward?

I suspect due to the age of the property that there is no DPM. I also suspect though that the damp may be condensation rather than rising damp. These solid floors are always cold.

I really do not wish to be chiseling up the under tiles and re-screeding / levelling etc. Would it be acceptable to paint a liquid DPM onto the tiles and then vinyl on top ? Would a thin, insulative under layer be a solution for the condensation issue?

Any thoughts within the wealth of experience on here would be very much appreciated.

Cheers,

R

 

[bobasd]

was the bathroom sheet vinyl a perimeter stickdown?
are you sure thats individual vinyl tiles in the b/r?

have you checked bboth rrooms for leaks?
is ther a extractor in the kit or b/r? bothrooms need powerful extractors.

why not clean off an dry the surfaces best you can and watch and wait to see if damp returns.
what you propose, tanking in effect, would be tricky on them surfaces and def no new vinyl sheet or tile.

 

[RrogerD]

Hi bobasd, Thanks for your prompt reply.

The vinyl was not sealanted around the edges, although it may have been around the loo and basin. I guess it could have been water ingress from leakage etc. I've had the vinyl up for a couple of weeks or so and there's no sign of any return surface wetness although tbh we're in the middle of the warmest, driest summer we've known for some time. Also, with no vinyl on top the area would be breathing nicely. I haven't tried poking a damp meter in anywhere as yet.

When you say 'defo no new vinyl sheet or tile', why do you say this?

I don't intend keeping either Bathroom or Kitchen floors as they are, they would be cold under-foot and are also pretty grotty tbh.

Cheers

 

[dazlight]

How old is your house ?
I’d say it could be due to having no effective dpm under the quarry tiles.

 

[bobasd]

OP, i can see perimeter adhesive in your bathroom photo.perimeter stickdown has nothing to do with using sealants such as the white silicone around the fixtures.
why do i say that, because doing the same thing again you would presumably end up with the same situation.
the best practice for all flooring wotk is good prep. iow take it back to basics and work up from ther

 

[WabbitPoo]

Respectfully, the whole place looks like a shabby mess, so presumably you're going to rip pretty much everything out and start again? That'll give you the chance to see what's down there and take remedial action then. Looks like a fun project!

 

[RrogerD]

What!! This is my pride and joy!
Only kidding. Yes, a full re-furb.
Agreed, it'd be lovely to rip everything out back to a bare shell and start again, but that's just not business sense.
And so it's either £2k (?) now to fix the floor properly or instead, a coat of Black Jack and new lino (£150) every 5 years. That's 60 odd years! I certainly won't be around by then.
Thanks anyway for your thoughts though everyone.