Any ideas

[Guitar_man]

I've been working in a downstairs room and took this pic.
Does it look like anything is odd here? I put a hydrometer on the floor above the line and it reads 80%. It's an outside wall but I don't think there is any pipes underneath, could this be wet? Or is it just marks on the concrete?

Untitled

• Guitar_man
• 9 Mar 2014
• 1

I've recently been plastering in the room I removed some boxing that was rotten, and noticed there seems to be a channel which caught my attention.

 

[Guitar_man]

Bump.
If I'm concerned this is wet, what initial investigative steps would you take?
Have I got any options to waterproof the floor?
TIA.

 

[conny]

Can't tell if its wet from your picture, (in fact took me a minute to realise your pic was side on), but first question is, has there been something standing on that spot? i.e. cupboard or piece of lino etc. That would stop air circulation and possibly cause condensation to form there.

Can it be scrapped off with a good scraper/wire brush? As for 'treating' the floor I suppose you could coat it in bitumen and then lay some sort of timber flooring over this.

As I am not a builder I'm just giving you my thoughts on this.