Damp in floor

[Stotty1]

Hi

We are going through some building work and upon taking the Lino up in our kitchen we found the floor to be very wet along the outside wall.

When we had the adjacent kitchen wall removed we found the cavity to be filled with what looks like concrete, as high as a couple of courses above the dpc.
Using a hammer and chisel I managed to clear the cavity of the little section of wall that was left next to the wall that was removed, but obviously couldn't go around the corner to clear the remaining wall.
I am pretty certain the cavity is filled above the dpc along the wall in question.
Could this cause the floor to be as damp as it is?

If so who do I contact to rectify this problem?

We have just had the walls dot and dabbed and are due the kitchen to be fitted in a weeks time.
Should the new dot and dab be okay?
Should we hold off on getting the kitchen fitted?

We did get a damp company out a couple of years ago as we were getting mould on this wall, they told us the dpc was shot and they wanted to inject it.
Although we were warned by others to stay away from the injected dpc as it's not solving the issue and it was probably condensation as it's in the kitchen so never acted on it.

Below I have added a photo of the cavity before I cleared it and of the wall in question to give you an idea of where I am talking about.
The wet floor is not very obvious in the photos but the bottom of the lino was very wet in this area.

Sorry for the long post, any advice will be greatly appreciated as we don't want to fit a new kitchen and have it destroyed by damp.

Thanks

 

[dazlight]

Ardex na
Ardex DPM 1c
Ardex Na
That’s is our go to with that kind of sub floor.

 

[Stotty1]

Ardex na
Ardex DPM 1c
Ardex Na
That’s is our go to with that kind of sub floor.

Thank you for the reply,
Would I have to do this over the whole floor or just in the section that is damp?
Are they products I can apply myself or would I need to get someone in to lay it?
Would I need to do anything with the walls or do you think just sealing the floor will be enough?

 

[dazlight]

The whole floor. The bricks need removing 1st then filling in with na and granno with a Dpm sheet ( visqueen )
Then na up to the new screed. How long has that been down?

What flooring you having ?

 

[Stotty1]

The whole floor. The bricks need removing 1st then filling in with na and granno with a Dpm sheet ( visqueen )
Then na up to the new screed. How long has that been down?

What flooring you having ?

Sorry which bricks need removing?
The ones left in the floor from the wall removal? The builder was going to remove these and fill with screed.

The screed has been down about a month now, we were told to we had to wait 70 days until we layed a floor so laying the floor is a while off yet.
We were hoping to put LVT down.

I'm guessing I need to try and cancel the kitchen install as this can't be done with the kitchen in place?
The builder is on holiday and has booked the chippy in for next week when he returns.

Do you think it's likely coming through the floor then and not the blocked cavity in the wall?

Thanks, I appreciate your help.

 

[dazlight]

Yes bricks in the floor. Kitchen can go in yes. Just make sure only the plastic legs touch the floor.
You don’t want any end panels touching the screed

 

[Stotty1]

Yes bricks in the floor. Kitchen can go in yes. Just make sure only the plastic legs touch the floor.
You don’t want any end panels touching the screed

Brilliant, thank you

 

[JohnD]

Kitchens commonly contain water pipes and sink drains. Both contain water and are commonly buried in the floor, with drains and gullies adjacent to the outside wall

They commonly leak.

Rather than covering it up, try to find and repair the damage. It is probably close to the wettest areas.

As you have already found, silicone injections do not repair leaking pipes or broken drains.

 

[Stotty1]

Kitchens commonly contain water pipes and sink drains. Both contain water and are commonly buried in the floor, with drains and gullies adjacent to the outside wall

They commonly leak.

Rather than covering it up, try to find and repair the damage. It is probably close to the wettest areas.

As you have already found, silicone injections do not repair leaking pipes or broken drains.

There is a few pipes in the floor but I am guessing they are gas pipes as I think there may have been an old back boiler in this corner many years ago.

There is a soil pipe that runs next to the problem area though. The plumber is connecting the new sink waste into it.

I guess I would need to get someone to CCTV the drain to check this?

Thanks

 

[JohnD]

If you dig a bit you may find water round the base.

How old is the house?

 

[Stotty1]

If you dig a bit you may find water round the base.

How old is the house?

Ok thanks, should I just dig at the base of the soil pipe, inside the boxing in?

There is a concrete path and man hole behind the pipe, but the manhole has seized and won't come up.

I will try and clear as much out from the base of the pipe as I can tonight.

The house was built in 1965

 

[JohnD]

There might be a leak above that runs down the side of the pipe. It would leave marks, though. A torch and mirror would spot them. Older houses usually have a crack in the underground clay pipe where it turns from vertical to horizontal.

Or it may be a waterpipe

Or both.

 

[JohnD]

There does seem to be wet round one of the white pipes. If you take up a floorboard next to the concrete floor you will probably see what pipes pass through, and there may be evidence of damp.

 

[Stotty1]

There does seem to be wet round one of the white pipes. If you take up a floorboard next to the concrete floor you will probably see what pipes pass through, and there may be evidence of damp.

View attachment 344036

Those water pipes were layed fresh under the screed through the extension (not my favoured way to route them, but was assured it would be okay).
They are now dry in this area, I think the damp in this photo is probably from the plasterer doing the ceiling.
That photo was mainly to show how the existing cavity is filled above the Damp course.