Hi,
I manage a small block of 12 flats where we have a leak and I can't identify where its coming from. I have a few ideas tho.
The building has ground, 1st and 2nd floors and then a penthouse on the 3rd floor that takes up about half of floor space.
Back in June a large leak emerged in the corridor of the 2nd floor. This was quickliy identified as a shower leak from the penthouse above. It had leaked a few years ago and had a dodgy seal and had never been fixed properly. That shower wasnt then used again until it was fixed this week. The water in the corridor has since dried out and theres no sign of any more water and damp in that area.
However, back in June the owner of an apartment on the 2nd floor that is close but not beneath the penthouse also complained of a damp patch in his flat. I looked at it and took some photos.
Photo 1 shows the damage in the apartment back in June and now. By removing a light fitting I could see how the water was dripping down from the concrete roof above, causing the stalactites. This was obviously an old and slow leak. It is currently dripping enough to leave about 200ml a day!
Back in June I told him that we knew what the poblem was. It was the leaking shower and that it was being taken care of.
However, several weeks later he complained the damp was getting worse and when I examined the roof was still dripping and still is.
FIRST QUESTION: Could this still be water from the shower that leaked over 2 months ago? Could enough water be trapped up there that it is still soaking through the concrete and dripping down or would you expect it to have all dried out by now? If it is that water still, how long may this go on for and how could we speed up the process. Im assuming the concrete is very thick.
We then looked on the roof for signs of a problem up there.
Photo 2 shows where the leak is from the rear of the building.
Photo 3 shows the flat roof above. There was no obvious signs of a problem but the flat room is covered by several inches of insulation and then the pebbles.
The drain in the middle was full of stones so I cleared those but I don't imagine that would be the problem, as surely the water should have still drained through easily enough.
By removing another light in the corridor I could see where that drain enetered the building. Photo 4 shows that and shows how there's no signs of water on the outside of that pipe.
So far we have been on the roof and poured two buckets of green dye'd water down the and around the drain. No green drips have emerged in the flat. We have also poured red dye'd water down the showers, baths and sinks of the penthouse and not seen any signs of red drips either.
I checked beneath the boiler and washing machine up there too.
So............
Could this leak still be from the old shower leak, being water trapped inside or on top of lots of concrete slowly dripping down?
Or should I be getting the roof professionally inspected? I don't want to waste money if its just residual water from the shower.
Or would you go back and focus on the penthouse?
The building is only 8 years old. Im at a loss at what to do next so any ideas would be very welcome. We don't have a huge amount of money sat in the management account so we need to be sure what actions we do take are necessary.
Thanks
I manage a small block of 12 flats where we have a leak and I can't identify where its coming from. I have a few ideas tho.
The building has ground, 1st and 2nd floors and then a penthouse on the 3rd floor that takes up about half of floor space.
Back in June a large leak emerged in the corridor of the 2nd floor. This was quickliy identified as a shower leak from the penthouse above. It had leaked a few years ago and had a dodgy seal and had never been fixed properly. That shower wasnt then used again until it was fixed this week. The water in the corridor has since dried out and theres no sign of any more water and damp in that area.
However, back in June the owner of an apartment on the 2nd floor that is close but not beneath the penthouse also complained of a damp patch in his flat. I looked at it and took some photos.
Photo 1 shows the damage in the apartment back in June and now. By removing a light fitting I could see how the water was dripping down from the concrete roof above, causing the stalactites. This was obviously an old and slow leak. It is currently dripping enough to leave about 200ml a day!
Back in June I told him that we knew what the poblem was. It was the leaking shower and that it was being taken care of.
However, several weeks later he complained the damp was getting worse and when I examined the roof was still dripping and still is.
FIRST QUESTION: Could this still be water from the shower that leaked over 2 months ago? Could enough water be trapped up there that it is still soaking through the concrete and dripping down or would you expect it to have all dried out by now? If it is that water still, how long may this go on for and how could we speed up the process. Im assuming the concrete is very thick.
We then looked on the roof for signs of a problem up there.
Photo 2 shows where the leak is from the rear of the building.
Photo 3 shows the flat roof above. There was no obvious signs of a problem but the flat room is covered by several inches of insulation and then the pebbles.
The drain in the middle was full of stones so I cleared those but I don't imagine that would be the problem, as surely the water should have still drained through easily enough.
By removing another light in the corridor I could see where that drain enetered the building. Photo 4 shows that and shows how there's no signs of water on the outside of that pipe.
So far we have been on the roof and poured two buckets of green dye'd water down the and around the drain. No green drips have emerged in the flat. We have also poured red dye'd water down the showers, baths and sinks of the penthouse and not seen any signs of red drips either.
I checked beneath the boiler and washing machine up there too.
So............
Could this leak still be from the old shower leak, being water trapped inside or on top of lots of concrete slowly dripping down?
Or should I be getting the roof professionally inspected? I don't want to waste money if its just residual water from the shower.
Or would you go back and focus on the penthouse?
The building is only 8 years old. Im at a loss at what to do next so any ideas would be very welcome. We don't have a huge amount of money sat in the management account so we need to be sure what actions we do take are necessary.
Thanks
