Damp underlay problem

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Hi,

We have recently bought a Victorian ground floor flat conversion.

Previous owner had a dog which apparently peed on the carpets in all rooms, so they had the carpets professionally cleaned about a year ago. The carpet is old and stains seem to be reappearing so we have lifted the carpet in one of the rooms. The carpet feels slightly damp in places, the underlay (black domed rubber back) is dampest, the wooden floorboards feel only slightly damp.

Is it possible that the underlay has never dried out after 1 year?

We have checked radiators for leaks and ceilings for leaks but nothing found. I am assuming that if there were leaking pipes under the floorboards they would be the wettest of the three (carets, underlay, floorboards).

Also, as the stains are in all rooms in patches/areas, it is unlikely that pipes are leaking in multiple places.

Anyone any thoughts or suggestions?

We have now switched the central heating on to see if the boards dry out and also to see if there is any sign of further damp on the floorboards, perhaps caused by the water circulating from the central heating. Then we we will cover the flor in newspaper to see if any dampness appears.

Hoping to avoid cutting into the floorboards unless I have to.

N.B. there was no mention of damp/moisture in the survey when we bought the property.

Thanks for any suggestions.
 
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I suspect the dog was still peeing on the carpet right upto the previous owner moved out

Personally I would be binning all the carpets and underlay , then seeing if the floor boards dry out

I would also take with a big pinch of salt the professional clean unless they had a receipt to show you
 
Thanks for your suggestions sircerebus666

We have now lifted the carpets and underlay in one room, covered the floorboards in newspaper and have put the central heating on to see if any dampness shows in the next week or so.

We moved in 6 months ago. Do you think that the underlay could still be damp after all that time, assuming the dog had been peeing on it?
 
It is possible if air can't get to it to dry it out.

Is it a sealed or open vented heating system you have?

You mention floorboards is there a basement?

If not and you have a raised floor are there air bricks to allow air circulation under the floor and are they not blocked?
 
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Thanks again, that's very helpful.

It is a combi boiler, closed system, no hot water tank. Would that change any suggestions?

It is a ground floor, Victorian conversion, wooden floorboards with no basement. There are various air bricks outside, all look to be clear, although one at the back of the property does have a large garden storage box about 6 inches away from the wall so will try and move that further away.

I am thinking that it is unlikely that a pipe would leak in multiple places under the floorboards in different rooms, plus unlikely that any leaks would be sending water upwards. So hoping it is all down to dog pee.

Hopefully having the heating on and leaving newspaper on the floor for a few days will confirm this.

Much appreciate your suggestions.
 
I'd echo Sircerebus's post, and say "get rid of everything and start again".

We've had an ongoing problem in a bedroom: not caused by dog pee but almost certainly condensation during the winter. Underlay beneath a carpet can take a very long time to dry out, even when the source of the damp has been removed (albeit temporarily in our case due to the drier, warmer weather).

Even when dry the underlay will remain contaminated and likely to give off odours, so best get shut.
 
Thanks again, that's very helpful.

It is a combi boiler, closed system, no hot water tank. Would that change any suggestions?

It is a ground floor, Victorian conversion, wooden floorboards with no basement. There are various air bricks outside, all look to be clear, although one at the back of the property does have a large garden storage box about 6 inches away from the wall so will try and move that further away.

I am thinking that it is unlikely that a pipe would leak in multiple places under the floorboards in different rooms, plus unlikely that any leaks would be sending water upwards. So hoping it is all down to dog pee.

Hopefully having the heating on and leaving newspaper on the floor for a few days will confirm this.

Much appreciate your suggestions.

The reason I asked about your heating is because if you had a leak from it , you would notice because the pressure gauge would go down so you can rule that out.

Any leaks from upstairs you would notice as stains on your ceiling , so that's out

Any leaks through the walls wouldnt affect the middle of the floor only

Water pipes aren't usually found in every room (excluding central heating) so it's a fair bet you can rule them out

Unlikely to be from underneath with a suspended floor especially as the boards are only slightly damp

Which only leaves one possibility.......
 
That's an excellent summary and conclusion, thank you!

We have checked the pressure on the boiler and that is fine. We have not had to adjust it since moving in.

......so it's got to be the dog pee (or possibly too much water when the previous owner cleaned the carpets) and the carpet/underlay has has not dried out properly even after 6 months?

Really appreciate you taking the time to reply and for all the very helpful ideas and suggestions.
 

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