bathroom condensation plastic wall coverings

[neilstait70]

I need major help. I have a small bathroom which has just been stripped and plastic cladding placed on the walls I also had plastic skirting boards and plastic door surrounds. I have a new extractor in the room and a new central heating towel rail.
Everything was fine until I shut the bathroom door and window and went on holiday. When I returned the door,bath panel and electrics in the room had been damaged by moisture which had also gone downstairs to the room below and actually swollen a door below so it would no longer close. Any ideas. the insurance company are refusing to pay out as they believe it is a enviromental issue.
The only thing we can put it down to is condensation caused by sweating of the room as the towel rail came on twice a day

So far the repair bill stands at £1000

Any advice would be appreciated

 

[JohnD]

you have a leak.

 

[neilstait70]

I don't have a leak all pipes and seals have been checked

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Then it must be magic. There is a source of moisture/water from somewhere. Condensation cannot occur without it, it is impossible. As you have suggested that the source of moisture has led to a door on the floor below expanding it would suggest a leak rather than merely condensation. It may have been a bad idea to shut the door, does your bathroom have an extract fan or trickle vent that was left shut?

 

[JohnD]

what was it like under the bath when you took the panel off? and how did you look under the shower tray?

what did you find when you looked under the floor?

how did you chip the plaster off to examine the pipes in the walls?

is there a cylinder?

 

[swingles]

Could be water that has worked its way inside from outside which would have been able to evaporate before the cladding went up. Complete shot in the dark though.

Won't be anything to do with the towel radiator heating up the room.

 

[JohnD]

what is above this damp room?

 

[wreckedit]

what is above this damp room?

Just to add

If the ceiling slopes slightly and does not have insulation above directly in contact with it then it is a cause for condensation. It then can goes down behind your cladding and cannot dry out. Hence the damp cladding.

I would suggest you look for areas that can get very cold.

I have experienced this problem in 2 clients houses and found the source of water being caused by the loft insulation being moved and not replaced and using the radiator for drying very damp clothes in an unventilated room.
Having now clad your walls maybe you should fit ventilation holes in them if possible.

I like this post because I've often thought to insulate a shower room but I can see it's not straight forward.

Let us know how you get on.?

 

[foxhole]

You have damaged electric in the room, should only be a light fitting or shaver socket so water must have come from above, so roof leaks.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Leaking roof.
Leaking pipework.
Faulty waste pipe.
Faulty guttering.
Faulty window cill.
Faulty pointing.

Please pick one or more of the above.

Once you have found the leak please come back and let us know.

Andy

 

[neilstait70]

Roof checked no leaks
loft as dry as a bone with dry dust still in place
underneath bath dry and have used the bath less the bath panel and no leaks
shower is in bath so no shower tray
electric shower pull did fail
light pull which runs extractor fan did not, the extractor fan exits through roof
if it was insulation why would there be a moisture mark around the door
the floor is wood and dry

Its a mystery I could only put it down to the room being plastic clad being sealed up for 10 days while on holiday with no ventilation as the door and window were closed and the extractor only comes on when the light comes on and the towel rail coming on twice a day to heat the room but the insurance coming would have preferred it if i had just lied and said it was a water leak

 

[swingles]

Trouble is that is doesn't have to be a gushing water leak. Just a tiny drip, possibly from central heating pipes or near them will be enough to trickle steam and increase humidity accordingly.

 

[foxhole]

A closed unused room would produce very little condensation.

 

[JohnD]

...electric shower pull did fail...

...the extractor fan exits through roof...

are there any pipes or tanks in the loft, for example above the shower pull?

Is the shower at mains pressure? What about the hot?

Did it rain while you were away? did it rain the day you checked the loft?

Are there any loops in the extractor hose where water could collect?

Where is the boiler flue?

Have you looked under the floor yet?

 

[wreckedit]

It seems to me that you've 'tanked' your room and have a water vapour leak and it cannot get away.

You must look for a heat source near water that makes water vapour.

The source of which could be in an adjoining room.

This one may need the CSI, NCIS, and MFI

I would think that even if you had paid tradesmen to do this job it would have happened. Unless they did humidity checks first.

A good one this me thinks.