concrete floor which never seems to dry!

[robgibson56]

This might seem like a strange question. I have a vestibule area with a side exterior door at the side of my house with a concrete floor. For the three years that I have lived here there has always been a large dark patch in one corner next to the outside wall. During really dry weather (very rare in Rossendale!) it gets quite light but never the same shade as the rest of the flooring i.e. always dark. When it rains it gets much darker and slightly wet to touch.

Obviously it's linked to the weather but how do I dry it out completely? Water doesn't seem to run in - the wall is solid stone!

Please help.

Thanks

 

[mattysupra]

you have a dpm or dpc breach. ( damp membrain not working basically) If it changes with rain water i would say its a bit of both in the same sort of area.
To start with do you have a dpc in the walls? I guess not if solid stone!
Is the earth on the outside wall lower than the concrete floor on the inside? Decking maybe making it higher and touching wall? Maybe a flower bed?
You need to make sure the earth or anything touching the outside is 6" below the subfloor. If this is all o.k then you will need to get a damp proofing company in to inject walls etc.

 

[robgibson56]

Thanks for your reply. It's difficult to explain but the ground outside appears to be lower. The wall sits on top of the concrete floor, the floor juts outside of the line of the wall a little bit.

 

[mattysupra]

um, different. Im away at a show next week, there maybe someone there that i know that may know more than me on this type of build. Leave it with me!
P.s i take it the side that seems to show the damp is protected from rain etc so gets worsed hit by the weather?

 

[robgibson56]

yes - the concrete gets much darker and is slightly damp to touch