damp concrete floor

[martin1976]

hi,

i had a kitchen fitten about 3 and a half years ago.. when i ripped the old one out, there was a hole in the concrete floor about 2 inches deep.

i filled it wil concrete and thought nothing of it.

about a year later, i pulled up the lyno next to the cupboard where the hole is, and the floor is damp... i painted it with bitumin and left it again...

now the lyno is going black underneath and there is moisture on top of the bitumin. i took the kickboard off the cupboard and this is all damp through the chipboard too.

immediately to the left of the unit, after approx a 2 inch gap is a boxed in area that the soil pipe runs down.. this is also now showing black mound on the front of it... there are no smells etc anywhere, but i have noticed when i changed the door next to the boxed in area that there was a hole below the skirting... this was so deep i could insert a screwdriver in an dnot reach the bottom?!

is it likely the soil pipe is split below ground level and damp coming through the floor?

when i took the kickboard off, i could see a black damp patch accross the wall about a metre from where the pipe is all behind the unit also.. could this be damp course or cavity bridged?

house is ex council build approx 69...

 

[martin1976]

ive had dyna rod out about this yesterday...

they put a camera down the drain and said they cannot see any probs with the pipe..

they have gone through the holebathroom above and cannot find a leak.

they said it is a possibility the soil pipe is leaking a tiny amount from a join or on the bend, and have patched the bend from the inside.

the concrete all round the soil pipe is damp.

hoping the problem is now fixed, as this is the only pipe in the area...

i was just wondering though, how long will it take for the damp concrete to dry out?

is it weeks, or months?

all the woodwork from the boxing on the pipe is like mush at the bottom, so has prob been leaking for some years.

any estimates on timescale would be much appreciated.

 

[^woody^]

Its very unusual to get so much ground water through such a small hole. So a broken soil pipe may be the most likely.

It is very common for these to crack right at the floor connection or just below.

"Patches" are rarely successful, and what is normally required is that the whole section through the floor and just out of the building is replaced.

It can take many weeks for the floor to dry off naturally - it needs ventilation. But remember that this was foul water coming out. Clean the area and throw all the damaged boxing and carcases away.

Check your house insurance to see if you are covered for this repair - say its the drains rather than the soil stack if this helps

 

[martin1976]

thanks for the quick reply.

i will throw away the boxing etc when it has all dried out and box it in again...

they did seem to think that patching was better than relaying it.. they said it is easier to ensure a good seal at it is a long patch with resin on either side that is inflated and left to go off for 3 hours..

the guy told me digging it out and relaying it is more likely to disturb the joints when they backfill it all with concrete..

do you think he is talking rubbish??

my house is nearly 40 years old, so i think it has been leaking for some years..

ive pulled back the lyno to allow as much ventilation as possible without the place looking a state, and the boxing is all open around the pipe where they chopped it out..

do you think it will be dry by christmas?

the patch went from just above the collar at ground level, all the way down and around the 90 degree bend and joins at the bottom... he showed me it after with the camera.. did look pretty nifty actually...

 

[^woody^]

These can crack in the floor or at the joint below the floor. If the guy is confident that the only problem is the collar above the floor (ie has done a camera survey within the pipe) then thats fine.

But if the floor moves very slightly in the future then you are back to square one.

When these are renewed the whole section from the floor, the rest bend below and the section that comes out of the foundations below ground is replaced in plastic, and there are flexible joints at the floor/wall penetrations. It does not break when backfilled

I would keep an eye on that repair for at least a year (through the four seasons) to see if there is any further movement and related cracking

If you have a fan, put that on to move some air around the floor - and have a window open. Heat will help too, but it will obviously cost more if you use a fan heater or suchlike. It may dry by Christmas Eve

 

[martin1976]

he couldnt really see what the problem was from the camera... said the pipe looked ok..

i think he is assuming it is a join or crack in the plastic..

he seemed to give the impression they repair quite a few like that so im not too worred about it breaking, its all on the dyna rod site too so i guess it must be pretty reliable?

the concrete does seem worse the deeper down though so i would have thought it was lower than ground level? he did say that its highly unlikely the water will travel upwards so i suppose it could well be at collar level actually...

 

[libby lou lou]

Just to re-assure you, these will not break, the patches, too flexi, iv'e seen one on you tube, belted with a sledge, the pipe itself shattered, didn't even crack the patch. Don't worry.

 

[martin1976]

sounds good..i got a bit worried there.

i have a dehumidifier facing straing into the gap. it already looks dry around thepipe, im leaving it there till chrimble.. i suppose the damp that is deeper will seep up?

should beok.

 

[martin1976]

sorry 4 the english, its fri and im very drunk.

 

[noseall]

laying a non-permeable covering (lino, polythene, vinyl) onto most older floors, will yield similar results as yours.

 

[martin1976]

seems to be drying around the pipe already... ive chipped all the bitumin off the surrounding floor to let it all breathe a bit better...

fingers crossed the prob is sorted...