Damp / Leak ???

[catsy]

Hi all

I live in a 1937 semi detached house with suspended timber floors in lounge and dining room. The hall and kitchen are concrete (terrazzo) - I believe the term is.

I have 2 large dark damp patches on the two internal walls in the lounge and dining room adjacent to the hall and kitchen. These do not dry out despite windows open / fires on etc. I have noticed an odd smell first thing in a morning when I come down stairs.

Plumber has fitted isolation valves on my tanks on CH system - doesn't appear to be any leaks. He has also had floorboards up and looked underneath at wall in dining room and lounge. All seems OK.

Yesterday, I noticed the kitchen floor had a 'wet sheen' to it despite it being a boiling hot day. Kept wiping it and seems to have dried this morn.

This afternoon, I've taken hall carpet up and the concrete terrazzo has a 'wet sheen' to it and despite me wiping with towels, it won't dry out.

I am at a complete loss and panicking a bit. Any info / advice would be greatly appreciated.

NB - as far as a know the water supply pipe goes up the drive alongside my house. The concrete looks intact, so no water pipes under it as far as I'm aware. Drains running freely but V old.

Catsy

 

[joe-90]

Concrete is alkaline and corrodes copper pipe. The odds are that you have a corroded pipe buried in the concrete in the vicinity of the wet patches.

Do you know where the cold feed to your taps runs?

It could be in front of your stopcock at the rising main so you'll have to switch the supply off at the street to fix it. You may have to dig up the floor or at least re-route the pipe a different way when you find the leak.

 

[catsy]

Thanks Joe,

I'm no DIY expert, but mains water comes into property from drive into kitchen with stop cock just above it. Fitted units don't help, but I've had torch under there and can't see any dripping water. Also my central heating is old one pipe system with cylinder and tanks in bathroom and boiler above sink in kitchen. As I've said, with isolation valves fitted, tank water level hasn't dropped.

Not sure who to get really - plumber / builder / magician??? Is it worth getting water company out to check water pressure - would that indicate leak? I'm not on a water meter so have no way of knowing.

Catsy

 

[joe-90]

Is your soil pipe anywhere near? You say it smells 'funny'.