Damp near floor (soil stack)

[Smudge01]

Hi,

As you can see there is considerable damp around the bottom of our stack in our Dining Room so I removed the skirting and felt inside. The concrete around the bottom of the stack is wet (not soaked) I turned on the bath and sink in the bathroom above and shone a torch in behind the skirting. I was expecting to see water appear - but nothing! I could get my fingers around the stack, it was dry so the water is not coming down the stack. The area doesn't smell by the way.

There is nothing wrong outside; the grass is well below dpc and there are no signs of water ingress.

It appears the only way water is getting in, is it's coming up from the concrete slab.

Does anyone have any other ideas how this area maybe getting wet please?

Also, if my guess is right, the fix for this is pretty massive I'm thinking; pull up the carpet, break out the concrete slab in the corner find the faulty join on the pipe, etc.

Any guidance or input whatsoever would be really helpful, thank you in advance.

 

[JohnD]

Have a look while someone pulls the plug on a full bath.

Tie kitchen roll tightly round the pipe above floor level

Is the water supply pipe in that duct?

You may as well cut away the bottom foot of that boxing-in so you can see (and photograph) better.

Pull back the carpet and show us the wet patch of floor, please.

 

[Madrab]

Yup .... you need a better look. The area is damaged now anyway and needs replaced so no reason not to open it up properly.

 

[Smudge01]

Thanks guys. It will have to be the weekend when I look at it. Great advice mind.

 

[aveatry]

I would agree with others turning the tap on may not be enough. My first thoughts is that it could be a leak at the junction between the brown underground soil pipe and the black above ground stack. Which I think should be just above ground. I would first only remove the plasterboard to the height of the skirting and see what you can see and that way if you can see and sort the leak the plasterboard repair will mainly be behind the skirting.

Also if it turns out to be a leak at a seal just there then I would not repair the plasterboard directly behind the skirt and leave the skirting so I can remove it and monitor my seal repair.

 

[Smudge01]

Great advice, thank you. I'll be back at the weekend and I'll start the diagnosis then.