Damp wood due to hole beneath kitchen floor level

[cyphex85]

Hi all,

I bought a mid 80's house and have occasionally found woodlice (and odd slug) in kitchen. I noticed the skirting boards next to the kitchen door were blackening & soft (30% on reader). Suspecting they were the attraction for the insects I've removed them to reveal the underlying plaster coming away (22% moist as per reader ) from the timer structure. The timer structure does feel damp (and registers 17% on reader) but not rotten (like the skirting). Since its timer build house I'm concerned about
1) drying out the timber to stop any further damage
2) blocking up the hole the insects were getting in through (it looks like the membrane has been pierced).
I've added some pictures the hole seems to lead to mud/sand deposits and I think that's where they are getting in.

Thank you

 

[JohnD]

you need to find the water leak, and repair it.

Is that a plumbing duct in the corner?

 

[cyphex85]

Thanks for reply. There is no plumbing that side of the kitchen on pic the left side of the corner isnt as damp as the right. I think the water is rain water coming from the outside. I've attached screenshots of a video taken from the boriscope going down the hole on the right but the quality isnt great. Cant upload video due to size.

 

[foxhole]

Your door frame is letting in rain and/or you have condensation due to poor ventilation wetting the walls etc.
Woodlice only live on rotting wood they will disappear when the damp is remedied .

 

[tell80]

Can you please post pics showing the outside of the frame and the lower wall at that corner?
Is the outside ground level lower than the inside FFL by about 150mm?

To do a proper job you will have to:
1. Remove the unit, or the plinth, on the left to expose more damp damage.
2. Pull back & lift the sheet vinyl flooring - can you see the bumpy, irregular, solid floor below the vinyl. I cant see any DPM so this could also be water damage?
3. Pull the loose wallpaper higher up the wall to expose the extent of the damp.
4. Remove all loose, stained and damaged material.
5. Cut and replace the rusting metal corner bead with a piece of plastic corner bead.

Then post a pic showing the exposed area.

 

[Nige F]

2. Pull back & lift the sheet vinyl flooring - can you see the bumpy, irregular, solid floor below the vinyl. .

tarmac ?

 

[cyphex85]

Pics of the outside of the door frame attached.

Thanks for details list of tasks for proper job.
For point 2 the flooring is tiles.

Can you please post pics showing the outside of the frame and the lower wall at that corner?
Is the outside ground level lower than the inside FFL by about 150mm?

To do a proper job you will have to:
1. Remove the unit, or the plinth, on the left to expose more damp damage.
2. Pull back & lift the sheet vinyl flooring - can you see the bumpy, irregular, solid floor below the vinyl. I cant see any DPM so this could also be water damage?
3. Pull the loose wallpaper higher up the wall to expose the extent of the damp.
4. Remove all loose, stained and damaged material.
5. Cut and replace the rusting metal corner bead with a piece of plastic corner bead.

Then post a pic showing the exposed area.

 

[JohnD]

tarmac ?

I was thinking bituminous or rubberised paint to hide (but not to cure) the damp

 

[JohnD]

please show us a wider pic of the outside, all the way up to the guttering, and including any downpipes, drains or pipes (some may be hidden under the decking)

 

[HERTS P&D]

Remove the strips of decking that is touching the brick.

Andy

 

[mrrusty]

I agree with @HERTS P&D - decking is high and much closer than the DPC than it should be. Splashing from rain is soaking the lower bricks above the DPC and making that corner continually wet. Then it gets cold, which exacerbates condensation from the inside.

 

[foxhole]

Decking is above dpc? Which would be two bricks below threshold.

 

[tell80]

OP,
Sorry for the delay in replying. Thanks for the new pics.

The existing sill could do with replacing. Replace it with an extended Pvc sill that's correct for that frame.
An extended sill will project beyond the brickwork and wont allow water to run back under the sill
The frame jambs are well sealed.
At the moment the existing sill is bringing moisture into the building.
I dont see any DPM for under the solid floor or where the DPC is located in the wall?
There's also a certain amount of splash that might be crossing the cavity? Do you have CWI?

 

[cyphex85]

Sorry for delay - weekend was busy so only got time to look at this for limited time after work.
Ive attempted to remove the decking but that is a challenge in itself in finding the screws and then removing them (a lot are stripped).
I've managed to get the raised board that was next to the door. The left hand side the decking is rotten and I can see a couple of snails so that looks like the source. Added more pics

Sound like I should leave the raised board removed and cut back the edges close to the brick wall?
What is CWI?

 

[tell80]

You have now introduced a white Pvc down pipe that seems to be discharging into gulley that goes where?
Perhaps you could stand back and pic the whole area that you've detailed so far in one pic?

Why even have the deck? It seems to have caused you nothing but trouble?
Removing the deck, and building brick steps at the doorway might be an idea for you to think about?