I moved into a ground floor flat the other week, and just ripped up the carpet to find a little surprise. Below are pictures of what I think is rising damp. The chip board floor edging is all black and powdery under the carpet underlay. It washes off the surface of the chip board fine. There is no damp in the walls, and I can see the water proof membrane sticking out from under the skirting board which is solid and not rotting. The floor dosen't feel wet, or cold to touch, but it just looks like water stains. The chip board isn't swelled or warped any way and still very solid. The floor is obviously suspended on joists and the air bricks on the external walls are all intact and fine. The black stains are only on the internal joining walls of the living room and not on any external walls. The flat was built in 1993 and hasn't been occupied for a few months. It was last decorated in 2002 so I would have thought damp would have been visible through the walls. I think the carpets have been laid at the end of the 90s so is it just the underlay rotting away? There is no damp smell.
Can anyone suggest what this is and is it anything to worry about?
Living room, under underlay
Living room under carpet
Hall
It looks wet but is dry to touch.
Can anyone suggest what this is and is it anything to worry about?
Living room, under underlay
Living room under carpet
Hall
It looks wet but is dry to touch.
