I had a ground floor extension completed about 6 months ago. 3 months ago we noticed what looked like rising damp on some of the internal walls - paint peeling and moisture on the exposed plasterwork. The builder assured it me it was just retained water in the blockwork (the building work was done last January, the wettest on record).
Yesterday I heard the whistling of water running in a pipe in the kitchen late in the evening when everything was off in the house. There is a branch off the rising main that goes back under the floor in the kitchen and supplies the new downstairs bathroom. Closing off the isolating valve on that branch stopped the noise. I turned the valve back on and went to check the water meter (which was installed during the build and I hadn't yet looked at). It is currently reading 913551 (913 in white, 551 in red). As I understand it, in 6 months since installing that meter I have used 913 cubic metres of water. With everything turned off in the house it was still ticking over rapidly and rose by 263 in 30 minutes. I have tested it for 30 mins with this valve closed and there is a very small change in the meter.
As far as I can tell for some months now about 500L/hr, a total of more than 800 cubic meters, of water has been dumped from my internal plumbing into the solid floor. I assume it has tracked along the damp-proof course and is coming out on the internal walls.
The floors were liquid screed laid over the oversite which was over a thick layer of celotex. The living room adjacent to the kitchen has underfloor heating with some extra insulation on top of the oversite. Amazingly considering the volume that has gone in none of the carpets are wet and the laminate floor in the living room is not distorted.
The builder is round tomorrow with the plumber to try to find the leak but mainly I would like advice about the damp. I am also going to get in touch with my insurance company
- what is the effect on a solid floor of having this much water dumped into it?
- will the underfloor insulation ever get dry?
- does the floor need ripping up and re-doing or can we wait for it to dry out?
- if all the moisture is held above the damp-proof membrane will we ever get rid of it
- does anyone have any experience with Thames Water in a situation like this where I am anticipating an astronomical water bill?
Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks
Yesterday I heard the whistling of water running in a pipe in the kitchen late in the evening when everything was off in the house. There is a branch off the rising main that goes back under the floor in the kitchen and supplies the new downstairs bathroom. Closing off the isolating valve on that branch stopped the noise. I turned the valve back on and went to check the water meter (which was installed during the build and I hadn't yet looked at). It is currently reading 913551 (913 in white, 551 in red). As I understand it, in 6 months since installing that meter I have used 913 cubic metres of water. With everything turned off in the house it was still ticking over rapidly and rose by 263 in 30 minutes. I have tested it for 30 mins with this valve closed and there is a very small change in the meter.
As far as I can tell for some months now about 500L/hr, a total of more than 800 cubic meters, of water has been dumped from my internal plumbing into the solid floor. I assume it has tracked along the damp-proof course and is coming out on the internal walls.
The floors were liquid screed laid over the oversite which was over a thick layer of celotex. The living room adjacent to the kitchen has underfloor heating with some extra insulation on top of the oversite. Amazingly considering the volume that has gone in none of the carpets are wet and the laminate floor in the living room is not distorted.
The builder is round tomorrow with the plumber to try to find the leak but mainly I would like advice about the damp. I am also going to get in touch with my insurance company
- what is the effect on a solid floor of having this much water dumped into it?
- will the underfloor insulation ever get dry?
- does the floor need ripping up and re-doing or can we wait for it to dry out?
- if all the moisture is held above the damp-proof membrane will we ever get rid of it
- does anyone have any experience with Thames Water in a situation like this where I am anticipating an astronomical water bill?
Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks