Mould caused by leaking pipe

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Dorset
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A few months ago I discovered a leaking isolation joint under my bath, that had been slowly dripping for many months. The leak was fixed immediately, but since then there has been a smell of damp/mould that comes and goes.

The leak soaked through the floorboards and came through the ceiling below. Therefore a lot of areas that I cannot see, let alone access, become very wet for a prolonged period of time.

I very much suspect there is mould down there, but I don't have a clue how to get it it. Do I have to start tearing up tiles and pulling up the floorboards? Obviously I don't want to go down this route unless I absolutely have to.

Strangely the smell completely goes away for days, and then suddenly comes back with avengeance. I haven't found a link to what causes it yet, although i think it might be condensation (it is an internal bathroom) after a shower.

I'm mostly worried about our health, but I also want to eliminate the odour. I've searched online for companies that deal with this, but so far I haven't found anyone other than on firm that want to charge £875 to come and carry out a survey.

Any advice would be very gratefully received, as I am stuck with how to move forward at the moment.
 
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If it's been dripping for 'months' then I'd be concerned about rot in the joists
 
I hadn't thought it would have been enough water/long enough for the joists to rot, but obviously I'm now even more concerned about that.
 
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This leaking joint......is it visible with the bath panel off? I appreciate its fixed now, but expose the area to air and see if the pong is actually coming from there.
There won't be any sign of damp now I guess but it would be worth looking at any timbers in the vicinity.
John :)
 
Ventilation is key at present. If you cant see or access it, how do you know if there is a plentiful supply of air getting in there to help the drying process? Personally with the symptoms you describe, I would want to investigate thoroughly to see what exactly is going on, and if there are any further problems that need to be dealt with. Survey companies can only survey what they can see, you'll still have to pull things apart to look any deeper and you dont need to pay anyone for something you can then see yourself. ;)
 
Yes it is visible with the panel off. I have had the panel back on for a couple of months now, because i thought it was dry.

Perhaps all the symptoms are purely the smell of damp still then? How can I help it ventilate more? Like I say, it is an internal bathroom, which obviously doesn't help, although I have had windows nearby open and was running a dehumidifier most days for a long time.

Pulling things apart is going to comprise taking up the tiled floor, the plywood underneath and then the floorboards :(
I'm not competent enough at DIY to do that myself, so looks like I'm going to have to pay someone to come and do it, and then undo it!

It's quite tempting just to leave it and hope it goes away, because this seems like a mammoth and hugely expensive job just to get rid of an intermittent smell (but also potential health hazard). I want to take the plumber who installed the joint to court, but I went off that idea when I posted here before and got told that basically I stand no chance against a professional plumber!
 
Oh, also I had the idea that I will drill a hole in the floorboard under the bath (the only area I can access that isn't tiled), and insert a borescope down to see if I can see any mould. At least this way I can have a look without ripping up tiles!
 
Its usually possible to lift a board under the bath, without disturbing the feet and drain, etc.
There's also a route in through the kitchen ceiling.......
John :)
 
Yes, I was wondering if through the ceiling might be a better bet...
However, the mould could be between the floor tiles and the floorboards?
 
Very unlikely...the water will have entered the ceiling void big time, as it was visible on the ceiling below.
Is there no chance of lifting just one board, maybe? It would save you much upheaval! If it was mine, I'd like to see what was going on I think.
John :)
 
It will be hard to lift a floorboard under the bath I think. The photo below shows it's quite tight.

I'll take the side of the bath off again though later and see if I can do it. I suppose I could cut a section of floorboard away? It won't matter if it's under the bath, and it would help with the drying process anyway? (If it is still wet under there).

I hope I don't find rot :/

View media item 94081
 
Ok you have stopped the suspect leak, good but you may have more leaks somewhere near. More info required, is it a tank feed system or pressurised.

Check the waste system to eliminate that as the photo shows that it could be possible for the soil pipe if connected to the bath may cause a problem. you can get access to the void under the floor by cutting this using a large hole saw making sure nothing is underneath, making an inpection hole for camera on a mob phone or mirror to see whats what.

Then get a dehumidifer and leave for a week or two to dry out with hole not covered that should sort it, hopefully. Then get rid of that iso valve and put in a placky push fit full bore lever type one or at least support it.

Where abouts in Dorset are you?
 
I did wonder if it was possible that there is another leak. This would explain why the smell comes and goes too?

Bearing in mind that the initial leak was back in May, and we are now mid-September, if it is still all wet down there then surely mould is guaranteed? And from what I have read, it won't just go away when the it dries out - it must be removed. Also, is rot in the joists now a very real concern?

I could fit a plastic push-fit valve - just out of interest though why will that help? Is it less likely to leak again?

I'm in Swanage.
 
Why are there still drips under the isolator, Mr. T?
Can you expose the bath drain for us?
Sticking my neck out I know, and many will disagree but a months leaking isn't guaranteed to develop rot, so lets concentrate on how to get a view underneath the bath.
John :)
 

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