Squelching floorboards

[Sledgehammer7]

Good evening,

We've recently moved into a mid terraced Edwardian house in London and noticed this evening that 3 of the floorboards in the hallway are squelching and expressing water when stepped on. Next to them under the stairs, the carpet is also pretty wet.

This seems to be pre-existing, in that i took a box out a week ago from the stairs which was wet, i assumed from the mover's storage facility.
There hasn't been any rain till tonight, and the only option i can think of is the radiator next to the floorboards, which hasn't been turned on. Would welcome any advice, i'm not even sure if we should call a plumber or a carpenter!

 

[big-all]

to be honest assumptions are often very in accurate, we need to base it more on actual information
it sounds like a lot off water where it shouldn't be so sounds like its a easier to find but harder to solve ??
you need to look at the damp area and find the nearest mains or drainage water input or even ingress from outdoors and eliminate the source to solve the problem ??

 

[blup]

The radiator may be turned off but the pipes leading to it under the floor won’t be.

Water can travel along the outside of pipes so lift the relevant floorboards and trace the source, it could emanate from a radiator or nearby boiler, or be leaking in the vicinity.

A slow drip over many months can saturate the floorboards, likewise a one off local flood. I would guess the latter but either way a possible insurance claim or maybe take up with your surveyor if he missed it.

Blup

 

[Wayners]

Cracked gully in drains (catch water bit) causes water to get under house. Or burst water pipe under house

 

[Dereekoo]

Just an off chance can you hear a water leak underneath the hall floorboards. My son became aware of a low hissing sound underneath his lounge floor, on inspection with a endoscope it transpired that there was a leaking joint where the blue MDPE pipe changed to copper when it came into the house. Had to lift a section of laminate floor (to reveal soaking floorboards) remove section of floorboards and make joint good.

 

[Sledgehammer7]

Thanks for all the advice. It turns out it wasn't the radiator, but the stop cock in the under stairs cupboard next to the floorboards. Seems the previous occupants had put heavy items on it and damaged the pipe. Fixed with some thread seal tape! Very thankful it wasn't more serious