Water under parquet floor

[Garyivy]

Been renovating a property for the best part of 12 months and I assumed, incorrectly, that I had solved our damp issue.

This image was of the floor before any work was undertaken

Since then we’ve had new wooden doors, repointed the mortar outside as that was failing and dug away to give it some room to breathe.

Repaired and repointed the bricks above

Dug out under the doors as the patio was just collecting water and I assumed causing the damp floor issue

Internally we’ve now got this

The blocks that I’ve lifted to the right had damp (arguably water) underneath them but I’m at a loss as to what’s causing it as the red circles images almost show the blocks drying out - November below which shows water staining

When repointed have I locked water in?
Is the floor below the parquet letting water through?
Is it just rising damp from outside (a very old dpc I think) which is then penetrating and collecting internally?
Damp sub floor?

Any help really, MASSIVELY, appreciated.

Thank you

 

[JohnD]

Quite likely a water leak.

I suppose the floor is concrete

There is probably a bed of tar or bitumen under the parquet, which is resistant to moisture. Water may be tracking on it. I'd start by removing the rows by the door and the radiator, you may see where it is coming from.

If it is actually coming up through the floor, there may be a leaking pipe. It does not look like damp to me. Look for damp walls.

 

[Mr Chibs]

Poor bugger, lot of work in that floor

What is the ground level like outside the parquet flooring, is it lower than the parquet? Can you take a photo please.

It does look like a fair bit of water.

Once you've sorted this, you might be able to oxalic acid to remove some of the black areas on your floor.

 

[Garyivy]

Thank you both for replying

There aren’t any water pipes close apart from the radiator you see and the leak wasn’t bad if I’m honest.

I can feel moisture on the edge of the blocks to the left as well so some way to travel.

There’s a gradual slope in the direction of the arrow but water all around the black area which likely runs all the way across the door area.
Also the line you see is the dpc membrane that spans underneath the door and water on top of this too which I’d think would be near impossible if that’s the highest point and plastic between the concrete sub floor and the moisture above it. Maybe see better in this image.

Outside image too which may help. This has been repointed and dug out which I thought would help the issue.

Thanks again, appreciated.

 

[JohnD]

Very wet next to the door frame so probably rain penetration. Take up more of the parquet so you can see it.

 

[Garyivy]

That’s what I’m hoping, John.

Not sure how though. The roll of dpc is underneath the frame and away from the drip tray, ground next to the brick has been dug away and the brick itself repointed.

Could it be a case of the rain rising up through the ground externally and because of no dpc it’s penetrating through the wall and underneath the floor?

 

[Odds]

Would treatment of the brickwork under the door prevent water penetration from outside?
The ground below looks dry.

 

[Garyivy]

It does look dry I agree but with some rain can look like this

The back of the house is almost at the bottom of a fair few houses too so water will naturally flow towards us as well as the garden sloping.

 

[Mr Chibs]

On the photo showing the bitumen is that water on the bitumen or just an old stain.

I would have guessed one contributor would have been moisture being wicked from the solid brickwork, but looks like too much to be that.

Have you suspended floor in other rooms, are they dry? Wondering if the water table is high.

Just seen that photo, you need a French drain for example, this could aid with shifting that amount of water.

New door looks good


Is there any guttering loose, or is this just run off from the slabs?

 

[Garyivy]

Thanks Mr Chibs,

Yeah it’s water, so a fair bit frustratingly, although it rained quite a lot in a short space of time yesterday and those pictures were last night.

There haven’t been any recent internal leaks and no other pipe work close. No other damp floors in the house but all the other outside areas can drain away, the rear of the house almost butts up to the water flow downhill.

French drain will be done, along with injectable dpc along the brick work.

In my mind it’s either rising through the sub floor and bitumen, but it’s coincidental that it’s by a problematic back door.
Or it’s coming in through the external brickwork which hasn’t got a dpc as far as I can see.

 

[JohnD]

Silicone injection will not repair the source of water.

It's not a "damp" problem.

 

[Garyivy]

Even if the source of water is rising through the external brickwork and penetrating under the internal floor?

 

[Mr Chibs]

I'm in a solid brick property, not sure I would worry about injecting anything, you need to deal with that amount of water first.

Possibly lower patio and take it further back. Perhaps Acco drain along wall, but French drain my serve you better.

Don't think you'd get that much water rising through your floor, it looks loads. Mind you, you can never say never!

 

[JohnD]

Even if the source of water is rising through the external brickwork and penetrating under the internal floor?

That doesn't cause puddles a foot above ground level.

Rain entry round the frame or sill could cause that

Or a leaking pipe or gutter

Not "damp brickwork"

 

[JohnD]

In the first pic you posted, looking through the glazed door, the foot of the ?kitchen? wall is green with long term damp. Why?

And in the same pic, the wall on the left has a mountain shaped damp mark

Where is this water coming from?

Stand back and take a wider outdoor pic that includes downpipes and drains.