wet concrete floor and evidence of damp

[suerealisma]

Hi

I have noticed damp on the wall in my downstairs loo, and after removing the kids toys and toilet cleaners have now surveyed the situation! The toilet is long narrow area with one external and one internal wall. The external wall has damp on the skirting and a triangular wet area on the wall itself which is more evident when it is wet outside. the internal wall (which also has the heating pipes to the radiator) appears damp too as the paint is flaking off in places but not all over. Having pulled up the lino, the concrete floor is also wet. there is no evidence of a leak from the toilet itself that I can feel from around the back. I am not sure if it is damp from from soil/grass at the side of the house, or if it could possibly be the waste pipe from the en suite above that may have cracked under the concrete floor.

I'm not even sure who to call out to take a look, a damp expert, a plumber, a general builder????????????????????//

 

[lostinfens]

Whats the extenal ground level like in relation to the internal floor?

 

[r896neo]

If the concrete floor and interior wall are also damp then it seems much more likely to be a leaking pipe. It could be a pipe embedded in the floor? Do any pipes come up from the concrete floor?

 

[lostinfens]

Thats a consideration, but I can't visualise the waste pipe from above going into your concrete floor. Which waste is it, a toilet waste? If it's in plastic?? how did it crack?

 

[suerealisma]

Thats a consideration, but I can't visualise the waste pipe from above going into your concrete floor. Which waste is it, a toilet waste? If it's in plastic?? how did it crack?

Hi, sorry, not brilliant at descriptions. Our en-suite is above the downstairs loo, and the waste pipe from obove runs down the wall and into the floor I assume as there is no boxing for it at floor level. I can therefore only visualise it under the floor, the downstairs loo then running into it too before it leaves the property.

As regard the level of ground on the external wall - I've cleared away all the soil at the damp end, to find concrete. The damp proof course appears to be higher than the level of the internal floor/wall that is showing damp.

 

[r896neo]

has it just happened recently or do you thing it has been like this a long time and you just haven't noticed?

 

[lostinfens]

Couple of things:- ideally the dpc should be at the same level or below the finished floor level but not above. If it is then the brickwork below is open to the ground & may transmit damp. The next question is there a membrane in the floor?
It seems to me that the pipe from upstairs (4" I assume) is your soil pipe & vent possibly which probably attaches to a bend at its base, this could be the source of your problems too ie the joint or collar.
I assume that the soil pipe is close to or on the outside wall?? and that the drains run away then from the building & not under it?
Also where is the ground level in relation to the dpc?