Big damp patch on carpet

aileth

Hi all - I hope this is the right board! Our Plumber can't get to us until after the weekend thanks to other commitments and the snow, so I'm hoping to get some ideas of what this might be. OH is very DIY-minded and extremely handy so maybe we won't even need the Plumber, but I don't know!

Basically suddenly last night, we got a damp patch of probably 8 inches by 8 inches on the landing, just outside the bathroom. There is nothing leaking from above, there is nothing leaking from the bath/shower, there is nothing leaking from the boiler cupboard. It is strictly contained in this patch. There is no radiator nearby.

We have lifted the carpet and the underlay is absolutely sopping wet. There's some sort of board underneath the underlay and it's almost like it's sweating? Like the water is condensing upwards almost, but it seems awfully wet to just be condensation and in such a specific area.

I have googled it and a lot of people say possibly a small leak in a pipe facing upwards, but these people also say there should be some evidence of said leak in the room below. There is absolutely nothing! It's definitely not a spilled drink or such like as it wasn't there in the morning leaving work and was only there after I had got home (no one else was at home). It has remained wet since! Definitely not animal pee either, we have done the 'smell' test!

Please help?

pinkteapot

Are you sure it's not dripping from the ceiling above the carpet? Our upstairs hall carpet got soaked by a leak in the loft that was dripping from the edge of the loft hatch.

Assuming it's not coming from above, it must be coming from below. All you can do is lift the floorboard and have a look underneath... Pretty sure that's what your plumber will do.

aileth

It's going to be tricky getting the floorboard up, going to have to remove all of the carpet on the landing, a corner of which is stuck under the carpet edging in the bathroom door thanks to our cowboy house builders jamming and bending nails in and then GLUING them down!!!

Plasterer

Pierce a small hole in the ceiling below ( keep a bucket handy) it can take a couple of days for the water to appear through a ceiling when there is a pipe leak

Sorry im assuming the leak is on upstairs level

aileth

Yes, it's on the first floor, sorry!

Chunks

The ceiling will likely bow too and will feel damp then start to drip..

What boiler do you have? If condensing (for example) is there a drop in water pressure? If the boiler isn't on, the typical setting is 1 bar? If the pressure is normal (and doesn't drop) you're probably talking of an issue with either the hot or cold supply.

Agree that lifting the boards is likely what your plumber OH will need to do...

Good luck (leaks suck or is it blow)?

Plasterer

Pierce a small hole in the ceiling with a screwdriver directly underneath I gaurentee water will come through (do keep the bucket handy) the hole only has to be tiny Si you can patch it easily yourself once the pipe is fixed

Plasterer

I would do this sooner rather than later so the water doesn't spread right across the ceiling and damage the lot which could result in an expensive ceiling refix

aileth

Going to do it as soon as I get home from work, bloody nightmare! Thanks so much

pinkteapot

One thought - do you have trace and access cover on your home insurance? That would cover the cost of finding the problem. Although you know the location of it, it's going to be a little time-consuming for the plumber to get the floorboards up from what you said.

Insurance won't cover the repair cost of the pipe itself if it's just old and corroded. However, some policies will cover the cost of repairs needed due to the leak of water (eg if the ceiling below does need repair work).

Might be worth checking your policy paperwork to see what cover you've got (and what the excess for it is). May not be worth claiming for a job this size but you never know.

Plasterer

If you say your hubby is good at diy (once you've peirced a hole and established it is definitely a pipe leak) whey not get him to cut a piece of the ceiling out say 8 inches square then the plumber can get to it from bellow. As long as you have smooth ceilings and not artex it is s really simple fix to put the ceiling right and I can easily talk you through how to do it.