Damp Wall Adjoining Neighbours Kitchen?

esmy

An alcove in our dining room adjoins my neighbours kitchen (Victorian terraced houses). The houses are built on a hill so our floor level is around 2 ft below theirs.There is a broad 'stripe' of damp across the rear wall of the alcove which doesn't seem to extend to the chimney breast return wall or the outside wall. Below and above the stripe is dry. It's about the height their kitchen floor would be.

We can't find any obvious cause for this from outside (leaking gutters etc) or inside our house and think there may potentially be some kind of leak in our neighbours. We get on well, I've explained the problem and had a look in their kitchen but nothing obvious there (sink and washing machine are on another wall). Short of dismantling their kitchen which of course they haven't offered to do, I can't think what to do next.

Any suggestions? Is it likely to be from the neighbours or any other possibilities? What trade would be best to investigate? Any help much appreciated.

Doozergirl

Do they have a solid floor or a suspended one?

esmy

Doozergirl wrote: »

Do they have a solid floor or a suspended one?

Not sure- our kitchen floor is solid, so I imagine theirs is the same

cyclonebri1

There is an obvious answer, and i think you have an "inkling"


Water is flooding their floor and impregnating your shared wall. They are possibly not even aware of this.

There is an equally obvious answer, talk to/go round and ask them to check, no confrontation at this stage:beer:

esmy

I have spoken to them - as I said we get on well and have been neighbours for 15 years. I suspect that there is a leak they know nothing about and isn't causing any obvious issue on their side of the wall.

Any further investigation would mean gaining access under/behind their fitted kitchen units, which I know they won't be too keen on doing as it's a very expensive kitchen. Would taking off the kickboards be a start as it wouldn't cause much disruption? I really dont want to fall out with them over this.

cyclonebri1

esmy wrote: »

I have spoken to them - as I said we get on well and have been neighbours for 15 years. I suspect that there is a leak they know nothing about and isn't causing any obvious issue on their side of the wall.

Any further investigation would mean gaining access under/behind their fitted kitchen units, which I know they won't be too keen on doing as it's a very expensive kitchen. Would taking off the kickboards be a start as it wouldn't cause much disruption? I really dont want to fall out with them over this.

Taking off the "kickboards" is absolutely the place to start, if you see nothing there then its something else, doing that will not damage your neighbour kitchen, kickboards need to be removable for such as this.

Chanes

The kick boards being removed would give you a very, very good idea if there is a problem in their kitchen. I would imagine it would show something their side, though, for it to be such that it soaks through the brick wall between you?

Do you know anyone with a flexible borescope?

esmy

I've no idea what one of those is let alone who might have one! I'll ask around!