Any idea what caused this to wooden floor

Bendy_House

Hawdy said:

It’s in the corridor next to the bathroom. I checked bathtub and no leak that I can make out. Do you think the damage was from above eg a spill, or from below maybe a leak that I can’t see from a pipe. 

When you place a straight-edge - eg a ruler - across these areas, are there raised areas like it looks to have, or I described?

If that was super-cheap laminate, then I could - just about - put the damage down to repeated wet feet or something similar! But that laminate looks decent - it has a textured grain, for example - so my gut says there's something more serious going on.

I suspect that there's a constant amount of water that's finding its way underneath the laminate (which I presume is floating and not glued down?), and is just happening to 'pool' in that spot rather than anywhere else. It is therefore swelling the laminate boards from below.

What flooring is down in the bathroom? Is there any way that there's a drip - from a supply pipe or from a waste pipe - making its way down and through that flooring layer, and then along the sub-floor until it ends up in the corridor?

Bendy_House

Proper repair involves replacing the damaged boards... Can you still get them?

Grizzlebeard

The grain pattern on the planks repeats and is identical on each plank. They are plastic laminated T&G MDF/chipboard. The surface is waterproof, and the swelling near the centre line of the boards rather than the exposed edges implies the water swelling the boards is coming from below rather than dribbled between the cracks. (The edges of the boards are drying quicker through evaporation so less "swelled". If you have underfloor heating it's developed a leak I'm afraid (but might be mains a water pipe.). The uneven gaps between the boards have been caused by repeated swelling and contraction.

A small leak has probably been there for months or more rather than  days or a week or two. It takes some time for water to penetrate deep into MDF and make it swell that much.

Ganga

Can you lift a couple and look underneath ?

JohnB47

In the room under the problem areas, are there any stains on the ceiling? I had a leak in a joint on the pipe feeding flush water to the loo bowl and it took a long time (weeks or months) before marks on the ceiling below appeared. When I investigated, a wide area of joists and floorboards in the bathroom were soaked. I would go with Gangas advice and lift some flooring and have a look/feel.

Hawdy

Bendy_House said:

Hawdy said:

It’s in the corridor next to the bathroom. I checked bathtub and no leak that I can make out. Do you think the damage was from above eg a spill, or from below maybe a leak that I can’t see from a pipe. 

When you place a straight-edge - eg a ruler - across these areas, are there raised areas like it looks to have, or I described?

If that was super-cheap laminate, then I could - just about - put the damage down to repeated wet feet or something similar! But that laminate looks decent - it has a textured grain, for example - so my gut says there's something more serious going on.

I suspect that there's a constant amount of water that's finding its way underneath the laminate (which I presume is floating and not glued down?), and is just happening to 'pool' in that spot rather than anywhere else. It is therefore swelling the laminate boards from below.

What flooring is down in the bathroom? Is there any way that there's a drip - from a supply pipe or from a waste pipe - making its way down and through that flooring layer, and then along the sub-floor until it ends up in the corridor?

It’s definitely morphed and starting to round a bit, as opposed to being straight and flat. I’ve contacted the building developer and will see if they can send a pack or direct me to the manufacture. But building is over 13 years old now so not holding my breath it’s still being made. 

Took a picture of the boiler pressure and it’s high. I’m used to equalising normal gas boilers but this one is an electric boiler . 

 

Hawdy

Bendy_House said:

Hawdy said:

It’s in the corridor next to the bathroom. I checked bathtub and no leak that I can make out. Do you think the damage was from above eg a spill, or from below maybe a leak that I can’t see from a pipe. 

When you place a straight-edge - eg a ruler - across these areas, are there raised areas like it looks to have, or I described?

If that was super-cheap laminate, then I could - just about - put the damage down to repeated wet feet or something similar! But that laminate looks decent - it has a textured grain, for example - so my gut says there's something more serious going on.

I suspect that there's a constant amount of water that's finding its way underneath the laminate (which I presume is floating and not glued down?), and is just happening to 'pool' in that spot rather than anywhere else. It is therefore swelling the laminate boards from below.

What flooring is down in the bathroom? Is there any way that there's a drip - from a supply pipe or from a waste pipe - making its way down and through that flooring layer, and then along the sub-floor until it ends up in the corridor?

It’s definitely morphed and starting to round a bit, as opposed to being straight and flat. I’ve contacted the building developer and will see if they can send a pack or direct me to the manufacture. But building is over 13 years old now so not holding my breath it’s still being made. 

Took a picture of the boiler pressure and it’s high. I’m used to equalising normal gas boilers but this one is an electric boiler . 

 

Bendy_House

Hawdy said:

It’s definitely morphed and starting to round a bit, as opposed to being straight and flat. I’ve contacted the building developer and will see if they can send a pack or direct me to the manufacture. But building is over 13 years old now so not holding my breath it’s still being made. 

Took a picture of the boiler pressure and it’s high. I’m used to equalising normal gas boilers but this one is an electric boiler . 

 

You have 'wet' electric UFH? And on that floor? In which case suspicion has to fall there, surely?

The high pressure shouldn't have 'caused' this - the system should be able to more than cope - but it might possibly have aggravated a poorly-made joint.

Obviously, you need to sort out the high pressure issue asap, in any case. Does your system have an expansion vessel (it must do)? If so, good chance that is at fault.

Meanwhile, the 'leak' and damaged flooring - that is surely an insurance job? Just hand the task over for them to sort. If they cannot find identical flooring, then... enjoy your new floor...

(If you can get a make and name for this flooring, try a Google for spare boards - I understand there are companies that specialise in keeping discontinued stock. Also try eBay.)

Hawdy

Thanks to all for the feedback 

All leak detectors are booked until early Jan. Arranging for some to check the underfloor system, sort the pressure, fix an actuator etc. 

One thing I’m thinking of. Earlier this year there was a problem with the drainage in the bathroom. Basically food from other apartments overflow into the bathtub. My plumber checked it and said it was to do with the “main stack” and it was down to the building management to repair. Building management sent their plumbers to look and repaired it, the building management didn’t charge me and said the problem was in main stack. 

1) could it be old leaking from that
 2) could the buildings plumbing firm have damaged pipes when doing their work which is now causing the leak. 

The work was done in September. 

If any of the above should the building management or their plumbing firm be liable 

Bendy_House

Purely guesswork at the moment. Yes, of course it could be any of these things.

But until someone lifts these boards, I fear guesswork is all you have.

I'd have thought that 'waste' water would have caused an odour as well?

Yes, if it's part of the communal system, it should be covered by the building management's insurance. But, I'm pretty sure the making good of the floor would still come down to your contents' insurance - that's usually the way it works.

I think I'd still go at this by making an insurance claim, because they will almost certainly be needed to sort the effects of the leak in any case. Should they find it's been caused by part of the 'communal' plumbing system, then they will pass that part of the repair to them.

Pretty sure that's how it works, but you should have a good read of your policy.

On the 'pressure' issue, is it that high all of the time, or only when the system is hot and running? Has it required pressure 'top-ups' over the past while?