Help needed water between two lairs of floor tiles

maloccaita

Hi all

I am hoping that someone on here can please give me some ideas as to how to solve my problem. I re-tiled my hall bathroom and kitchen floors. In my hallway damp patches seem to be working their way up my walls the plaster was affected. I got a plumber thinking I had a water leak and hired and listening device for locating any leakage in the pipes that could be causing the dampness. The main point of damp seems to be at the connecting just outside bathroom and kitchen this area seemed to be the main point.

To cut a long story short we dug up floor where the walls were damp in 3 places and exposed the water pipes and there is no water leaks all pipes are dry . We tiled on top of tiles and when digging there was moisture on top of original tile and under the new tiles so we are at a complete loss as to where this moisture is coming from.
At the min I have 3 holes in my hall floor and an dehumidifier plugged in. SO PLEASE can anyone give some advice as to where to go from here to rectify. I am fixing this out of my own pocket so no insurance involved

Boards.ie: Mark

Hi maloccaita,

Welcome to Boards. I've moved your post across to the Construction & Planning forum where people may be better able to advise.

GreeBo

You will get more replies if you post here
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=116

Calahonda52

Please tell us more about the house.
However on first reading of a not easy to follow post: is it simply the moisture from grout and tile cement, as the old tile layer would be 100% impervious?

maloccaita

The house is a terrace house we initially tiled the floor many years ago and we had no problems with moisture no damp patches on wall or anything. It is only since we tiled on top of tiles that this problem seems to have started ? I am a logical person and I cannot understand how water / moisture if forming in between the two tiles ( on top of old ones and under new tiles)

We have checked for leaks and all pipework is dry and exposed at the min. I though initially it was coming from the bathroom or hot press plumber checked all fittings in hot press also. I cannot understand where the moisture is coming from ? It seems to be gathering in one corner at door frame at bathroom in the hall side and then spreading from there.

Ajsoprano

Long shot but did he tile over the vents.

maloccaita

No vents in hallway ? any other suggestions as to what could be causing this will be extremely welcome

tradesman

Im fairly certain you have a leak. Dont assume that where the dampness shows itself is where the leak is. The water will find its way to the lowest point in the floor.
Im afraid its a trial and error situation. I once had an insurance job where it took 5 days to find the leak - even with so called leak detector companies. It came down to old fashioned detective / logic at the end of the day. I thought i had it found when took up a carpet the floor was black with damp but it wasnt the leak. Get someone with a good thermal imaging camera. This could show up the flow of the water. Check your insurance as they might cover leak & detection. Good luck anyway

maloccaita

Thank you for your help that may well be my next move

GreeBo

The water could be coming from anywhere tbh, Capillary action would exist between two sets of tiles.

I think you need to get water flowing through all your pipes/taps/rads that go anywhere near the ground floor and then start lifting the floor, following the water.

Its not fun and will make quite a mess, but its probably the only way to be sure.

maloccaita

I live in a terraced house which is a bungalow this is happening in my hallway of extension

Ajsoprano

Did leak detectors do a pressure test on pipework or did they just take the call out money and leave?

BryanF

maloccaita wrote: »

No vents in hallway ? any other suggestions as to what could be causing this will be extremely welcome

So you tiled on top of tiles?
Did you use ‘tile backer’ or ‘moisture board’ to begin with?
Do you have a mech vent in the bathroom?

maloccaita

It was a professional tiler that did the work for us, and the original floor is concrete so it will be a messy I think we will get the thermal imaging camera may be well our next move. I can hire one of these out with a local company

BryanF

maloccaita wrote: »

It was a professional tiler that did the work for us, and the original floor is concrete so it will be a messy I think we will get the thermal imaging camera may be well our next move. I can hire one of these out with a local company

Have we got this right? A ‘professional’ tiled over existing tiles?

maloccaita

Yes you got that right