Leak under the floorboards (little long)

[MotherOfHobbit]

Okay - curious to know what the mumsnet consensus on this is.

I walked into DS's room this morning and noticed the floor felt a bit odd. When I put pressure on it, it made a slightly squelchly noise.

I called my insurance - I have a Home Assistance thing included - because I thought it sounded expensive - eg. find leak, fix leak, dry out floor etc.

They sent someone round from a well known plumbing co who was quite thorough about looking for source (checked boiler/cylinder/loo/radiator etc) but couldn't find it. He agreed it definitely sounded like there was water under. Best guess is that it's one of the heating pipes under the floor.
He said we'd have to sign a disclaimer if he took up the floorboards in case they damaged them and there was no water but and this is the bit I find odd he recommended we didn't do anything yet because no water was coming up through the boards or down through the ceiling so we should probably wait until there was something obvious.

DH didn't seem concerned and agreed this was the best course of action.

I don't agree with this. There's definitely water there and I want it sorted out before it's more of a problem. I'm going to call the insurance co again in the morning and see where we go from there.

Has anyone had something similar happen? And am I right to think it's bonkers to wait until we've got water pouring out the ceiling until we do something about it?

[narmada]

No of course you're not bonkers! How odd to recommend that!

Hope you get it fixed soon.

[MiddleOfTheStreet]

you're bonkers????
would agree with narmada: you're definitely NOT bonkers. what does the plumber think will happen to the electrics in your ceiling (ceiling lights) if water is leaking through there? i think your plan to call them back in again tomorrow morning is best. hope you get it fixed soon.

[sixtiesqueen]

We had this problem a few years ago. Turned out to be a cracked sewerage pipe under our patio. The water was seeping out the pipe, through the earth and under our floorboards.

[minipie]

You're totally right. If it gets into the electrics or ceiling plaster of the room below you have a much worse (and potentially dangerous) problem. Sounds like he is more worried about potential liability for damaging your flooring than about fixing the problem ... perhaps he is hoping someone else will come out and deal with it next time and he won't have to take the risk.

[PigletJohn]

this squelchy floor - is it carpeted? Is it next to a radiator? is it upstairs or down? Is the floor chipboard or concrete?

[MotherOfHobbit]

It's wood floors - probably about two metres from a radiator but in the room next to the toilet. I went round in a few circles with the insurance co -got some more odd advice but have finally found a resolution.
Turns out that the insurance wont pay out unless there is 'visible damage' which there isn't - only the squelchy noise.
Ultimately after much phone calls and speaking to the manager at the co - we'll have to pay for the leak to be fixed (apparently it counts as maintenance ) but they'll pay for any damage to floors/walls caused by water or replacing flooring which I think will be the bigger cost.
Thanks for all your comments.

[PigletJohn]

if it's actually squelching, I think the floor must be laminate or something, or possibly chipboard. Actual wooden floorboards do not squelch unless they are so rotten you are liable to fall through.

If there is a laminate or something, the water may be getting between that and the subfloor, and spreading underneath without showing. It is going to be difficult to trace the source without pulling it up, starting at the edges. I'd suspect the radiator. Old rad valves are inclined to leak; very old rads may have rust pinholes, especially on the bottom seam. Run your finger along the bottom, and tie tissues round the pipes that go up to the valves. This will show any wet.

[BeatRoute]

Sorry to go off at a tangent, but sixtiesqueen how did you sort the cracked sewer pipe? Was it expensive? I have a horrid niggly feeling that's what has happened in my hallway,,,

[Flywithwings]

I have the exact same problem now. My bedroom is small and has wooden floorboards. One question - is yours spreading at all?