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Original poster

fao Piglet John or anyone who knows things

12 replies

LavenderDoll · 21/12/2015 08:23

Apologies for typos I'm on my phone and all stressed.
I had a thread a couple of weeks ago - damp patches on ceiling - builder thought it was solar panel and replaced it.

Appeared to work however this morning damp again with droplets of water.

Rang builder who came out - says loft floor is dry there is nothing up in the loft to indicate a leak .. he went up and looked.

He agreed there was a damp patch and is coming back at lunch to see how it's getting on...

However he has said that he thinks that as the plasterboard ceiling is 20 inches thick that it is merely left over moisture being drawn out as the house has been warm...

Is this even a possibility. I just think it's near christmas and they can't be arsed dealing with it.

I'm so sick of our new build dream home. It's shit..this damp patch has been dragging on for months.

Thanks to anyone who can tell me if what he says sounds plausible

OP posts:
EarSlaps · 21/12/2015 09:32

What is above the damp patch in the loft? Do you have a cold water tank up there? Could it be condensation?

Palomb · 21/12/2015 09:34

Why is your ceiling 20 inches thick?

StoptheRavelry · 21/12/2015 09:39

I remember your thread.

Can you get a different builder for a second opinion? There is water coming from somewhere and I bet if there is a panel up there, it's to do with the seal around some sort of opening.

You shouldn't just leave it.

AgathaF · 21/12/2015 09:55

Have you been up in the loft yourself to check that it's dry now? Don't take someone else's word for it. If it is dry, then it is probably just the plasterboard drying out. Was the 20 inches thick a typo? If not, why so deep?

ABetaDad1 · 21/12/2015 10:00

Your plasterboard is unlikely to be 20 inches thick but is there a void space between your ceiling and the attic boards above that contain insulation material. Like a giant sponge it holds water?

We have the same problem in our church tower with a leaking roof the sound proofing on the bell tower is very thick and hold a lot of rain water.

LaFlottes · 21/12/2015 12:21

Flowers for you - I can't add to this as have no experience and I think other posters can help you more.

However, your new build dream home isn't shit, it will be fixed and you'll love it again. All new houses have issues, whether the house is old but new to you, or completely new.

It's stressful and horrible, but it will be ok so chin up and try to keep smiling. Smile

PigletJohn · 21/12/2015 12:56

sounds load of flannel unconvincing to me.

A modern house will have 250mm of loft insulation, which is ten inches. Unlike CWI it is not treated to be water repellent as it should not get wet. It may flop down if wet so is usually thrown out and replaced with new. It is quite cheap. But I think you said your loft insulation had been rolled back to dry out.

IMO it is very much more likely that the wet patch is due to the current rainy spell leaking through the roof.

Go up there with a torch on a rainy day.

Water can track along the roof timbers, which are mostly diagonal, and may drip off a couple of meters away from where it gets in. It might even run along the cables for the solar panels, bur electricians use a drip loop to prevent it.

Original poster
LavenderDoll · 21/12/2015 17:19

Thank you everyone for your kind replies

Builder came back at lunch time - he went up there for ages and came down and said there was a gap between the pipe and the felt and the vent wasn't sealed. He seems to think this is definitely the issue.

He taped up both areas and said contractors would be out on the 4th Jan. ..
I don't know whether to trust him

OP posts:
LaFlottes · 21/12/2015 17:28

Well at least that's progress and they are no longer saying it's just the house drying out! I would perhaps take that as a good thing, as they've actually found a possible cause?

PigletJohn · 21/12/2015 17:28

do you mean the vent pipe for the extractor fan?

it would be very informative to go up there with a torch.

Take some pics, of loft and ceiling.

Pipistrella · 21/12/2015 17:55

Our extractor fan vent doesn't fit properly and just fell out every time we nudged it, so I took the effing thing down and we isolated the fan and no longer use it.

The hole was only made less than a year ago. And I can't make it fit any better due to the scaffolding no longer being there.

I wish you more luck with yours. At least ours has a cover (vent tile - replaces a normal roof tile) so the rain doesn't seem to get in.

I'd be surprised if yours doesn't tbh or if it is such that the rain can still enter. We just have a gaping hole with the plastic tile thing over it and it never seems to leak.

As PJ says go up and have a look

Original poster
LavenderDoll · 21/12/2015 18:27

I will send DH up tonight or tomorrow to take pictures. He will probably be glad of the excuse to get away from my constant worrying Confused

Thanks again everyone. I feel so much better for being able to rant about it

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