Damp wall and floorboards

[veneeroftheweek]

We live in a Victorian terrace. Recently I've noticed that our floorboards in the front room under front bay window are visibly wet in one small area next to the skirting board. We've also got visible damp patches at skirting board level on either side of the fireplace (internal wall opposite side of room). We'll need to take floorboards up to see what's going on under there but has anyone had similar and what caused it? I'm not really sure where to start. I'm reluctant to get a damp specialist out as I know that often they offer expensive "treatment" which doesn't solve the problem.

Here are some pictures!

Have you any water pipes under there? You may want to check where your heating/plumbing pipes run to see whether both of these patches could be along a same pipe.

I'm not sure. There's no heating at this end of the room but there was at one time a back boiler in the fireplace. I did think we'd capped those pipes already but i wonder if it could be something like that.

I'd be checking those before splashing out on anything more 'specialist'.

What's that skirting trunking? Are there pipes inside? I'd also say a leak.

Rising damp usually has a pale salt line, I'd say leak instead.

I'd get a general builder out to take a look, rather than damp speciaist

what does it look like on the outside?

There's nothing visible on the outside wall at all. I'll get a builder to take up the boards and we'll investigate from there.

Johnd2 the skirting is on the external wall of the front bay.

Do you have a picture of the outside?

If it was ok before and is a new occurrence then it may be a leaking pipe or penetrating damp from outside. I’m afraid it will require some investigation!

Go under the floorboards.. we had the same issue. Turned out there was a river under our house from a leak from next door that they didn’t bother to locate properly so just left it!

"the skirting is on the external wall of the front bay"

then I'd suspect a rainwater leak. Could be spilling gutter, blocked downpipe, broken gully.

does it coincide with rainy weather?