Help - damp!

[bibliomania]

Will ring local companies on Monday if any are working, but any immediate advice is welcome.

Basement flat. Have noticed faint unpleasant smell in my bedroom for a couple of weeks but haven't found source. Today I did - one corner of carpet is damp and it has spread a bit. I'm afraid to pull it up due to mould spores. Other than call an expert, if I can get one, is there anything I should do immediately? Should I sleep in sitting room for safety? Will it cost me an arm and a leg? Okay, you can't tell me that. I just haven't a clue what I'm doing.

one corner of the carpet may be a plumbing leak in ther floor. Is there a radiator, shower, sink nearby?

What's on the other side of that wall?

Is there a drain or guttering downpipe?

Pull up the carpet and show us the floor and the walls around it.

How old is the building?

If you invite somebody who sells silicone injections into your home, they will try to sell you silicone injections. Silicone injections never repair leaking pipes or drains.

Yes, there's a bath on the other side of the wall.

Will take a photo tomorrow - need to move some furniture.

Thanks for the reply - advice about what kind of repair service to call would be good, eg if I should start with a plumber.

Sorry, should have said it's an old Victorian terrace, now converted to flats. The problem seems to be with an interior wall.

There's also a radiator close by - could be the source too.

I agree with pp, unless it is an external wall it is unlikely to be damp, a plumbing issue is far more likely.

Have a look around the edge of the bath, do any of the tiles or seal look damaged? Is there a shower over the bath? Are there tiles around that area?

Remove the bath panel, should be just a couple of screws. Have a look and see what it's like under there (beware of spiders) you will likely be able to see where the water is coming from.

Honestly it's probably an easy fix, hopefully you have caught it in time for it not to be expensive.

Pull the carper back though, you will need to dry it out.

My neighbor works for damp.co marking my place and tomorrow will ask her for advice for you.

Thanks, both of you - saving me from my more lurid imaginings! Can't get at bath unfortunately - the bathroom floor level is higher than elsewhere so it's sort of a sunken bath, all tiled in.

I'll investigate under carpet tomorrow and report back.

Thanks also, breast (feels odd to call you that!)

There should still be some sort of access for taps etc.

But definitely call a plumber and see what they say assuming you own, if not ring your landlord/letting agent and get them to arrange one.

Not sure the photo helps much. To the left, the underlay is damp to the touch.

It's wetter further along the wall. So, leaking pipe, we reckon?

So the damp patch is under the radiator pipe.

Does your boiler have a pressure gauge?

It feels damper further away from the radiator - think it might have spread to there rather than from there. Got new boiler last dec so yes, I think pressure gauge.

This is the boiler pressure gauge, I assume

That's a pity. If water leaks out of a radiator pipe, the pressure will drop.

Keep that photo and do it again in a few days. Closeup on the dial.

System cold, every time.

Thanks Piglet.

Do you think I should call leak detection service or normal plumber?

start with a plumber.

Thanks Piglet

Plumber reckons I just need to retile around bath - thanks to everyone who posted, you are all very clever and stopped me going into a major panic about entire flat sinking into swamp.