The inspection report from Maystone Leak Detection
There are 3 main types of damp-related jobs which we get called out to inspect, one of these relates to actual leaks in the building’s plumbing, not damaged roofs or structural damage. We’ve seen a lot of these particular leaks over the years so when we start working on these issues, we know just where to start.
The client was a property management company in north Cheshire near Heald Green. They called us out over the summer to investigate indications of water loss in 2 apartments somewhere between the mains and the building. As we had no significant internal damage to help us in our initial inspection upstairs, we had to start from the basics by surveying the building’s water supply.
Finding out what’s causing the damp
It’s so important to be patient and careful when working on active leaks, the last thing we want to do is cause more damage than has already been caused by the fault. This means that we have to look first and take account of the situation before starting any remedial work. In this case, our first port of call was the water meter. On this particular property, it was located outside at the roadside and we found that it was turning slowly indicating that there was an active mains leak in the building. It’s always a good idea to check the meter first in these cases, it can confirm if there is water loss, or rule it out.
Once we had established that there was an actual leak, we knew it had to be somewhere inside the building’s hot and cold plumbing routes. Thermal imaging cameras are a fantastic tool to use to find out where water is lying inside cavities and flooring; they pick up on temperature changes which can indicate leaks. We used the thermal imaging camera to check the plumbingsystems in both of these properties. It indicated that there was a temperature anomaly on the end of a stud wall directly above the point of the mains ingress.
Inspecting the ceiling
Once we had found out that there was indication of a temperature change at the end of the stud wall we created an access hole to further inspect inside the water-damaged ceiling for any visual signs of leaks. When we are investigating with the thermal imaging camera it can be used with a tool which works like an endoscope; the camera (borescope) can be inserted through a small hole to give a view of the inside of walls, flooring and ceilings without causing damage or more redecoration work.
With this view of inside the ceiling, we found that the pipes into the apartment floor upstairs passed directly above the water damage on the ceiling below. This led us to make a small hole for the borescope camera through the skirting board upstairs to allow us to inspect the floor cavity separating the two apartments. The detective work paid off.
We found the presence of water, and the leak, using the borescope, meaning that we were able to advise the client regarding the best way of repairing the damaged pipe. Using non-invasive techniques to find leaks means that any remedial work is kept to a minimum and less inconvenience to the client.
The client asked us to repair the leak which meant that we needed to remove the section of finish and sub-flooring.
Leaks can happen anytime, anywhere there is water
After we had removed the finish floor and the sub-flooring, we immediately saw the water pooling which was causing the damage to the ceiling of the apartment below. The actual leak was located along a cold-water feed pipe – made of plastic, this pipe was underneath the battens (strips of timber which the flooring is fastened to). The damage had occurred when a screw which was securing the sub-floor to the battens had protruded through the underside of a thinner section of batten and pierced the pipe below. The floor being slightly springy meant that the screw was regularly being moved when people walked over the top of the floor and it was repeatedly hitting the pipe. This resulted in wet insulation and damage to the ceiling of the apartment below. Not great.
Recommendations for this leak repair
With lots of these types of leaks, the repair work can be very straightforward, this was no exception. We removed the offending screw and relocated it where it couldn’t cause further damage, next we replaced the damaged cold water feed pipe with a like for like section of 15mm plastic piping and took out the sodden insulation. We believe that the leak was worse when the bath and shower were in use, at other times; a steady leak was causing damage.
After the floor was replaced, we recommended that an industrial dehumidifier was installed to speed up the drying process and an assessment of the structural integrity of the flooring carried out.
Additionally, we recommended new insulation being installed beneath the sub-flooring along with some cosmetic suggestions to disguise the cut made to gain access to the sub-floor. The redecoration for the apartment downstairs required the ceiling to be removed and replaced with a double skin ceiling, insulation (100mm rock wool) and 2 new down lights. A full electrical test of the building, joinery repairs, mould remediation were carried out by as well as stain blocking the walls and redecoration to return the building to its pre-water damaged state.