We have had a long term problem with damp in our bungalow which exacerbated when we changed from the use of a system boiler (with pressure only from a tank in the roof of our bungalow) to a combi boiler (with full mains pressure) and a major leak was then found and dealt with.
(This leak had been in a bend in radiator pipes that were set in the bungalow's concrete floor and had previously been undetected. The faulty section of pipe had been beneath the floor of the bathroom and had not shown even when the lino had been taken up during other renovations. Nonetheless, this leak could have been a major source of damp in the rest of the house as damp could have spread about under the damp course to other rooms in the house).
Our changing to the combi boiler brought instant flooding with adjacent carpets being saturated but, even after the major leak was fixed, the general problem of damp in the house seemed to be worse than it was before our change of boilers. Windows attract condensation to the extent of drips could fall off the metal window handles and from the above window tilework and mold patches can form in on walls and ceilings.
Flooring has been removed from most of the house (with exceptions being a small wetroom and kitchen) and there is only one small (approx 200mm diameter) dark patch on the concrete. I think that this feels wetter than the rest of the floor but I'm unsure whether it is discoloured for another reason. There are paint marks etc. on the floor in various places. I've also placed waterproof sheeting down in other places in the house which seemed to let patches of the floor get darker.
At present, I'm wondering what I can do to find the leak so as to best advise a plumber. I was thinking of using either of two options of humidity meter, either a probe-based meter to try to detect directly in the concrete floor or an air-based humidity meter which could be placed under a glass bowl on the floor in various locations in the house.
Any thoughts on the best ways to proceed would be appreciated. Ultimately we want to know that the house is damp-free and preferably before next winter when dampness will again become a more major issue.
We are looking to sell the property but could remain for another winter to ensure that problems are solved. However, it may be possible to conduct humidity tests in parallel with an adjacent property to compare results now.
(This leak had been in a bend in radiator pipes that were set in the bungalow's concrete floor and had previously been undetected. The faulty section of pipe had been beneath the floor of the bathroom and had not shown even when the lino had been taken up during other renovations. Nonetheless, this leak could have been a major source of damp in the rest of the house as damp could have spread about under the damp course to other rooms in the house).
Our changing to the combi boiler brought instant flooding with adjacent carpets being saturated but, even after the major leak was fixed, the general problem of damp in the house seemed to be worse than it was before our change of boilers. Windows attract condensation to the extent of drips could fall off the metal window handles and from the above window tilework and mold patches can form in on walls and ceilings.
Flooring has been removed from most of the house (with exceptions being a small wetroom and kitchen) and there is only one small (approx 200mm diameter) dark patch on the concrete. I think that this feels wetter than the rest of the floor but I'm unsure whether it is discoloured for another reason. There are paint marks etc. on the floor in various places. I've also placed waterproof sheeting down in other places in the house which seemed to let patches of the floor get darker.
At present, I'm wondering what I can do to find the leak so as to best advise a plumber. I was thinking of using either of two options of humidity meter, either a probe-based meter to try to detect directly in the concrete floor or an air-based humidity meter which could be placed under a glass bowl on the floor in various locations in the house.
Any thoughts on the best ways to proceed would be appreciated. Ultimately we want to know that the house is damp-free and preferably before next winter when dampness will again become a more major issue.
We are looking to sell the property but could remain for another winter to ensure that problems are solved. However, it may be possible to conduct humidity tests in parallel with an adjacent property to compare results now.
