DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Hi there.

Great work on the forum guys, a great help.

I have discovered a problem in my flat - on an internal wall. There appears to be a 1-1.5m2 patch of damp running below a radiator. I have tested with a damp detector which goes mad when placed on it.

My first question is, could this be caused by any other reason than the radiator leaking/dripping into the wall via the piping that disappears into the wall? Is there a chance that the damp proff course beneath the property has gone - it is approx 6m from any external wall.

As mentioned I suspect that the radiator is leaking into the wall, making it damp. I don't think the plaster has "blown" yet, but the paint has pretty much come of and the plaster feels damp to the touch.

What would you suggest is the best course of action - get the plaster off, hopefully find the leak from said Radiator, then replaster? Is there any need to check the damp proof course?

Many Thanks in advance for your help.

Matt

This will most likely be the radiator, I suggest taking the rad off to investigate the problem.
Do the pipes go through the wall? and where to?
Is it a studded wall (plasterboarded wall) or a solid wall?

Thanks for the quick reply!

The pipe from the radiator go straight into the wall, say 2 cm above the skirting board. I assume from there they go toward the combi-boiler in the kitchen - through the bathroom in pretty much a striaght line.

The wall is an internal wall, feels solid (not a stud) and as the flat was built in the 1980's i'm assuming less likely to be a stud wall??

Many Thanks

It will be the rad then thats causing the dampness, if you cant see it leaking anywhere on the valves or anywhere before it goes into the wall then the pipe might be punctured as it enters the wall, first check both valves and elbows on the pipe thoroughly for drips, take the rad off and see the extent of the dampness on the wall, Have you only just noticed the damp or has it been there for a while??, see if your boiler has lost any pressure due to losing water, is it a ground flat??

I have the same problem. My boiler is losing pressure and I have water stains on a wall near the radiator. I am worried as I can't see any water leaking but the pipes go under the concrete floor or into the stud wall.
Who should I get to look at this and repair the damage?
British Gas are booked in but they won't remove the walls etc will they?