Does your ground floor concrete floored flat suffer from unexplained damp or black mold?
Contact us if you need help with damp - 01626 872886 .
If you'd like to send us the details of your problem complete our Dampness questionnaire.
We are long term members of the PCA - The Property Care Association - the professional body for the Damp Proofing industry and our Dampness Surveyors have over 50 years of experience between them.
Want Help choosing a Contractor - E: Mail us at help@propertyrepairsystems.co.uk
Cold floors in concrete floored flats
In modern flats (generally built after 1960) that have solid, concrete ground floor floors there are occasional examples of black mold growth which defy normal explanations.
Molds grow where Condensation water is deposited on the coldest surfaces in a building.
If these surfaces happen to be the skirting boards, furniture legs or carpets it suggests that for some reason the solid floor is excessively cold.
In most of these cases the Occupier is blamed. In some cases the Occupiers have tried every suggestion given by the experts to stop the mold from growing, but with no success. In these rare cases it is necessary to check the floor structure itself, starting with damp and temperature measurements.
The answer is usually:
That the dampness was caused by a water leak from a drain, a water main, a foul water pipe or a central heating pipe underneath the 'floating' suspended 'beam and block' concrete floor.
In flats constructed using 'beam and block' floors there are two characteristics of the floor which can lead to severe coldness inside the flat:
1. Beam and block floors have no damp proof membrane - they are suspended above an air space - so if leaks occur in that space the water vapour from those leaks is absorbed into the underneath of the beam and block itself, making it very cold.
2. The communal service pipes for Flats generally rise from the space under these floors and that space is rarely ventilated or provided with any access doors. If a small leak occurs it can go undetected for years.
The solution is:
Open up an access doorway to the space under the floor by cutting through a side wall. Carefully inspect all the services. Provide ventilation air bricks to help dry out the soil under the building
Consult us for help with diagnosis - 01626 872886 .
Want Help - E: Mail us at help@propertyrepairsystems.co.uk
Property Care Association
We are long term members of the PCA - The Property Care Association - the professional body for the Damp Proofing industry and our Dampness Surveyors have over 50 years of experience between them.
If you prefer to use a Contractor, rather than our free advice service, then go to the PCA Website where you can find the nearest qualified specialist companies. They should give you the same information that we provide. If in doubt E Mail their Reports to us for checking, before spending any money.
Link for the PCA - click here.
Want Help choosing a Contractor - E: Mail us at help@propertyrepairsystems.co.uk
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OUR SHOPPING PAGES
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- TANKING SHOP - this Site, for Damp problems below ground level
- MOLD SHOP - this Site, for Mold problems and their solutions
- SURVEYING TOOLS SHOP - this Site, for tools for surveying your building for damp
- DAMP PROOFING EQUIPMENT SHOP - pumps, injection rods, spray lances
Property Repair Systems
T: 01626 872886
E: Mail us help@propertyrepairsystems.co.uk
Site written by: David Moore
David Moore, B.A. (Hons.), C.T.I.S., C.R.D.S. Technical Author
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