How to identify source of water coming into house?

[con_66]

Recently repainted bedroom and added new built ins. When old carpet lifted to relay new carpet there were two damp patches on yellow tongue flooring. Plumber has indicted sub floor - no water leaks. Builder indicted bricks/windows/roof - no water entry points. Two different areas of room. Have used dehumidifier/drying. Surface dries then hours later wet again. Subfloor area dry. House on piers. Any suggestions of what to do? Desperate!!!! 

[con_66]

Hi. Silicon has been used around windows and also around power box area. A hose was used either pressure all around windows and no water entering around window areas. Timber panel running across bottom of window has been lifted, flashing in place and dry. Part of architrave/skirts removed in area, small piece of prick bring closest skirt removed and all perfectly dry. Guttering replaced two years ago and new fascia boards with no water issues until recently with this one happening 

[JoeAzza]

Hi @con_66  are you able to access under the house yourself, if possible, get a good torch and go under the house and check the area where the dampness is on your floor, if there is some wet area, have a look to see where it's coming from, if it's not wet underneath, it could be that the timber just needs to dry out properly, hope this helps.

[con_66]

Hi Joe. Plumber and other trades have check under house. No water leaks. There is central heating vent near one area of moisture, builder removed venting and flooring is wet on one side of vent and completely dry on other side. No water leaks under house at all, 

[JacobZ]

Hi @con_66,

Condensation from the vent certainly sounds like a possible cause. The fact it is wet on one side of it and not the other could indicate an issue on a specific side or that it is tracking down that side of the vent.

Is there any venting anywhere near the other wet spot?

Jacob

[JoeAzza]

Hi @con_66 , If you have building insurance, you could contact them and tell them about the water situation/leak, i knew someone that had a water leak in a wall , plumbers couldn’t locate the source of the leak, eventually the insurance company found the they had a toilet pan with hairline crack at the back of the unit, this caused the water damage in the wall, they were covered by insurance for all the repairs.

[con_66]

No the vent is not the cause. There is only one vent near one moisture patch not the other one. There is no condensation near vent. I only mentioned vent area as one side of vent where yellow tongue flooring is wet and the other side is completely dry. 

[Dave-1]

Evening @con_66 

I keep coming back to getting a specialist water/leak detection person in with an thermal imager to tarck the moisture. It may cost a little but I think it would be the easier path to follow to find the source of your problem.

Dave

[Nailbag]

Hi @con_66 

I would highly recommend as per my first reply in getting a leak detection service in as it sounds like you have well covered off the visible possibilities. The longer it takes to resolve the potential for more serious internal damage to continue. 

Nailbag

[con_66]

Hi. Thanks for reply. Had a pest and building inspection with thermal imaging. Absolutely no moisture in sub floor, walls or ceiling. They said possible window leak but only suits one area. Still no closer to knowing source of water unfortunately 

[EricL]

Hi @con_66 

If the thermal imager didn’t reveal any obvious leaks but the floor is still getting wet, there are other methods to help track down the leak. Using a moisture meter can help detect hidden water accumulation in materials like wood or flooring, allowing you to pinpoint areas of high moisture. Dye testing can also be useful by introducing a non-toxic, brightly coloured dye into plumbing or drainage systems to track where the water is leaking from. 

Pressure testing is another option, particularly for pipes, to check for a drop in pressure that could indicate a hidden leak. Sound detection with a leak noise correlator can help identify leaks in pipes by listening for specific frequencies, while infrared thermography might be worth revisiting, especially if there’s a more significant temperature difference between the water and surrounding materials. A combination of these methods could provide a more comprehensive approach to finding the source of the leak.

My only other suggestion is to cut the damp area out in a square pattern and inspecting the sides of the timber. Capillary action might be the cause of the leak. Re-patch the area with new timber and observe if the leak returns.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric