Strange moisture issue...

Strange moisture issue...

Investor · Clairemont, CA · Member since 2011 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes

I'm looking for some BP brainstorming to help me properly address a recent maintenance issue in one of my rentals.

It's a 3/2 SFR concrete block on a slab, it has a glue down wood floor throughout the home. The tenant is a single Mom with 3 teenage/preteen age daughters so there is obviously a lot of bathroom use, but nothing that seems to be negligent or outside what it should be.

There is a hallway with 2 bedrooms coming off of the right hand side and the 2 baths behind the left wall with the master bedroom at the end of the hallway. The PM went by to look at some wood flooring that was "coming up", thinking it would just be a few spots that needed to be repaired. It turns out that it is almost the entire hall and extends into each of the bedroom doorways. So the flooring will need to be completely replaced, but the real issue is moisture causing the wood to swell and "pop loose".

The left hand wall where the baths are has a higher moisture content along the baseboard, and the wall between the 2 baths also had a high moisture content. Today the plumber went by and inspected and couldn't identify any active leaks in either the supply or drain lines or around any of the tub drains. He filled and drained tubs, ran shower heads, cut several inspection holes in the wall to see any active moisture and checked the vent pipe to see if it was leaking around the stack exiting the roof and found nothing. He did however say that in looking through his inspection holes it was "humid" under the tub area...but no leak. The wall cavity itself was not wet at all, but did seem that there may have been moisture in it at some point in the not too distant past and did read a higher than normal moisture content.

So before I feel comfortable having the floor replaced I'd like to identify the source of this, but do need to do it soon as it is not in a condition that I can just leave it as is for several weeks. This is where you come in, I can have someone else inspect other areas but can't for the life of me think of where the problem could be coming from.

So any creative ideas of other items to look at for a possible source of the water?

0Reply
11 views

Most Popular Reply

David NilesBusiness Member
Property Manager · DeLand FL · Member since 2012 · 860 posts · 243 votes
12y

Concrete slabs can and do pass moisture. Was there a full vapor barrier under the flooring?

One way to check is wherever you have the flooring already torn up, take a smaller piece of plastic ( nice thick plastic ) and seal it to the floor, check the next day and if it is the slab, the plastic will have moisture all under it.

You should be putting a full vapor barrier down anyways, but testing this way should help you narrow down the issue.

See this reply in the discussion

6 Replies

Jump to latestLatest
  • David NilesBusiness Member
    Property Manager · DeLand FL · Member since 2012 · 860 posts · 243 votes
    12y

    Concrete slabs can and do pass moisture. Was there a full vapor barrier under the flooring?

    One way to check is wherever you have the flooring already torn up, take a smaller piece of plastic ( nice thick plastic ) and seal it to the floor, check the next day and if it is the slab, the plastic will have moisture all under it.

    You should be putting a full vapor barrier down anyways, but testing this way should help you narrow down the issue.

  • Laurel, MD · Member since 2013 · 82 posts · 21 votes
    12y

    this is a good suggestion. Concrete is not the correct direct substrate for untreated wood (unless it's cedar). This problem may be primarily because there's no direct contact with concrete and only secondarily because it's near a bathroom.

  • Visalia-Fresno, CA · Member since 2009 · 1k+ posts · 863 votes
    12y

    is your waterline ran under the slab? I've seen copper leak under a slab.

  • Minooka, IL · Member since 2013 · 353 posts · 85 votes
    12y

    If its real hardwood, not that laminate stuff, you can't put it directly on concrete. Even with a vapor barrier I've heard you can't. My dad installs hardwood floors for a living and he says he won't put real hardwood on concrete no matter what. That laminate stuff though with a vapor seams to hold up okay. I have several rentals with that.

  • Real Estate Investor · Fort Worth, TX · Member since 2012 · 7 posts · 0 votes
    12y
    Originally posted by @Franklin Romine:
    is your waterline ran under the slab? I've seen copper leak under a slab.

    I had this issue happen to us once too. It was a small pinhole sized leak that was very difficult to figure out the source since the leak was so slow. We ended up abandoning that water line in the slab, and re running a new PEX line through the attic.

  • Visalia-Fresno, CA · Member since 2009 · 1k+ posts · 863 votes
    12y
    Originally posted by @Account Closed:
    Originally posted by @Franklin Romine:
    is your waterline ran under the slab? I've seen copper leak under a slab.

    I had this issue happen to us once too. It was a small pinhole sized leak that was very difficult to figure out the source since the leak was so slow. We ended up abandoning that water line in the slab, and re running a new PEX line through the attic.

    Same here. It was actually a hot water line. You could feel the warmth on the slab. A cold line could go undetected for years.

Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.