ᐅ Water damage. Possible puncture of the underfloor heating system?
Created on: 5 Feb 2017 17:16
U
uwe81
Hello!
We moved into our new single-family house nearly two years ago. Last late summer, the laminate flooring in the hallway in front of the bathroom started to warp. At first, I thought, “Oh no, since I installed it myself, maybe I didn’t leave enough expansion gaps, and now it’s expanding due to the heat.” Now the problem has appeared again, much worse this time, so I wanted to repair it. That’s when I noticed that the entire screed is wet.
We see about 1 square meter (about 11 square feet) of wet screed in front of the bathroom door. Of course, I don’t know how wet it is under the bathroom tiles. Since we are still under warranty, the question for me is who is responsible…
I installed the floor (click laminate) myself. Unfortunately, I screwed the transition profile to the bathroom floor, which means I drilled into it (yes, I know now that was a bad idea—I had a bad feeling back then but relied on advice from the hardware store). So it’s possible that I damaged the underfloor heating. I tried not to drill too deep (the anchors are 3cm (1.2 inches) long) and used a depth stop while drilling.
My main question is: If it came from the underfloor heating, shouldn’t a significant pressure drop be measurable in the heating system? I have never refilled water. The last maintenance was last spring. The chimney sweep in autumn definitely wouldn’t have refilled anything either. We currently still have just under 1.5 bar (about 22 psi) pressure shown on the heating gauge in the basement, although the leak would be on the upper floor, about 6 meters (about 20 feet) higher.
The builder and my insurance have already been informed.
* Could this come from the underfloor heating, and if so, how can I find out?
* If yes, what steps would be necessary for repair (this is probably guesswork without inspecting the damage), and what kind of costs might be involved (my estimate is several thousand)?
* Would a good insurance policy typically cover this kind of damage (we have comprehensive coverage with Debeka)?
Thanks a lot for any advice,
Uwe
We moved into our new single-family house nearly two years ago. Last late summer, the laminate flooring in the hallway in front of the bathroom started to warp. At first, I thought, “Oh no, since I installed it myself, maybe I didn’t leave enough expansion gaps, and now it’s expanding due to the heat.” Now the problem has appeared again, much worse this time, so I wanted to repair it. That’s when I noticed that the entire screed is wet.
We see about 1 square meter (about 11 square feet) of wet screed in front of the bathroom door. Of course, I don’t know how wet it is under the bathroom tiles. Since we are still under warranty, the question for me is who is responsible…
I installed the floor (click laminate) myself. Unfortunately, I screwed the transition profile to the bathroom floor, which means I drilled into it (yes, I know now that was a bad idea—I had a bad feeling back then but relied on advice from the hardware store). So it’s possible that I damaged the underfloor heating. I tried not to drill too deep (the anchors are 3cm (1.2 inches) long) and used a depth stop while drilling.
My main question is: If it came from the underfloor heating, shouldn’t a significant pressure drop be measurable in the heating system? I have never refilled water. The last maintenance was last spring. The chimney sweep in autumn definitely wouldn’t have refilled anything either. We currently still have just under 1.5 bar (about 22 psi) pressure shown on the heating gauge in the basement, although the leak would be on the upper floor, about 6 meters (about 20 feet) higher.
The builder and my insurance have already been informed.
* Could this come from the underfloor heating, and if so, how can I find out?
* If yes, what steps would be necessary for repair (this is probably guesswork without inspecting the damage), and what kind of costs might be involved (my estimate is several thousand)?
* Would a good insurance policy typically cover this kind of damage (we have comprehensive coverage with Debeka)?
Thanks a lot for any advice,
Uwe
Vapor barrier inside the interior of the building?
Honestly, I have only half-heartedly followed these forum posts, more as a moderator than as someone who really wants to understand.
But could the issue be with this membrane? Are you sure it belongs there?
I hope you receive more helpful answers than my questioning born out of ignorance.
Regards
Honestly, I have only half-heartedly followed these forum posts, more as a moderator than as someone who really wants to understand.
But could the issue be with this membrane? Are you sure it belongs there?
I hope you receive more helpful answers than my questioning born out of ignorance.
Regards
Others have mentioned that if it were the underfloor heating, you would experience a pressure drop. Also, the water would be somewhat warm. Additionally, the screed coverage should be higher than your drilling depth (3cm (1.2 inches)).
From the photo, the water stain looks fairly localized.
Therefore:
Are you, @uwe81, sure that there wasn't a one-time event?
Or could there be a leak in the shower in the bathroom?
Does the stain dry, or is it continuously wet?
From the photo, the water stain looks fairly localized.
Therefore:
Nordlys schrieb:
Where is the shower?
Are you, @uwe81, sure that there wasn't a one-time event?
Or could there be a leak in the shower in the bathroom?
Does the stain dry, or is it continuously wet?
Regarding a one-time event: probably not. It was soaking wet today, but we already had the first lifting of the laminate last late summer (or at that time was it really the laminate expansion due to the heat?). However, I can’t think of what one-time event that would be. No paint bucket has been knocked over, and wet feet after showering won’t be enough for that…
I have attached a sketch of the bathroom. The tiled shower is about 2 meters (6.5 feet) away. I consider it unlikely that what runs out over the shower tiles reaches that far. Whether something seeps from the shower into the screed: possible, but I can’t assess that.
I have attached a sketch of the bathroom. The tiled shower is about 2 meters (6.5 feet) away. I consider it unlikely that what runs out over the shower tiles reaches that far. Whether something seeps from the shower into the screed: possible, but I can’t assess that.
B
Bieber08156 Feb 2017 10:11Do you have photos from the shell construction phase (before the screed was applied, after the water installation was laid)? Do you have detailed heating/plumbing plans?
Since water can be very damaging to a house, I strongly recommend consulting a building expert. They should identify the cause and suggest solutions.
I agree with the previous comments: The screed cover is usually more than 4.5 cm (1.8 inches). A 3 cm (1.2 inches) deep drill hole should therefore not cause any damage (neither to the underfloor heating nor to other pipes on the raw subfloor). More details depend on your floor construction.
Since water can be very damaging to a house, I strongly recommend consulting a building expert. They should identify the cause and suggest solutions.
I agree with the previous comments: The screed cover is usually more than 4.5 cm (1.8 inches). A 3 cm (1.2 inches) deep drill hole should therefore not cause any damage (neither to the underfloor heating nor to other pipes on the raw subfloor). More details depend on your floor construction.
uwe81 schrieb:
I don’t understand the sentence. Do you mean "it can’t be the underfloor heating"? We have been heating the house like this for two years, and the bathroom got warm, plus we still have 1.5 bar pressure on the heating system.Sorry, of course, a "not" is missing.Again: it’s not the underfloor heating if you have 1.5 bar pressure on it. The pressure drops to a maximum of 0.1 bar if the pipe has a leak.
Looking at your pictures, it’s definitely the shower. Someone must have taken a long shower and water ran from the shower into the hallway. Do you have even a slight slope towards the hallway? You could try pouring a small amount of water (a glass or something similar) at the shower and see if it collects in the hallway, using a towel to catch it if needed.
Since it can’t be the underfloor heating and the shower and its positioning strongly point to that, it’s probably the cause.
It could also be a slightly leaking supply pipe. Does it run directly there?
You definitely need a construction drying unit because water has gotten under the screed (concrete floor screed), and you can’t remove it with underfloor heating alone. There are methods to dry it without having to break up the floor.
You should report the damage to the insurance IMMEDIATELY, and when reporting, it’s best not to say it became known “last year.” Maybe check your terms and conditions for the reporting deadline first.
Vapor barrier inside the building envelope? A vapor barrier is really not necessary. What we have is a waterproof impact sound insulation. The screed must be dry when covering it, so where should moisture accumulate underneath?
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