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My house was built in 1978/79 on a concrete slab. We have several cracks in the concrete, especially in the garage. Last month (February), I was entering the bathroom, in the middle of the house, and noticed that the carpet was wet in front of the door. This wet spot is about 6" x 6" directly in the middle of the doorway. The bathroom floor was not wet nor was any other place in the hallway. (We had had some rain, but not a lot.) All our plumbing was changed to overhead plumbing with PVC pipe about 5 to 6 years ago because of our well as it was rusting the copper pipe that was originally used. We have no idea where this water is coming from or how to fix the problem. Was wondering if anyone has any suggestions? Also we have a problem with ants and termites. I was under the impression that termites could not eat concrete. Have had an exterminator come out and supposedly take care of that problem, however, with the warm spring-like weather and rains, they seem to return every year. Any suggestions?
My house was built in 1978/79 on a concrete slab. We have several cracks in the concrete, especially in the garage. Last month (February), I was entering the bathroom, in the middle of the house, and noticed that the carpet was wet in front of the door. This wet spot is about 6" x 6" directly in the middle of the doorway. The bathroom floor was not wet nor was any other place in the hallway. (We had had some rain, but not a lot.) All our plumbing was changed to overhead plumbing with PVC pipe about 5 to 6 years ago because of our well as it was rusting the copper pipe that was originally used. We have no idea where this water is coming from or how to fix the problem. Was wondering if anyone has any suggestions? Also we have a problem with ants and termites. I was under the impression that termites could not eat concrete. Have had an exterminator come out and supposedly take care of that problem, however, with the warm spring-like weather and rains, they seem to return every year. Any suggestions?
Do you perhaps live on a side of a hill or in low-land where there is flooding? If there is a possibility that you have water draining towards your house from higher land, or you have moisture-full ground because the land around you is made of clay (poor draining) then I would say that you might be having an issue directly related to those things. Underneath your slab you may have flooding issues because water is not properly being directed away from your house.
This can be fixed - you'll need a company that specializes in water issues and concrete to help assess whether something as simple as drainage tile installation could help. If not there are other things which can be done. I just heard a sales pitch on this at a home & garden show.
What part of the country do you reside? There is such as thing a sub- terranian termites. Have you checked around the perimeter of the home for wet areas?
You don't mention if you lifted the carpet to inspect the sub-floor (slab) for cracks.
As mbuszu mentioned above, it's very possible for water to migrate up through cracks in the slab if the soil under the house becomes saturated. Exterior drainage tile will go a long way to solving this problem.
Actual cracks in the slab could be widened and then filled with an elastomeric sealent which would flex with any further movement of the slab.
Can saturated soil beneath a slab ooze up through the concrete without a crack, or is a crack necessary. We pulled back the carpet in a Senior apt. complex on a bottom unit that had the first floor on a slab with the first floor units carpeted with thick padding, and in the 80 degree weather in the Seattle area, we had a thunderstorm that pounded the ground with heavy rain for a 4 to 8 hrs and a spot in the carpet on one unit developed. We pulled the carpet back, 3 weeks after the rain, and the padding was still soaked in on area in the middle, but we couldn't find a crack. How water came into that unit is a mystery. Being retired Union Carpenter General Foreman, I formed many a pour and many a slab and can't remember a time where I saw water form in a little puddle, in one small area, about a ft. square, and no crack below it. Can water ooze through solid concrete. It doesn't seem possible. There must be a crack somewhere. The carpet has only been rolled back about 2 feet since the bed needs to be moved into the living room to completely open up the room and the owner is reluctant fearing big job. They are going to try and replace the padding which has retained the water for the last 3 weeks, with no wear to go or able to evaporate. Now if this happens in the fall, isn't this a perfect storm for mold. The owner is trying to minimize the problem, but I said you can just ignore the fact that this winter and fall the soil could be saturated again and standing water below a carpet where one lives is unacceptable. I swear I saw water form on it's own in a little puddle after a soaking wet carpet pad was rolled back from being on top of it.
Can saturated soil beneath a slab ooze up through the concrete without a crack, or is a crack necessary. We pulled back the carpet in a Senior apt. complex on a bottom unit that had the first floor on a slab with the first floor units carpeted with thick padding, and in the 80 degree weather in the Seattle area, we had a thunderstorm that pounded the ground with heavy rain for a 4 to 8 hrs and a spot in the carpet on one unit developed. We pulled the carpet back, 3 weeks after the rain, and the padding was still soaked in on area in the middle, but we couldn't find a crack. How water came into that unit is a mystery. Being retired Union Carpenter General Foreman, I formed many a pour and many a slab and can't remember a time where I saw water form in a little puddle, in one small area, about a ft. square, and no crack below it. Can water ooze through solid concrete. It doesn't seem possible. There must be a crack somewhere. The carpet has only been rolled back about 2 feet since the bed needs to be moved into the living room to completely open up the room and the owner is reluctant fearing big job. They are going to try and replace the padding which has retained the water for the last 3 weeks, with no wear to go or able to evaporate. Now if this happens in the fall, isn't this a perfect storm for mold. The owner is trying to minimize the problem, but I said you can just ignore the fact that this winter and fall the soil could be saturated again and standing water below a carpet where one lives is unacceptable. I swear I saw water form on it's own in a little puddle after a soaking wet carpet pad was rolled back from being on top of it.
Yes; it's called Capillary Action.
Also, increasingly possible without a vapor barrier.
There is supposed to be a plastic sheet (vapor barrier) under the slab. For some reason some builders don't put one. It only costs a few dollars so there really is no reason not to install one.
I have the same problem as jerryjohn, after it rains, the carpet is wet in the middle of the living room and then dries after a few days, it is not a water or sewer line. Part of the damp area shows the shape of what could be a cinder block? Any thoughts?
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water coming through concrete
