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Old 10th Sep 2017, 1:23 pm   #1
60 oldjohn
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Default Mystery stain in workshop ?

I hope this is allowed, I moved a Ferrograph tape recorder and an empty LP case (Both in the picture) and found a big brown stain on the carpet. The stain appears to originate from a nail or screw fastening the skirting board to the wall. The stained area is now dry, the floor under carpet is clean and dry. It is in a 11 year old garage built to house standards of the time with insulated walls. Outside, the walls and roof appear ok. Any ideas what has happened?


John.
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Old 10th Sep 2017, 1:42 pm   #2
John M0GLN
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Default Re: Mystery stain in workshop ?

Any pipework behind the skirting board that the screw might have gone into, leaked but now sealed itself?

John
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Old 10th Sep 2017, 1:43 pm   #3
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Default Re: Mystery stain in workshop ?

Condensation on the equipment cases (are they metal ?) or the wall running down onto the carpet would be my guess, especially if it is a "dead corner". Move the stuff and keep a check on the area. The carpet stain may well not originate from the nail.

Ken
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Old 10th Sep 2017, 1:43 pm   #4
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Default Re: Mystery stain in workshop ?

Looks like old spillage or spurty spurty from whatever.

Lawrence.
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Old 10th Sep 2017, 1:52 pm   #5
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Default Re: Mystery stain in workshop ?

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Originally Posted by John M0GLN View Post
Any pipework behind the skirting board that the screw might have gone into, leaked but now sealed itself?

John
Completely agree. Possibly the pipe isn't always pressurised or is even dry most of the time. If you're concerned you'll have to take the skirting board off and have a look what's there.
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Old 10th Sep 2017, 1:53 pm   #6
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Default Re: Mystery stain in workshop ?

The stain was almost certainly caused by a liquid, water being the most likely culprit. You say that the walls are insulated: presumably, the construction is a double wall with insulation in the gap between the outer and inner walls. What springs to mind is water ingress into that insulation which has caused the nail or screw to rust, water trickled out between the screw or nail on to the carpet: hence the colour of the stain. The floor under the carpet is not stained since the carpet probably absorbed all of the moisture. The fact that the area is now dry probably means that the water in the insulation has now drained away.

So, lots of 'probables' and 'maybes' in all of that. You could remove the skirting in order to investigate.

Al.
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Old 10th Sep 2017, 2:03 pm   #7
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Default Re: Mystery stain in workshop ?

It is certainly water, certainly rust or a combination of rust and other contaminants and certainly from the screw hole. The wall behind may be damp, though it appears to be very confined - perhaps a failure of the damp course at the point, or penetration through the wall, running down the inner face of the air gap and out through the screw (which must surely have penetrated through the walling material, presumably block construction).
If it is dry by its own means, the cause may no longer be present... was there something external at the place that caused water to impact the wall above the damp course?
Let us know what if anything you find.
Tony
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Old 10th Sep 2017, 2:28 pm   #8
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Default Re: Mystery stain in workshop ?

If the wall was wet or very damp for any length of time it would show up on the wall, a skirting board in that situation would sometimes show signs of rot, if it's a block wall I doubt if the screw/nail has projected through to the other side but the drill used to drill the hole for a screw might have done, usually if a screw or nail has pierced a pipe that regularly has water in it things usually get worse with time not better, if the cavity had flooded the whole place would have been in a mess, a failed DPC or DPM would be in a state of permanent failure in my experience unless repaired.

The amount of condensation behind the unit to cause such a patch would normally result in the black or the green stuff growing on the wall.

Lawrence.

Last edited by ms660; 10th Sep 2017 at 2:39 pm. Reason: clarification
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Old 10th Sep 2017, 2:36 pm   #9
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Default Re: Mystery stain in workshop ?

The lack of mould and associated musty smells suggests the water ingress was a one off event that dried out over the ensuing few days, rather than something that stayed damp for months. Very odd.
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Old 10th Sep 2017, 2:45 pm   #10
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Default Re: Mystery stain in workshop ?

aliens ?
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Old 10th Sep 2017, 3:17 pm   #11
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Default Re: Mystery stain in workshop ?

Any incontinent pets? How long is the nail? Fixing skirting with a nail into blockwork is a bit hit and miss, bet there is no plug!
On second thought, perhaps there is a plug, a long wooden one that has burst or penetrated the blockwork or a perpend joint, bridging the cavity?
You need to pull the nail else it will continue to stain through any paint.
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Old 10th Sep 2017, 3:19 pm   #12
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Default Re: Mystery stain in workshop ?

Ah Ferrograph! its ferrous weeping out of the tape recorder, its now just a --graph.
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Old 10th Sep 2017, 3:43 pm   #13
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Default Re: Mystery stain in workshop ?

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You need to pull the nail else it will continue to stain through any paint.
Yes, take the nail out and see where it's rusty. That might give you a clue. If the part in the wall isn't rusty then the source of water was probably inside.
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Old 10th Sep 2017, 3:52 pm   #14
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Default Re: Mystery stain in workshop ?

Maybe water tracked in from the outside along a wall-tie, thus bridging the cavity. Any sign of a crack further up in that area but on the outside leaf?
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Old 10th Sep 2017, 3:58 pm   #15
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Default Re: Mystery stain in workshop ?

You can get one off water penetration during unusual weather conditions - torrential rain combined with specific wind conditions, for example. It may only happen every 10 or 20 years.
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Old 10th Sep 2017, 4:06 pm   #16
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Default Re: Mystery stain in workshop ?

Its not unknown for the bottom of the cavity to fill with water if the cavity below DPC is over filled/blocked. It should only be filled to ground level to prevent the ground crushing the cavity.
Could your interior floor level be lower than the DPC? Its not unknown on a sloping site.
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Old 10th Sep 2017, 4:14 pm   #17
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Default Re: Mystery stain in workshop ?

If you do think there maybe a pipe behind there, when you remove the screw be prepared for a jet of water. Been there, even a few metres of head can be "interesting"!
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Old 10th Sep 2017, 4:22 pm   #18
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Talking Re: Mystery stain in workshop ?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Boater Sam View Post
Ah Ferrograph! its ferrous weeping out of the tape recorder, its now just a --graph.
Ha ha ha ha! That made my day
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Old 10th Sep 2017, 5:04 pm   #19
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Default Re: Mystery stain in workshop ?

Sniff test?

With one of those high speed oscillating 'plunge' cutters (what the heck do they call them?) it is feasible to cut out a short section of skirting with minimal devastation- which would at least confirm whether it came from within or without
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Old 10th Sep 2017, 5:12 pm   #20
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Default Re: Mystery stain in workshop ?

We used to call them a Fein, Fein was the brand name of the machine, they were the most popular until other manufactures cottoned on.

Lawrence.
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