Plumbing problems

Sources of moisture in buildings are divided into the following categories:

• air moisture condensation;
• penetrating dampness;
• internal plumbing leaks;
• below-ground moisture;
• site-specific source, for example, natural flooding, water from fire-fighting; and
• others, for example, cleaning, construction moisture.

There has been an over-emphasis on rising damp, condensation and penetrating damp. Leaks from internal plumbing or underground drainage commonly cause damp damage and require remediation. The same plumbing leaks crop up time and time again.

It would be interesting to calculate the total length of pipework in a 3-bedroom semi. Could it add up to more than 100m? And how prolific are the joints – each one is a leak waiting to happen. A further calculation would also be revealing. Just how much of this myriad of pipes is visible for inspection, and how much is hidden from view behind panels and ducts or, worse still, embedded within screeds and plasters?