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Wet carpet on basement floor

4K views 2 replies 2 participants last post by  rusty baker 
#1 ·
I woke up this morning and my wife and mother-in-law told me they found a soaking wet spot under a chair in the basement and after looking into it I think someone spilled something but isnt telling me but would like some other opinons. I recently finished the basement in a 5-year old house which has two walls half below grade, rest is above (we live on a hill). There are a few small cracks that i think occured while setting since they did not use a wire mesh (found out when cutting into floor in bathroom), however there were no signs of any water leakage when we moved in and no water leakage for the nine months before we laid the carpet down. I also sealed the cracks with pourable crack sealer. This morning there was a wet spot under a chair and my wife soaked most of it up with a towel. She swore to me that it could not have been someone spilling something because it was under the chair and they found it while moving the chair. This weekend we have 3 chiuahuas in the house but the size of the wet post was bout the size of a dinner plate and the water came up clear so I dont think even 3 6 pound dogs can make that big of a spot. Since dogs and spills were ruled out I could only think of water seepage so I pulled up the carpet. The wet spot was about a foot or two away from the wall. Looking under the carpet and pad it is bone dry. The top of the pad has a slight damp feeling, while the under side of the carpet is definately still wet. I also doesn't appear that there are any cracks directly under the spot. There is a crack that I remember runs close by, but at the angle I am looking under the carpet the crack was filled in to well and matched in color too much to find it to say how close but Im fairly sure it is not directly under.
Since it is bone dry under the pad and heavily damp to wet on the underside of the carpet, I am inclined to believe the water came from above the carpet, unless somehow applying a towel can pull water from the pad first, which I wouldn't think so but i've learned things aren't always what they seem. Am I correct that this is some sort of "phantom" spill or is there something else I need to look for?
Also, how much does it usually cost to have carpet guys come in an put back down about a 16' section of carpet along the wall?
 
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#2 ·
Sound like the water came from the top. Before you put the carpet back, tape down a 3'x3' piece of plastic to that area and see if moisture accumulates under it. As far as cost to put it back, that can vary widely according to where you live. Around here, probably a $75 minimum, but some places a minimum is $150 or more.
 
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