[h22lude]

I just recently had tile installed in my kitchen. Everything was fine until tonight I notice wet spots in the grout. The tile has been installed for almost 2 months and this is the first time I have seen this. No water on the floor. No water under the dishwasher. The kitchen sink is to the right, no water under there. What could this be?

 

[gregzoll]

You either have Gremlins or someone spilled something on the floor.

 

[JazMan]

This obviously is on a slab right? It's water under the floor.

Jaz

 

[h22lude]

You either have Gremlins or someone spilled something on the floor.

It has been just me and my wife all day and she didn't spill anything. If it was something we spilled, the wet would be more uniform and not spots. Plus the tile wasn't wet.

This obviously is on a slab right? It's water under the floor.

Jaz

Nope this is not on a slab. This is on cement board which is on plywood subfloor. This is over my garage.

 

[JazMan]

Nope this is not on a slab. This is on cement board which is on plywood subfloor. This is over my garage.

Oh..... gremlins then. Sure looks like water or moisture anyway. Does it feel like water to you? What's under the floor, basement or crawl?

Jaz

 

[h22lude]

Oh..... gremlins then. Sure looks like water or moisture anyway. Does it feel like water to you? What's under the floor, basement or crawl?

Jaz

No it doesn't feel any different from the rest of the grout. Could it be stained? We clean it with a steam mop (so water) and the cleaning agent it comes with which states it is out for tile/grout. It is just odd that it is spotty like that.

My kitchen is over my garage.

 

[JazMan]

Maybe too much steam. How long ago was it cleaned? I doubt it's a stain.

Jaz

 

[SeniorSitizen]

If it is intermittent, when the moisture appears, measure the tile temperature and the room dew point temperature near the floor surface.

 

[h22lude]

Maybe too much steam. How long ago was it cleaned? I doubt it's a stain.

Jaz

Yesterday morning but these didn't show up until later at night.

They are still there this morning.

 

[h22lude]

Found the problem. The hot water line to the sink was leaking. It leaked down the pipe onto the floor under the sink cabinet so I didn't notice it. Plumber is coming right now to fix it. The garage ceiling is wet right above the sink and was dripping. Hopefully it didn't ruin anything.

 

[JazMan]

Ok, I see. Most of the water must have leaked/wicked on the subfloor and so not much water dripped in the garage, at first. You can assume a large area of the subfloor is wet. A dehumidifier for several days may be enough to dry the subfloor.....which is what?

Jaz

 

[h22lude]

Yes that is what I assume. The dishwasher is next to the sink. I popped off the plastic molding on the bottom of the dishwasher and looked under the sink cabinet. The wood under it is wet.

The subfloor is plywood. Not sure if it is 5/8 or 3/4. Over that is cement board for the tile.

 

[JazMan]

So, you soaked up the water, left the bottom panel off and are now running a fan, right? The plywood should be made with waterproof glues and hopefully will dry before it warps. How much damage in the ceiling below? You may want to cut out the wet area which will help to dry the subfloor, then get a fan going.

Your homeowner's insurance should cover any damage other than what caused the leak.

Jaz

 

[h22lude]

I can't get anything under the to soak it up. It is too far under and the gap is pretty small. I did leave the panel off and a fan is blowing under it. I don't have a heater to use. Fan should help.

This work is actually all insurance work. I had snow damage last winter. Contractor had to basically gut my condo to fix it all. Everything is brand new. If there is any damage, the contractor will fix/pay for it. I called him this morning and he had the plumber over in 15 minutes. He is going to keep an eye on the garage ceiling. If anything needs fixing he will do it.

 

[JazMan]

Well, ok then, but I think you should cut a hole in the garage ceiling to get air in there. The subfloor is not going to dry very well when it's still enclosed.

I don't suppose there's much water left under the DW anymore, but a towel and a yard stick or broom handle are handy tools. The fan is a must.

Jaz