Originally Posted By: jhorton
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
I am stumped on this one. I am hoping someone has the answer because I don’t!! I was called to play detective because of mysterious stains that have appeared on the carpet. And Mysterious they are!!
First the obvious. The house is built on a slab. I checked the water meter and there doesn't appear to be any water leaks. Teh pattern and distance of the stains appear to eliminate that. No roof leaks I can find and no signs of water penetration in any of the house.
The owner said she had placed tissue paper on the stains and they never picked up any moisture. The stains don't feel wet. If you rub your fingers across it you fingers feel oily and dirty but not wet.
The stains start near the front of the house and where I would expect the water main to enter under the slab. But note how it goes around the furniture!
It goes to the right and then curves around a rug on the floor. We pulled it back in this photo.
In the other direction looking down the hallway going towards two bathrooms. Stains were most pronounced here. Problem is the stain in along both walls. That seems to eliminate the water line idea. No stains on the other sides of any of the walls.
Owner wanted me to pull up the carpet to take a look under it.
I could see the carpet tape was stained and felt a bit oily, not wet.
This is what we found under the padding. Just this dark stains. I could take a screw driver and they would scrape off the concrete. The slab appeared darker in the area of the stain but only slightly. No smells either.
I am stumped. The only thing I can possibly think of is that one the residents is in a motorized wheel chair. I thouhgt maybe it was leaking oil of something but the stains are not consistent. The room she spends most of her time in has no stains at all. Just the hall way and along the front exterior wall of the house and they are in spots and not consitant with her travels through the house.
BTW The hallway is in the center of the house, not along an outside wall like the other area that is stained.
Any clues??
--
Jeff <*\\><
The man who tells the truth doesn't have to remember what he said.
