Mysterious wet spots on rug? Can anybody shed some light?

[bookworm]

I live in a bottom-level apartment. About a year ago, I encountered a wet spot on my living room rug. And I mean really saturated, as though someone spilled a whole bucket of water on an area the size of a dinner plate. I thought it strange, but assumed that maybe somehow someone in my house did make a huge spill. I soaked it up with towels and took a hair dryer to the area.

The next day we had torrential rain, and the wet spot reappeared, accompanied by the smell of mildew, and it was at that point that I remembered that it had been raining buckets the first time I came upon it. I called management, and they sent the maintenance man to look at it. He didn't know what to make of it, but he called the company that cleans our rugs, and, since the spot was near a wall, they were easily able to pull up the rug and thoroughly clean underneath. I have not had a problem since.

Well, two days ago, there was a huge thunderstorm, and this morning, I noticed the smell of mildew and encountered another bizarre wet spot, this time in my son's room.

Does this sound familiar to anybody? Maintenance is baffled by it.

ETA: I don't recall the maintenance man actually repairing anything. He just called the rug cleaners.

[Pandora]

Yep - sounds like one of two things:

1. you're on concrete that isnt sealed nor does it have a vapor barrier underneath. Only way to truly fix it is to tear up carpet and fix the floor. Do you know if you're on a crawlspace or if you're directly on the ground / slab?

2. If you're apartment is partially underground - it could be the same thing if you have block walls; no vapor barrier and/or sealing.

This happens in our cellar quite often (ground wicks - partially underground / above ground) - we have sealed the concrete but also have a sump pump as well as a french drain to redirect the water. We're getting ready to dig out our entire foundation and seal it with a elastomeric rubber coating to prevent the water from seeping through the block walls as well.

[AngelinaCat]

How are the pipes run in that house? Are you on a slab and are they embedded in the slab?

If its not the pipes, are you at the bottom of an incline, no matter how shallow the slope?

How old is the house? If it is on a slab, it might be that the foundation is starting to fail. Just a few random thoughts....

[LadyInTheRed]

You say the wet spot is near a walll. If it is right against the wall, consider the possibility that the water is coming from above, pooling up on the floor inside the wall then seeping out to your carpet.

[bookworm]

1. you're on concrete that isnt sealed nor does it have a vapor barrier underneath. Only way to truly fix it is to tear up carpet and fix the floor. Do you know if you're on a crawlspace or if you're directly on the ground / slab?

2. If you're apartment is partially underground - it could be the same thing if you have block walls; no vapor barrier and/or sealing.

The apartment is partially underground. On the inside, my son's bedroom window is above my head. From the outside, the window is at ground level.

How are the pipes run in that house? Are you on a slab and are they embedded in the slab?

If its not the pipes, are you at the bottom of an incline, no matter how shallow the slope?

How old is the house? If it is on a slab, it might be that the foundation is starting to fail. Just a few random thoughts....

Not sure about the pipes, but the building is at the top of a hill, and my apartment is partially underground. It was built in 1980.

You say the wet spot is near a walll. If it is right against the wall, consider the possibility that the water is coming from above, pooling up on the floor inside the wall then seeping out to your carpet.

It's not right against the wall. The spot in the living room was about a foot and a half from the wall. The spot in my son's room was right in the middle--nowhere the wall.

Well, I feel a little better. I was afraid someone was going to tell me that there is a crack in the foundation (in other words, get the hell out). We're moving soon anyway, so I'm not going to worry about it. I've informed the leasing office, and they can do with it what they will.

So this isn't completely unheard of...seems odd that the maintenance man was baffled by it.

[bcohen]

Relax...you don't own the place, therefore it's not your problem! It sounds like your decision to move at the end of your lease is a wise one.