Failure!

There's also hardly any adhesive transfer to the back of the tile which suggests that the adhesive may have been made stiff to aid getting the job done in one day and would have also then caused the adhesive to be weaker.
 
As to the 2 different colours off adhesive, it could have be tiled before and they never scraped old adhesive off.
 
Is there any *easy way to tell
If I have a leak below the subfloor?

What should my next move be?
They obvious way is to leave the uplifted floor uncovered for a few days and see if it dries out, if it continues to look damp then you have your answer, at which point you should contact your home insurance or alternatively if you like I can give you details of a local company that will come out and exactly pinpoint your leak, but they aren't cheap to pay although it wouldn't be dramatic.
 
Ok Guys update! I've been busy with other projects but have came back to this now. (6 months later!)

The floor is dry as a bone! I got 2 local plumbers to have a look. One guy thought there could be a leak but couldn't be sure! The other (trusted long term plumber i use) said in his opinion there was no issue with the floor n to get a floor down again!

As for the boiler using water issue he suggested trying a stopleak treatment into the system as a potential easy solution. Which I haven't gotten around to doing yet.

I have my mum talked into a laminate floor for the ease of lifting if ever required. Last thing i want is to retile and maybe having a problem in the future n tiles needing to be lifted and destroyed.

I have removed all the tiles, which has left adhesive covering the screed. Seems to be firmly adhered to the screed. My plan was to remove old adhesive if required and self level.

Removing adhesive, i bought an sds drill n wide chiesel. Is this my best way of cleaning it off?
 
image.jpg
 
The plummer said the floor is bone dry pmsl
Has your plumber actually found your leak which you definitely have as the boiler pressure wouldn't keep dropping?

My guess (speculation) is you have an old copper pipe or pipes running through the concrete which possibly where never isolated from the concrete and the lime from the concrete has oxidised them over time.
If this is the case then that concrete has absorbed all the lost water from the system. Might look dry but would test as very wet.
If both are true then Laminate is a very bad idea with out firt sorting out your problem.

All speculation but a common scenario in my experience.
 
Ok i appreciate your view and advice. The floor looks n feels bone dry and isn't changing in appearance.

The tiles were all poorly stuck, coverage of adhesive wasn't great and very small/ sporadic grout gaps.

I know there is definitely an issue with this heating system. The plumber i think wants to try the easiest option. There is no signs of water anywhere in the house from top to bottom so screed must be likely!

Who has the equipment to test for a leak? The plumber?
 
Pressure dropping isn't always a sign of a leak in the pipework, it could be the expansion vessel or pressure relief valve.
How often and how much do you have to top it up?
 

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