Concrete between floor joists?

[Paw85]

Hello everybody. This is my first post, but I've been reading forum since long ago.

I was going to check DPC under the floor as I have damp on the wall between me and my neighbor. I was expecting to see air space and sand under the floor boards, but space between floor joists is filled with concrete or something similar. I can't find anything similar in the internet. Can anybody tell me if this is common practise in the UK? I want to speed up drying process as it is taking months now after guttering was fixed, but this is stopping me now. Can I safely brake up the concrete to see what's under?

I can post some pics if this will help.

Thanks a lot
Paw

 

[Alastairreid]

Sounds like you have a floating floor.

Post some pics.

 

[Paw85]

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• Paw85
• 6 Jan 2015
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[ree]

If you read Beefcube's post about a similar issue in the Flooring Forum this evening you will understand what he would like to do but cannot due to expense.

If you intend to remove the floor then follow Beefcubes proposal. Its safe to break out the floor.

Are the surrounding floors solid or suspended?

Can you post pics of the damp wall and the above mentioned gutter area?

Does the neighbour have damp problems?

Was the defective guttering causing splash or was water entering the property at gutter height?

What is happening at the chimney breast hearth area in pic no 1?

 

[Paw85]

Main target is to get rid of damp and continue refurb. I don't want to remove the floor if not necessary.

Are the surrounding floors solid or suspended?
- Not sure, but feeling and sound is the same as in the subjected room

Can you post pics of the damp wall and the above mentioned gutter area?
Here are some pictures from 1 Nov. Gutters was also fixed in Nov. Dehumidifier is continously working since 4 months and wall looks better now, but still not completely dry.

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• Paw85
• 7 Jan 2015
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Don't have pictures of the leaking guttering.

Does the neighbour have damp problems?
- I did not asked, but his windows are always foggy

Was the defective guttering causing splash or was water entering the property at gutter height?
- Guttering was causing splash. External wall was dry top to bottom. http://youtu.be/vbcuX0oTz2g

What is happening at the chimney breast hearth area in pic no 1?
Before removing plaster it was wet as marked below

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• Paw85
• 7 Jan 2015
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[ree]

The joist tails that run into the damp wall will probably be wet rotting with fungal damage. Why not dig out the infill, and expose one end of a joist, and then check the timber condition for decay by probing with a long thin screwdriver.

I suspect that there is no drying process connected with the defective gutter on this party wall - i suspect that the party wall and perhaps the joists are subject to damp rising from below.

The external wall is a cavity wall.

Remove wall & c/breast plaster to about 600 mm above the floor - work up to a straight line. Render in a sand and lime mix and a remedial skim - stay above the DPC line.

The wood plugs that the skirting is fixed to must be removed from the skirting and in the wall. Check the condition of the back of the skirting for decay. Cut the nails at the back of the skirting dont drive them back thro the face or it will splinter.

If you have similar floors in each room then carefully check around skirting height for any signs of damp or condensation. Perhaps you will be able to live with such floors but if they begin to rot then remedial work must take place.

 

[Paw85]

Thanks for replies and here are few recent photos. What seemed to be a floor joists was in fact a batten to fix floor boards to. I start to remove all of them. They were little rotted, not too bad tho. What is worrying me now is damp sand just at the front of the fire. Could this be a cause of the damp patches? What's the fix?

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• Paw85
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