Recent content by DIY Newbie

Final update, in case someone reads this in the future. I managed to get someone to look at this. He suggested that I could either ignore the issue (as it did not seem to be causing major issues) or, if I wanted to do something about it, that would mean digging up the old floor, putting a damp...

Thanks @tel765 When I bought the house, I had a full survey done and specifically asked them to confirm the type of wall. The reason for that was that the EPC certificate said "assumed solid walls" but I could see that there were air brick vents outside without any holes visible inside the...

Thanks again for your time @tel765 I attach fresh photos – daylight definitely helps... You are correct that there was no noticeable condensation on the walls, only the floor. I tend to have the cloakroom door open for ventilation – however the floor was covered with carpet until a few days...

Hi @tel765 Thank you for the reply, that's very kind. Interesting stuff! I was hoping it is just condensation, trapped by having carpet on top of it, but the fact that there was a corner where the floor was actually wet and the fact that it is crumbling in parts made me a bit suspicious. I...

Hi, I thought I would provide an update, in case someone reads this thread in the future. I did the following two tests: 1. Held some of the material against a gas flame for a while. Magnesite is meant to glow. It didn't. 2. Tested the electrical conductivity of the material, using an...

Thanks for the reply @bennymultifinish Actually, since this post, someone suggested based on other photos that the subfloor may be magnesite, which is unsuitable for tiling. As a matter of fact, it could be that the subfloor should be removed and I am quite concerned about the possibility of it...

Thank you very much @dazlight I am looking into magnesite subfloors now. Most sources are suggesting to have it removed, which presumably would cost a lot. They are also saying that sometimes asbestos was used in the mix, which sounds pretty scary. I hope this isn't the case here. I think I...

Hi, I would appreciate some direction if you can, as there is so much information online that I am not sure where to start. I have a small cloakroom under the stairs. Externally, the wall is the part of the house which gets the most rainfall. Until recently, the floor was covered with...

Hi, I have a small cloakroom that I would like to use to practice floor tiling (I am a novice). Looking at the floor though, I don't know whether tiling would be the best option (I am concerned about adhesion) or whether I should go for laminate instead. If I cleaned thoroughly and covered...