Hole in sub floor

M

markmcvit

Joined
4 Jun 2020
Messages
16
Reaction score
0
Country
United Kingdom
Hi,

I live in a victorian mid terrace with suspended wood floors. At the front where the water main comes in, who ever has done it has just cut a hole in the sub floor, into the soil, and pulled the pipe through.

The soil smells damp and spreads through the house. Any one got any ideas what I can fill the hole with to stop the smell?

I want to try use whatever they used down there in the past, when the house was built. As it seems that the more I look into defects with the house theyre mainly caused by modern methods not letting the house breathe etc.

Any help greatly appreciated!

Ta

Heres a picture I took by the way
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20200610_220318.jpg
    IMG_20200610_220318.jpg
    195.6 KB · Views: 153
Sponsored Links
how many air bricks does the house have?

how choked are they?
 
markmcvit, good evening.

Chances are that the top surface of the sub floor has been coated with a Hot Liquid Bitumen

How many air bricks are there in the external walls and is there a full air flow across the sub floor of the property?

Ken.
 
The air bricks are inadequete to say the least. They are too high and vent into the skirting boards.

I am planning on fitting periscope vents to fix this though.

@JohnD choked?

@KenGMac Not sure I agree with the hot liquid bitumen, as its quite solid and thick. Kind of like concrete?
 
Sponsored Links
In ours it was just a layer of whatever hard core they had when the house was built, better compacted in some places then others. Probably can use something similar.
 
Choked with dirt, cobwebs, mortar, flowerbeds, paving, decking etc

Anything that obstructs airflow from the front of the house to the back.
 
Filling your hole- cement, concrete, anything really. If you've got the depth consider laying dpm on the subfloor & secure it with bricks or hardcore. And sort the airbricks, don't be shy about adding 1 or 2 if there are particularly musty areas (hallway subfloor is often unventilated)
 
@JohnD In that case theyre pretty choked! Been cleaning them out today, and will fit the periscope vents later this week.

Seems the airbricks or lack of them are definitely causing the majority of my problems with the house then.
 
markmcvit, good evening again.

Any clearing of these air bricks will assist hugely, and depending on how many there are it is possible that this relatively easy fix may??? sort the problem??

Is your underfloor easily accessed? if so insulating the underside of the floor boards will be beneficial in keeping the house warmer.

As for the periscope vents if they are near the skirting when fitted jamb some Insulation between the skirting and the new vent, that will stop the cold air effect getting near the back of the skirting.

As for the surface of the ground under the floor, it could be Ash, or may be old hot applied bitumen that indeed goes very hard and Brittle some old floors simply have earth which has become hard packed, from the image posted it appears that your sub floor has some sort of [almost] flat surface? the lighting in the image makes it difficult to see.

As posted above various repair methods for this hole.

Ken,
 
D

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Sponsored Links

Similar threads

J
Access to Sub Floor
Replies
4
Views
755
johnvarty
J
L
Sub floor ventilation
Replies
5
Views
6K
Lower
L
O
Sub Floor Ventilation
Replies
1
Views
2K
oldbutnotdead
O
N
Rotten Suspended Floors & Improving Sub-Floor Ventilation
2 3
Replies
31
Views
14K
njwilson
N
S
Damp Sub Floor
Replies
3
Views
3K
vinn
V
Back
Top