Advice for making our Victorian cellar more practical.

[petercarleton]

I'd like to improve our old Victorian cellar so it's better for storage.

At the minute the raised area you can see on the left has bare earth on it's floor. I'd like to seal this off in some way to make it cleaner. At the minute every time we go down there to get stuff, loads of dust gets kicked up and everything that's put down there just ends up getting filthy.

Has anyone dealt with a situation like this in the past or have ideas for a good solution?

I'm thinking we could board over the earth with shuttering ply or put down a damp proof membrane and pour concrete over it.

Any idea gratefully received.

Thank you

 

[JohnD]

I can't see your picture.

You can add pics by "copy and paste" into your post, or by "more options" "upload a file"

You would do better to dig out the earth (but no lower than the wall footings) so you have more headroom, and can bash down some hardcore, sand, a DPM and insulation before pouring the concrete.

the new floor needs at least a DPM or it will be damp.

If your footings are shallow they can be dug, and concrete poured, in short bays. For speed and stability you can dig each in a short trench, and then do the rest of the floor later. If you may in future want to damp-proof the walls with drained-cavity lathing, you may want to set the dry floor somewhat inside the walls.

Also, check or improve ventilation by airbricks or other means. a cellar needs a good through-draught from each side of the house to the other to blow away humid air.

 

[petercarleton]

Thank you for the advice @JohnD

 

[frutbunn]

Please note digging any additional material out of the basement will increase the height of the retaining wall and could affect its structural stability.