Cellar Conversion HELP!

[DoubleARon1878]

Hi Everyone,

decided to join the forum because I am soon to start a project that could be the death of me haha.

I live in a 100+ years old terraced 2 bedroom house in Liverpool and I have decided to look into the possibility of converting my cellar into a room of some sort.

The first task will be to empty and gut the room but the next and probably most important task will be to try and get the room damp free which is where I really have no clue and need as much help as possible.

Once the room is empty and gutted out all that will be left will be:

a central heating boiler with pipes that lead all along the roof of the cellar
a electricity meter on a shelf

all of which will be an eye sore but no big deal, one concern I have is that due to the age of the house and the fact that years ago they used the cellar as a wash room with dryers washing machines and even mangles there is a drainage grid in the room which I guess leads to the sewer in some way.

would this be ok to cover up as it is not used anymore?

once I am at that stage i then need to think about the floor and walls, what are my options guys?

I need to try and get as damp free as possible to make the room comfortable etc but also i don't have a pot of gold to use either?

please help

 

[foxhole]

Ideally the room would be tanked, not a cheap option but you might be able to improve by installing a dpc to floor and walls and dry line over it.
Depends how damp it normally gets.
You would need to make sure the pipe work is well lagged and keep a carbon monoxide monitor in the room in case of a serious boiler fault [though you should have one in there anyway]. The drain would need to remain as moisture condensing on the inner of the dpc would drain away and not build up.
You would also need good ventilation , this may be affected by the type of boiler fitted.

 

[DoubleARon1878]

Ideally the room would be tanked, not a cheap option but you might be able to improve by installing a dpc to floor and walls and dry line over it.
Depends how damp it normally gets.
You would need to make sure the pipe work is well lagged and keep a carbon monoxide monitor in the room in case of a serious boiler fault [though you should have one in there anyway]. The drain would need to remain as moisture condensing on the inner of the dpc would drain away and not build up.
You would also need good ventilation , this may be affected by the type of boiler fitted.

thankyou for your reply, do you have any idea how much tanking a room etc would usually cost?

carbon alarm is at the top of the stairs but i would move it down into the room if that is needed

the boiler has a vent leading to outside the house in the street but no other vents or anything.

 

[foxhole]

http://www.homebuilding.co.uk/advice/existing-homes/converting-basement/tanking

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

What do you intend to use the room for?

Are you doing this to Building Regulations?

How damp are the walls?

How damp is the floor?

 

[DoubleARon1878]

What do you intend to use the room for?

Are you doing this to Building Regulations?

How damp are the walls?

How damp is the floor?

basically my own little man cave haha

in a perfect world tv mini fridge a sofa that sort of thing obviously depending on the damp

have not even looked at the regulations yet just after advice,

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

No point advising about tanking unless we know how much damp.

 

[DoubleARon1878]

No point advising about tanking unless we know how much damp.

what is the best way to measure the extent of damp?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Is it pouring through the walls? is the floor always wet, do newspapers get damp if they are store down there or what?

 

[DoubleARon1878]

Is it pouring through the walls? is the floor always wet, do newspapers get damp if they are store down there or what?

its not as bad as constantly wet walls and floor but i do have a lot of junk to clear down there so that obviously won't help, the walls are all very discoloured but they have not been touched for probably 30 years