Leveling a cellar floor! Help!!

[davew7]

Hi

I have a old flint house built in the 1870's. It has a small cellar which we would like to turn into a utility room!
The house is built on chalk and this is mostly what the cellar floor is...it is very uneven
Overall the cellar has good air circulation and apart from an old coal shoot which lets in a bit of water when it rains its pretty dry!
I need to make the floor as level as possible and im hoping someone may have some advice on what to do?
My neighbour says to screed it, lay a poly membrane and put laminate floor over, but im worried that will stop the floor from breathing and subsequently cause damp to come out of the walls?
Any other suggestions?
Any Advice would be very helpful

 

[mointainwalker]

Well, if you have faithfully repeated what your neighbour said, then cross him/her off your list of consultants.

You would not screed and then lay a membrane under the laminate, although you might well lay a membrane and then lay a screed.

Sorry that I can't say anything about chalk - don't know.

What are the walls and do they weep moisture at all ? Is the exterior chalk flush against the walls of the house or dug away at all ?

 

[davew7]

The chalk surrounds all 4 walls of the cellar. I can see/crawl under the whole house from the cellar and no chalk seems to be dug out or anything! It looks as though they just dug a big hole and built walls up against the chalk!
The majority of the wall doesnt appear to weep moisture, but it does feel a bit damp down there. Im hoping a over sized radiator would help that issue!
It is particularly well ventilated aswell!

 

[mointainwalker]

`your comment "chalk surround all sides,,, "

is unclear, Is it hard against the walls or not ?


If there is room . insert an impermeable membrane , thus stopping any water ingress.