Purpose of 20mm black layer over solid floor?

[Ian H]

The downstairs of our house is solid floors with about 20mm of black/purple stuff on top of concrete.

In the hallway it's in very poor condition all around where it had a 10mm gas pipe channeled into it.

Is it any sort of damp proof layer or is it more of a leveller?

Could I chip it all up, insulate then tile the floor? Or should I repair it and tile on top?

Thanks

 

[Tigercubrider]

Isn't it a dpc layer between the sub floor and top floor?

Is your house 50's?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Possibly asphalt? Hard as iron and chips rather than breaking. Needs an SDS to drill it

 

[Ian H]

Yes, it is a 50's semi and the stuff has fractured, seems hard but brittle.