We’ve recently purchased an older property. Built around 1850 with solid brick external and internal walls and suspended timber floors.
It’s in need of some renovation, predominantly cosmetic, but as we’ve gone around, we’ve found at least a couple of rotten joists in every downstairs room, including the hallway.
We’re pretty sure the rot has been caused by a combination of no air bricks being installed and debris being built up around the joists from previous trades over the year.
I’ve been chatting with a builder about the work the house needs in general and mentioned the floor to him. He suggested, if we’re having to dig out the sub floor (some of the joists actually sit on flagstones directly on the soil), install an oversite, add sleeper walls etc we might as well go the whole hog and pour a solid floor.
I mentioned the lack of DPC and needing to do something with any DPM from a new floor. He suggested a chemical DPC should be applied to all walls (external and internal) and the DPM lapped up beyond that, hidden behind the skirting.
Does that seem right to you guys? The subsoil itself is bone dry right now, but we haven’t had rain in a couple of months, but I’m still concerned about moisture finding its way up between the wall and skirting, even with a chemical DPC. Or am I being paranoid?
Any thoughts/advice would be greatly appreciated!
It’s in need of some renovation, predominantly cosmetic, but as we’ve gone around, we’ve found at least a couple of rotten joists in every downstairs room, including the hallway.
We’re pretty sure the rot has been caused by a combination of no air bricks being installed and debris being built up around the joists from previous trades over the year.
I’ve been chatting with a builder about the work the house needs in general and mentioned the floor to him. He suggested, if we’re having to dig out the sub floor (some of the joists actually sit on flagstones directly on the soil), install an oversite, add sleeper walls etc we might as well go the whole hog and pour a solid floor.
I mentioned the lack of DPC and needing to do something with any DPM from a new floor. He suggested a chemical DPC should be applied to all walls (external and internal) and the DPM lapped up beyond that, hidden behind the skirting.
Does that seem right to you guys? The subsoil itself is bone dry right now, but we haven’t had rain in a couple of months, but I’m still concerned about moisture finding its way up between the wall and skirting, even with a chemical DPC. Or am I being paranoid?
Any thoughts/advice would be greatly appreciated!
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