Hoping anyone can help advise on our damp cellar.
We own a very old stone cottage, that was converted around 100 years ago from a pub to a house. It has a cellar under about a quarter of the living room with unsealed/un-insulated/un-ventilated suspended timber floor above. The rest of the room is un-insulated concrete.
We are close to starting some other building work, and as part of this we are going to have low profile UFH throughout the ground floor. My concern, which isn't shared by any of the builders that came to quote nor the UFH company is whether it is sensible to install over the top of the cellar.
Their view was that sealing from the room would improve conditions, or in some cases just "shrug". My fear is that the timbers slowly rot and we have to pull up the expensive new floor in a few years time.
Bought a moisture meter yesterday, and get readings of 25-30% on most of the floor timbers (which look relatively new). One older timber resting on the ground/wall hit 50% and is definitely in need of replacement.
I see no likely way to ventilate the cellar. Its only external wall would be under the neighbour's driveway as the house is built along its boundary. I suspect at one point a coal shoot has been blocked up there.
I guess my options are:
- abort, maintain situation of cellar ventilating into room and easy future replacement of timbers.
- go ahead on the advice that sealing from the lounge will make it better.
- fill in the cellar - its maybe 3x2x2m
- dig up floor in lounge to allow a 3m duct to reach the cellar (i guess would need 2, for intake and exhaust).
Thanks!
We own a very old stone cottage, that was converted around 100 years ago from a pub to a house. It has a cellar under about a quarter of the living room with unsealed/un-insulated/un-ventilated suspended timber floor above. The rest of the room is un-insulated concrete.
We are close to starting some other building work, and as part of this we are going to have low profile UFH throughout the ground floor. My concern, which isn't shared by any of the builders that came to quote nor the UFH company is whether it is sensible to install over the top of the cellar.
Their view was that sealing from the room would improve conditions, or in some cases just "shrug". My fear is that the timbers slowly rot and we have to pull up the expensive new floor in a few years time.
Bought a moisture meter yesterday, and get readings of 25-30% on most of the floor timbers (which look relatively new). One older timber resting on the ground/wall hit 50% and is definitely in need of replacement.
I see no likely way to ventilate the cellar. Its only external wall would be under the neighbour's driveway as the house is built along its boundary. I suspect at one point a coal shoot has been blocked up there.
I guess my options are:
- abort, maintain situation of cellar ventilating into room and easy future replacement of timbers.
- go ahead on the advice that sealing from the lounge will make it better.
- fill in the cellar - its maybe 3x2x2m
- dig up floor in lounge to allow a 3m duct to reach the cellar (i guess would need 2, for intake and exhaust).
Thanks!
