Suspended cellar floor

[MarkSmith]

Hi,

Next on the agenda for my cellar conversion (really re-doing and doing a proper job of the previous semi-conversion) is the floor. Currently it's wooden floorboards, each supended in three places (about 1m apart), on a row of bricks set into the soil, a line of concrete set into the soil with a wooden beam on top, and a rows of blocks set into the soil with a wooden beam on top. Boards are fixed to the beams, i.e. just resting at one end.

With the other changes I've made, the new floor space is bigger than the old, and the old floor has never been level, so I'll replace the lot (and perhaps dig it down a few inches if that's possible when I get the old one up).

I'd like the new floor also to be suspended. My plan was to do basically the same as is there now, just slightly improved. Floorboards or pannels, supported on small beams/joists (maybe 50x50mm) about 60cm apart, supported on and fixed to concrete strips.

As I say, this is based on what's there already rather than any expert knowledge. How does it sound? What would people recommend? Haven't started this phase yet so open to all suggestions.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

If this is an area for storage and an area for walking, I'd consider having the joist set at 400mm and maybe a bit deeper, so the don't collapse.
If the cellar gets damp, introduce a DPC, to prevent timbers from rotting.

 

[MarkSmith]

Hi,
Do you mean joists 400mm apart, or 400mm deep? I can't really do 400mm deep, because this height comes directly off the (already quite low) ceiling height. However I don't think they'll collapse along their length because they'l be supported nearly all the way along by the concrete (just a couple of small gaps for wiring and plumbing to pass through) - maybe that wasn't clear from my original description.

Here's a rough picture of what I mean.

Untitled

• MarkSmith
• 27 Feb 2010
• 1

Thanks for the DPC tip - yes I'll be including something, although the existing floor doesn't have it and has been there since the 60s (according to the signature underneath it) without rotting...