Tools rusting in cellar

[JohnD]

airbrick sized holes. Or you could hire a core drill for a day and make big round holes.

Also, look for sources of damp such as plumbing leaks. Is there a clay gulley outside? It will be cracked. Is there a steel waterpipe? It will be leaking. Is there a downpipe? Spilling. If this is a coalhouse, there will be a chute leading to the front path. Probably badly blocked with rubble and a paving stone.

Do you have a watermeter? Observe the bubble, when all taps are turned off.

 

[homemove]

I originally did have a central heating pipe that had a leak dripping straight on the floor in the coal room, however I've fixed this a couple of weeks ago. I don't have any leaking downpipes. Not sure about the gulley leaking, but since there are no actual water drips on the walls nor are the walls wet to touch, I'm assuming that the gulley isn't leaking. I don't have a water meter.

What has got me thinking from your answers though is whether I actually have a chute or not. Below are two photos of the outside so-called coalroom wall....As you can see it has an airbrick vent, but do you know what the black metal thing is?

 

[JBR]

I originally did have a central heating pipe that had a leak dripping straight on the floor in the coal room, however I've fixed this a couple of weeks ago. I don't have any leaking downpipes. Not sure about the gulley leaking, but since there are no actual water drips on the walls nor are the walls wet to touch, I'm assuming that the gulley isn't leaking. I don't have a water meter.

What has got me thinking from your answers though is whether I actually have a chute or not. Below are two photos of the outside so-called coalroom wall....As you can see it has an airbrick vent, but do you know what the black metal thing is?

It's a coal chute cover. Where I was brought up, everyone had coal fires and coal cellars to go with them! These were lifted up by the coal man before he poured the coal down the chute (or directly) into the cellar then, hopefully, he replaced them.

A funny story my mother once told me was that our local chippy owner's son (older than me) once went round the whole neighbourhood collecting these and put them all in his mum's back yard. No-one knows why he did it, but his mum had to go round taking them all back, hopefully each to the right owner.

Yours is probably rusted in place now but, assuming it can still be raised, I'd make sure it is fixed in place. They used to be a favoured means of access to houses for burglars!

 

[JohnD]

if it's hinged at the bottom, probably a hopper for shooting coal down. The may be a bolt on the inside.

edit
too slow

btw
gullies break at the bend, below ground level.

 

[homemove]

Thanks for clarifying that guys, so now I can safely assume that it's definately a coal room.

I can't check it now as it's late, but there is no bolt on the inside, so how do I open it?

 

[Gerrydelasel]

I can't check it now as it's late, but there is no bolt on the inside, so how do I open it?

You don't. Because burglars.

 

[homemove]

I can't check it now as it's late, but there is no bolt on the inside, so how do I open it?

You don't. Because burglars.

I thought JohnD was suggesting it needs to be cleared of any rubble?? So what do you recommend I do?

 

[JohnD]

Where I come from we didn't have that style of cover. Most common is the round pavement hole, and rain often penetrates these (they are frequently stolen or covered over) which is why I thought you might need to clear it out. Yours appears to be vertical so less likely to get rain penetration.

We also had a larger wall-hatch that hinged out at the bottom to form a hopper, but your looks as if it might lift and slide upwards.

 

[homemove]

Where I come from we didn't have that style of cover. Most common is the round pavement hole, and rain often penetrates these (they are frequently stolen or covered over) which is why I thought you might need to clear it out. Yours appears to be vertical so less likely to get rain penetration.

We also had a larger wall-hatch that hinged out at the bottom to form a hopper, but your looks as if it might lift and slide upwards.

So there's no need to do anything with it?

 

[JohnD]

not unless you can see that water is getting in. It looks like an interesting architectural antique. Maybe fix it to prevent theft (of the cover) as well as burglars pushing their urchins through the hole. It looks like it has ventilation holes in the casting. Might be handy if you get a multifuel stove one day or want to lay a concrete floor in the cellar.

 

[homemove]

not unless you can see that water is getting in. It looks like an interesting architectural antique. Maybe fix it to prevent theft (of the cover) as well as burglars pushing their urchins through the hole. It looks like it has ventilation holes in the casting. Might be handy if you get a multifuel stove one day or want to lay a concrete floor in the cellar.

Thanks again. I don't think it has any ventilation holes as otherwise I'd be able to see these on the inside.

May I ask how having this metal plate relates to laying a concrete floor?

Cheers

 

[JohnD]

You can shoot the readimix down the coal hole instead of having to carry it down in buckets. Very convenient.

 

[homemove]

You can shoot the readimix down the coal hole instead of having to carry it down in buckets. Very convenient.

Lol! Ahh right.. Yeah that's very useful. What about the stove??

 

[JohnD]

you might want to start buying coal (or smokeless fuel).

 

[homemove]

you might want to start buying coal (or smokeless fuel).

I've been looking into it and I don't think I'm allowed to have a stove as I live in a smoke-free zone.