What type of floor to replace a damp floor in an old house?

[jason61c]

Our new house is 3-400 years old(original part). Its had damp issues which we're slowly sorting.

What was once the kitchen has a horrid bitumen screed put on it to hide the damp, this has caused moisture to travel into some oak soleplates etc frown

Today I've pulled it up. There was rank smelling stale moisture/water underneath.

It seems part of floor had some 1.25" thick clay tiles onto earth, the main part was once stone. The 'original parts dried out within a couple of hours

However its mostly been pulled up and covered with about 3-4" of concrete, no DPC under it.


Now the house isn't listed, I'd like a dry floor.

I've considered most options, now i'm thinking about a concrete block and beam.... I can install myself. It'll allow the subfloor to breathe properly, I can put vents though the 18-25" walls. It'll also let the walls breathe properly as I'm lime plastering. Sound like a good idea?


So far I've moved the ground away, next spring when I sell the conservatory on ebay i'll install a 'french drain' around the side(right hand) and down the front).

House had its stone plinth covered in cement render(I've removed this and re-pointed in Lime).

rain water pipes went straight into the ground, house use to be thatched, there was no soak away or drainage. I've now diverted this down the path away from the house.

the room is the bottom right window, you can see what I've been doing outside....









When we bought it....




Or any other ideas? I've potentially got to carry this out on 2/3'rds of the ground floor

 

[ree]

1. Can you post a pic of the exterior as it is right now?

2. The conservatory floor might be bridging the DPC.

3. What is the black plinth band below the white render? Bitumen liquid?

4. Is the timber framed wall in the pic an interior wall? Carefully remove all plaster from all the kitchen walls in question, dont leave scrubby patches.

5. Have you probed the condition of the timber sole plate (on the floor), and the other timber pieces?

6. The asphalt and concrete should be removed but i would attempt to preserve the clay tiles. When the earth oversite is revealed perhaps pic back on here for further suggestions?

7. Whatever, a DPM will be required but are the other floors solid or suspended?

8. The block & beam (B&B) is a possibility but it could undermine the foundations.

9. As a future project, French drains to sump, and a retaining wall, to perhaps divert the water coming downhill at the gable - does the ground slope at the rear?

10. Why not change the fall on the gutter and discharge downhill gable end?

11. Note: i guess that you know that elec cables should run in safe zones and not diagonally.

 

[jason61c]

1. Can you post a pic of the exterior as it is right now?

The pic where you can see the white render removed is current

2. The conservatory floor might be bridging the DPC.

We don't have a DPC, I'm currently working in the lower right part of the house, the conservatory is going next spring

3. What is the black plinth band below the white render? Bitumen liquid?

The black band is cement render, its been removed and i'm currently pointing in lime and fixing 'bad bits' as I go.

4. Is the timber framed wall in the pic an interior wall? Carefully remove all plaster from all the kitchen walls in question, dont leave scrubby patches.

The timber framed wall is an interior wall. the oak sole plate has rotted away, my plan is to rebuild the lower 2ft in block

5. Have you probed the condition of the timber sole plate (on the floor), and the other timber pieces?

The timber sole plate is no longer there, well its just dust/wet mush.

6. The asphalt and concrete should be removed but i would attempt to preserve the clay tiles. When the earth oversite is revealed perhaps pic back on here for further suggestions?

The asphalt is all up now, its 80% old concrete, very poorly/roughly done.

7. Whatever, a DPM will be required but are the other floors solid or suspended?

1/3rd of the lower floor is suspended timber, they're in good condition.

8. The block & beam (B&B) is a possibility but it could undermine the foundations.

I have thought about this as my foundations only go down about 18"

9. As a future project, French drains to sump, and a retaining wall, to perhaps divert the water coming downhill at the gable - does the ground slope at the rear?

Its level at the rear, it slops upwards on the right hand side as you look at it. Once I get the conservatory off the front I'm going to fit a french drain around the large chimney side and along the front, discharging away from the house.

10. Why not change the fall on the gutter and discharge downhill gable end?

I do intend on doing this in the near future, my 'mod' was just to stop water going straight into the soil next to the house, its a big roof and you wouldn't believe the amount of water that comes out when it rains

11. Note: i guess that you know that elec cables should run in safe zones and not diagonally.

Yes, its a wire that was behind some plaster, not mine. The whole house needs wiring also plumbing as its not got any central heating at all. I'm going to do some first fixing of both when I work out the best way to do the floors etc.

 

[mattice]

Notwithstanding Ree's questions, you could look into a limecrete floor.

 

[jason61c]

Notwithstanding Ree's questions, you could look into a limecrete floor.

I've answered all Ree's questions above in the quotation thing, might be a bit hidden.

Limecrete is a very very strong option...

 

[andycarr1]

Hi,

I hav ethe same sort of thing - looking to install (retrofit) block and beam in a 150 YO house, what are you going to do where the block and beam meets the internal wall? - how do you join the two??

Thanks

Andy