Surrey installer of Limecrete floor & Renovation.

[Aaron83]

Hi everyone,
My first post here, so please go easy - loving the wealth of helpful info in the forum.

I'm looking to renovate my home which is a 1930's semi-detached house with 9" thick solid brick walls, and would appreciate any good recommendations for builders who have experience installing a limecrete floor (with UFH), remove a chimeny breast, remove (part of) 2 internal walls and lime plaster the inside of the exterior walls, in Surrey (Woking).

FYI: I was recommended C Ansell & Sons in Dorking, but they are booked up for 18+ months.

Any help would be grately appreciated.
Aaron.

 

[Aaron83]

Morning all!

Just giving this a bump and wondering if it'll help if we split our need for a limcrete (UFH) floor installer and builder with good experience with renovating 1930's built homes?

Thanks all!
Have a great Sunday!

 

[GJH]

Hello Aaron,

I recently had the Limecrete Company lay our floor and can recommend them as very organised and professional. They travel all round the country. Obviously, you would have to organise the dig-out but they are very helpful on giving you all the information you need on depths etc! I did my own with a couple of guys and got a UFH kit which was quite easy to lay over a weekend between visits from the Limecrete Co.

Not sure if that helps any but it may get you part of the way there. Can't help with builders I'm afraid!

GJH.

 

[Kearn]

The Limecrete co will be likely expensive relative to undertaking it the usual way with a mixer due to your location. Give them a ring, they’re very helpful… but, they are based in Norfolk, so logistics costs mount up for mileage, driver wages etc, you might be beyond a single day return trip mileage limit, in which case you have an extra half day labour plus hotel to add on.

There’s also little point in the expense and effort of limecrete for the slab. As long as you get the RFG layer correct, then the screed is a bit irrelevant. NHL5 is probably harder than concrete once fully cured a decade or so down the line. Getting a thin concrete pour will save lots of time and money. The RFG is expensive, but well worth it and you can easily dig out, shovel this in and then hire a whacker to compress it yourself.

Just checking you’re def got solid walls and no dpc/m… not even slate? 1930 could well have something.

 

[Aaron83]

Hello Aaron,

I recently had the Limecrete Company lay our floor and can recommend them as very organised and professional. They travel all round the country. Obviously, you would have to organise the dig-out but they are very helpful on giving you all the information you need on depths etc! I did my own with a couple of guys and got a UFH kit which was quite easy to lay over a weekend between visits from the Limecrete Co.

Not sure if that helps any but it may get you part of the way there. Can't help with builders I'm afraid!

GJH.

Thanks for the recommendation GJH!

I actually got a quote from the LimeCrete company ~18 months ago (to get an idea of costs), so your recommendation is appreciated/helpful. They do sound like one of the best/most popular installers.

 

[Aaron83]

The Limecrete co will be likely expensive relative to undertaking it the usual way with a mixer due to your location. Give them a ring, they’re very helpful… but, they are based in Norfolk, so logistics costs mount up for mileage, driver wages etc, you might be beyond a single day return trip mileage limit, in which case you have an extra half day labour plus hotel to add on.

There’s also little point in the expense and effort of limecrete for the slab. As long as you get the RFG layer correct, then the screed is a bit irrelevant. NHL5 is probably harder than concrete once fully cured a decade or so down the line. Getting a thin concrete pour will save lots of time and money. The RFG is expensive, but well worth it and you can easily dig out, shovel this in and then hire a whacker to compress it yourself.

Just checking you’re def got solid walls and no dpc/m… not even slate? 1930 could well have something.

Many thanks too Kearn!

(As just mentioned) I actually did get a quote from the LimeCrete company ~18 months (sorry, would've been helpful if I mentioned that before ) - I think it was ~£5k+vat for laying of the lime layer only, and ~£11k plus vat for install of everything, minus the UFH.
My thoughts on the quote now (and at the time) are, it's out of budget so would prefer to find an installer more local to us, to see if it reduces the total cost - hence what you advise is a huge help.

In regards to the RFG, that was always in our plans - thanks.

And the house specs; I can confirm it's of 9" solid brick construction, with no cavity. I'm not an expert, but think it's got some kind of DPC (looks like a mortar line, just twice as thick)....well I hope it has a DPC as I've been "busting a gut" digging trenches around the house as the exterior floor level, is level with it.

Thanks again for all the help & advice.

 

[Kearn]

Many thanks too Kearn!

(As just mentioned) I actually did get a quote from the LimeCrete company ~18 months (sorry, would've been helpful if I mentioned that before ) - I think it was ~£5k+vat for laying of the lime layer only, and ~£11k plus vat for install of everything, minus the UFH.
My thoughts on the quote now (and at the time) are, it's out of budget so would prefer to find an installer more local to us, to see if it reduces the total cost - hence what you advise is a huge help.

In regards to the RFG, that was always in our plans - thanks.

And the house specs; I can confirm it's of 9" solid brick construction, with no cavity. I'm not an expert, but think it's got some kind of DPC (looks like a mortar line, just twice as thick)....well I hope it has a DPC as I've been "busting a gut" digging trenches around the house as the exterior floor level, is level with it.

Thanks again for all the help & advice.

May well be a slate DPC embedded in that thick mortar break. Whether there’s anything under the floor you’ll only find out by digging.

It may mean that the whole RFG approach is irrelevant if you’re of ‘modern’ construction, and could reinstate/use the existing damp break.

The limectete co is the only outfit who deliver via a lorry, so other options if you wish to go that route are forced Baron mixer(s), and some willing and capable folks over a few days, plus a lot of NHL and sand…or pay someone who understands the consistency required in the mix and a decent screeder, but the mix will be far dryer than concrete pour.

Its isn’t complicated, but it is a decent amount of work!

However, there are many concrete trucks who will pour in and just need levelling…and with either an existing damp proof layer or the insertion of RFG (making sure levels work for any slate DPC if present) you’ll know no different for a fraction of the cost and effort.

 

[Lacan07]

Hi everyone,
My first post here, so please go easy - loving the wealth of helpful info in the forum.

I'm looking to renovate my home which is a 1930's semi-detached house with 9" thick solid brick walls, and would appreciate any good recommendations for builders who have experience installing a limecrete floor (with UFH), remove a chimeny breast, remove (part of) 2 internal walls and lime plaster the inside of the exterior walls, in Surrey (Woking).

FYI: I was recommended C Ansell & Sons in Dorking, but they are booked up for 18+ months.

Any help would be grately appreciated.
Aaron.

Hi Aaron

Although I'm not particularly au fait with limecrete floors (not a fan of any solid floor) I don't live that far from you if ever you need advice or a second opinion. I often pass through Woking for work, etc.

 

[Aaron83]

May well be a slate DPC embedded in that thick mortar break. Whether there’s anything under the floor you’ll only find out by digging.

It may mean that the whole RFG approach is irrelevant if you’re of ‘modern’ construction, and could reinstate/use the existing damp break.

The limectete co is the only outfit who deliver via a lorry, so other options if you wish to go that route are forced Baron mixer(s), and some willing and capable folks over a few days, plus a lot of NHL and sand…or pay someone who understands the consistency required in the mix and a decent screeder, but the mix will be far dryer than concrete pour.

Its isn’t complicated, but it is a decent amount of work!

However, there are many concrete trucks who will pour in and just need levelling…and with either an existing damp proof layer or the insertion of RFG (making sure levels work for any slate DPC if present) you’ll know no different for a fraction of the cost and effort.

Thanks again for all the advise Kearn.

As you've likely gathered, I'm not 100% "clued-up" on older house construction etc, so that I understand exactly what you mean;

You think RFG (+limecrete) may not be our best option/needed, if our DPC is intact/working/exists at a certain height?

To take it back a few steps (again, apologies, this might've helped in mentioning beforehand): our suspended timber floor has a ~450mm void below it.

With our reasoning for getting a RFG+UFH+LimeCrete floor being;

- Breathability: with our walls being solid and showing some small signs of damp.
- Insulation: I liked the fact that the RFG is both breathable and load bearing.
- The limecrete slab being a thermal mass: a builder we spoke too (that had never heard of limecrete) did float the option of getting breathable insulation put between the floor joists (wood fibre?), then the usual lay-over-the-top aluminium plates for the UFH, but accepted there's no thermal mass and movement/install quality might mean performance fades over time.
Hence my preference with the Limecrete option.

I don't have any preference/issue with working wth a builder/s who have experience in working with Lime/RFG, rather than going with the LC Co. and even thought of bringing the floorboards up, leveling the void + laying, wrapping and compacting the RFG myself...until my wife asked "when do you plan on doing this, with little/no time off from work available for the foreseeable future?"
Honestly, with our budget being tight, I'd rather go with a local/experienced builder, but it's just finding one I suppose.


Thanks again.

 

[Aaron83]

Hi Aaron

Although I'm not particularly au fait with limecrete floors (not a fan of any solid floor) I don't live that far from you if ever you need advice or a second opinion. I often pass through Woking for work, etc.

Thanks so much for your offer Lacan07!
I'll send you a message and we can arrance something if you are passing/have time.

Really appreciate it

 

[Lacan07]

Thanks so much for your offer Lacan07!
I'll send you a message and we can arrance something if you are passing/have time.

Really appreciate it

Yeah send me PM, I might b able to help. I wish I'd had someone experienced advising me when I bought my house, it would have saved me some money and a lot of time. It's very easy to go overboard with the heritage house thing, and this would especially apply to you as you have a 1930s house.

I'll be happy to take a look, as kearn has hinted there may not be any need to do even half of what your planning.