Concrete slab / lined walls

[Kitkat]

Hi all,

I have an old cottage 1720s that has been lined internally with concrete and plastered with gypsum downstairs. The floor overlaid with a concrete slab.

I am taking the concrete and plaster off the walls but I’m mindful that this may have been done to strengthen weak wall. Has anyone encounter this before? I will obviously consult a structural engineer on this but curious to know if anyone has experience of this.

Also, I don’t really want to dig up the concrete floor. Would leaving it down and making the walls breathable be ok?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[aockenden]

Do you have some specific reason to believe that the cement render has been added for structural support reasons?

Leaving the cement floor in place and making the walls breathable will be better than the walls and floor both being non-breathable. It will be worse than making both the walls AND floor breathable. The typical effects of post-war poured-in, cement flooring interventions inside old stone houses are cold clammy condensation-prone floors and damp trapped beneath the floor being pushed outwards into the base of the walls. That’s what you’ll need to deal with if you choose to keep the floor as-is.

 

[Kitkat]

Have been looking at hybrid floor (15cm limecrete channel around perimeter walls). From what I’ve read on here, seems a possible solution.
As regards structural…. Although the walls theoretically are very thick, they increase in thickness front to back. The external wall at the front, in parts seems VERY thin…. I.e., went to install backing plate for plug socket in and went through external wall!!!

 

[aockenden]

Have been looking at hybrid floor (15cm limecrete channel around perimeter walls). From what I’ve read on here, seems a possible solution.
As regards structural…. Although the walls theoretically are very thick, they increase in thickness front to back. The external wall at the front, in parts seems VERY thin…. I.e., went to install backing plate for plug socket in and went through external wall!!!

Yeah a limecrete channel perimeter would probably help somewhat and could be a decent middle ground option.

As for your wall thickness, you’re saying that in trying to chase-out an inset for a 3-5 cm deep socket box, you punched straight through your entire wall through to daylight on the other side?

 

[Kitkat]

Yer, not good. That was about 40cm from floor level too.

 

[Kitkat]

Weird thing is, in places it is 30cm thick!

 

[aockenden]

Yer, not good. That was about 40cm from floor level too.

Pics please! Inside and outside of this section in question.

What’s the wall made of in that section? Is it a bay window area thing or some other special section of wall? Is this a timber frame house with wattle and daub panels?

Many questions. Need more info and need pics.

 

[Kitkat]

Will take more pics tomorrow as too dark now but wall referring to is, in places ie, upstairs is stone. Downstairs seems to be made of cob. Haven’t taken the cement off there yet as, bit worried about the structural integrity of doing this prior to structural engineers intervention.

Have taken half of room upstairs - cement and gypsum off walls as shows in pictures. Stone and wood framing.

Downstairs seems to be Cob. The width of the wall at the front (front room) is 11inch, narrowing quickly to 14cm. However, just 15cm along is where I tried to instal plug. Have taken pics of wall outside showing how I just quickly sealed this. The wall is very thin.