Do you think this is a tree root under my stairs?

[Coles]

Today I decided to lift up the carpet under the stairs and discovered a hole with what looks like a root that has been cut.

There is a crawl space under the house but this part you can't get to.

Any suggestions?

 

[Cubist]

Are there any trees or substantial bushes growing within 50feet/15metres of any external wall of the house?

 

[Coles]

Are there any trees or substantial bushes growing within 50feet/15metres of any external wall of the house?

Thanks. No there isn't. It looks like wood and feels like wood but now Im wondering its something like a pipe. I don't wish to touch it too much.

 

[Cubist]

More than likely. How old is the house?

 

[Coles]

More than likely. How old is the house?

It's around 1905. It looks like bark on the outside but perhaps it just so old and rotten. Could it be an electrical supply? I gather in 1905 they would have gone electric.

 

[Cubist]

What diameter is it?

 

[Coles]

What diameter is it?

It's around 3cm

 

[Cubist]

Then highly unlikely to be an electricity cable/wire. The cable used for the primary supply to a house would be no more that 15mm maybe 20 at the outside. I would rub the exposed end with a wooden stick to see if doing so reveals an inner twisted wire core. If it appears to be solid and silver like in colour it may well be the remains of an old water or even gas feed that was a cut and sealed at some time in the past. I would be tempted to fix a plastic cap of some kind and bury the exposed end in some mortar.

 

[paulc]

If it were an old gas pipe, it would most likely be steel. In which case, a magnet would stick to it. An old electrical cable would probably have a steel sheath, so again, a magnet would stick.

 

[Coles]

Then highly unlikely to be an electricity cable/wire. The cable used for the primary supply to a house would be no more that 15mm maybe 20 at the outside. I would rub the exposed end with a wooden stick to see if doing so reveals an inner twisted wire core. If it appears to be solid and silver like in colour it may well be the remains of an old water or even gas feed that was a cut and sealed at some time in the past. I would be tempted to fix a plastic cap of some kind and bury the exposed end in some mortar.

Someone has suggested its the original PILC cable??

I tried with a stick and I think I can now see some shiny bits.

But it does appear to be 3cm across or slightly more. Could the bark like appearance I see be paper?

 

[Stevers]

Likely to be the original electricity supply cable. What looks like a lead sheath doesn't look thick enough for a water or gas supply. Sheaths/insulation could be waxed cotton, lead, pitch and/or rubber (that's long perished) - all sorts of possibilities in a cable of that age. Supply voltages varied by supplier in the early days, with DC supply being fairly common, and a heavy cable (with lots of not very effective insulation) might have been thought necessary.

 

[Coles]

Likely to be the original electricity supply cable. What looks like a lead sheath doesn't look thick enough for a water or gas supply. Sheaths/insulation could be waxed cotton, lead, pitch and/or rubber (that's long perished) - all sorts of possibilities in a cable of that age. Supply voltages varied by supplier in the early days, with DC supply being fairly common, and a heavy cable (with lots of not very effective insulation) might have been thought necessary.

Thank you. Would a meter originally have been under the stairs?

I did try to use my sons metal detector but it didn't detect any metal.

Should I just cement over it?

 

[Cubist]

When you suggested a PILC (Paper Insulated Lead Covered) cable I did a little checking. At 30mm+ in diameter, such a cable would have been capable of carrying voltages significantly in excess of those needed to power a domestic residence. Also, being encased in a lead sheath with an outer wrapping of oiled paper the inner cables would not be detectable by most Metal Detectors. In addition the current carrying inner cores were typically copper or aluminium. Looking closely at the latest photo I can see what I think is the ends of copper wires which would confirm its purpose.

If you have access to a Multimeter or a Contact Voltage device it's easy enough to determine if the cable is carrying a current. Frankly, given it seems to have been cut some time ago and buried beneath your floor that's unlikely but if in doubt call your electricity supplier.

 

[Coles]

When you suggested a PILC (Paper Insulated Lead Covered) cable I did a little checking. At 30mm+ in diameter, such a cable would have been capable of carrying voltages significantly in excess of those needed to power a domestic residence. Also, being encased in a lead sheath with an outer wrapping of oiled paper the inner cables would not be detectable by most Metal Detectors. In addition the current carrying inner cores were typically copper or aluminium. Looking closely at the latest photo I can see what I think is the ends of copper wires which would confirm its purpose.

If you have access to a Multimeter or a Contact Voltage device it's easy enough to determine if the cable is carrying a current. Frankly, given it seems to have been cut some time ago and buried beneath your floor that's unlikely but if in doubt call your electricity supplier.

Thank you. Perhaps it has expanded over the years with grime as it looks wider than 3cm in some places. I will get a contact voltage device to see.

The light in that understairs area is getting power from a switch in the crawl space. The rest of the house is controlled by a consumer unit in the hall.

So I hope it's also not connected with that old supply and it's dead.