Flooring and damp solution

[Rosecottageglos]

Hi all
First post…. son , who is now away working, has left us in charge on property renovations. Lots of questions but to start …..

Current - oak flooring , now cupped and buckled , laid on trad terracotta tiles , laid on earth . All damp. Have seen the lime Crete solution which may be too much for the size of room at 4.3 x 4.5. No central heating no dpc , no foundations, 300 years old mid terrace . Thinking to lay flag stones, over electric underfloor heating , would love some ideas and opinions ….small budget, first time buyer, lovely little cottage, but needs its fair share of tlc. Surveyor was very good, his overall view was don’t mess with the equilibrium of the cottage …. Thank you

 

[Gordon’s Place]

I can only offer what you may have read online. The wood has warped due to moisture evaporating through the tiles over time. I would pull that wood floor up, see what condition the tiles are in and let them dry out. You may be able to clean them and have them as a feature with a jute rug in areas you may sit and your feet may rest…

 

[stuart45]

Electric underfloor heating is really expensive to run.

 

[Rosecottageglos]

Electric underfloor heating is really expensive to run.

Thanks , yes it is but cheaper to install than oil fired central heating I think and hoping the wood burner will do most of the heating,,,, we live in hope

 

[Rosecottageglos]

I can only offer what you may have read online. The wood has warped due to moisture evaporating through the tiles over time. I would pull that wood floor up, see what condition the tiles are in and let them dry out. You may be able to clean them and have them as a feature with a jute rug in areas you may sit and your feet may rest…

Thank you , I think we’ll take all the wood up and see what we are dealing with

 

[Cubist]

Thanks , yes it is but cheaper to install than oil fired central heating I think and hoping the wood burner will do most of the heating,,,, we live in hope

How big is the cottage - what ground floor area and number and size of rooms. An 8kW wood-burner will happily heat the whole house if it's not so big. Also, tell the off-spring to invest in some carpet slippers for use over those quarry tiles - those look to be goo examples by the way.

Sadly that old solid oak floor is beyond saving for its original purpose - could be an up-cycling opportunity for different things around the cottage. e.g, I used some old oak architrave left here by the previous owner to make a pair of small doors to replace a curtain over and under-stair cupboard.

 

[Rosecottageglos]

How big is the cottage - what ground floor area and number and size of rooms. An 8kW wood-burner will happily heat the whole house if it's not so big. Also, tell the off-spring to invest in some carpet slippers for use over those quarry tiles - those look to be goo examples by the way.

Sadly that old solid oak floor is beyond saving for its original purpose - could be an up-cycling opportunity for different things around the cottage. e.g, I used some old oak architrave left here by the previous owner to make a pair of small doors to replace a curtain over and under-stair cupboard.

Haha, tiny ! is goo good ? House v small, one bed one living room , currently on storage heaters and they ripped the burner out sadly and painted the brick fire place pink internally, so that’s another issue to sort

 

[Cubist]

A small 6-8kW log-burner would heat that comfortably. Long, efficient slow burns can be achieved over 24 hour periods when the house is occupied or rapid high rates of burns for say evening use only. In small rooms though the rapid, high temperature burns can produce very uncomfortable >25 degrees quite easily. Underfloor of any kind pointless in my opinion.

 

[Rosecottageglos]

Thank you. Is that ok , the quarry tiles being straight on the earth , coukd I replace with flag stones ?

 

[Kearn]

Thank you. Is that ok , the quarry tiles being straight on the earth , coukd I replace with flag stones

why would you?

The wood has warped as it’s absorbing the moisture evaporating through the tiles, which is how the floor should function.

Get it up, use it for the wood burner or other projects if adequate.

Then clean up the tiles and let them breath with only natural rugs and furniture on legs to slow airflow across the surface.

Elec ufh is pretty pointless, very expensive and very disruptive given you hopefully have an intact floor which floor which shouldn’t be disturbed.

 

[Rosecottageglos]

Thanks unfortunately previous owner has tried to screw the wood flooring down so I’m expecting damaged quarry tiles in places . Out of interest would a flag stone breath / be pourous like a quarry tile.? Thanks

 

[a twig]

Providing the tiles haven’t been sealed with anything daft they will breath better than flagstones.

On a flagstone floor the majority of the moisture transfer is through the lime mortar joints between the stones

 

[larry]

For heating don't rule out an air-air heat pump (one of those wall mounted air conditioning units). Will provide heat but at a third (ish) of the cost of a normal element based heating. Of course that depends on outside space etc.