1930s house and damp

[Cms7uk]

Hi, new to the board so please be kind

I am currently purchasing a 1930s detached mock Tudor with damp issues. We have had a couple of surveys and most issues have been caused by failed pointing/leaks and the chimneys all being blocked off with no venting.

There are various points of penetrating damp around windows etc but the main point of concern for me is the solid floor in the kitchen/hall and pantry. The original clay floor tiles are still in place but the hallway is measuring at 100% moisture content at the joins due to water tracking from the walls and no membrane being in place.

The recommendation is to remove the concrete, membrane and then a new concrete. I know this is the 'best' option but I'm not sure budget will stretch to it as loads more needs doing.

Is there another option? We have good ceiling height...could another layer of concrete be added? I also have a pointing question but I'll come back on that!

Thanks

 

[Lostgardensof]

Hi. Just bumping this as first posts somethings get lost further down the board. I suspect that concrete is a very bad plan but hopefully someone with more experience will be along soon.

 

[plasticpigeon]

I have a horrible feeling that the info you have been given is not very Kosher. I really take a dim view of most surveyors, and particularly timber and damp abatement sales people. In fact much abatement work is a scam but for some reason it continues with impunity. Please see this article for example.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/4815198/On-the-level-putting-a-damper-on-frauds.html

I'm not sure how water content would be measured in a floor if it isn't wood. As far as I know the "moisture meters" available are really measuring resistance, and are calibrated for wood water content. If not used on wood then they are useless. If you have anything conductive on the floor, some kind of salt for example, then the meter will give a very high reading. I also don't know what tracking from the walls means, it sounds like fear mongering. Can you see evidence of damp in the walls?? Is the paper coming off, paint peeling or skirtings rotting? If not then I would imagine everything is just fine. Concrete over the top will do nothing but reduce the room height and cover over some nice tiles and cause a load of mess. It won't stop damp which needs to be stopped at source or allowed to evaporate off, not be covered over. If you can see obvious points of damp ingress around windows then please fix them, perhaps look for high ground levels, bad gutters etc, and see how it goes with the floor. I wouldn't rip it up unless problems present themselves. If they don't present themselves, there isn't a problem. Unfortunately mortgage companies sometimes start insisting on works, but there are ways around. Often they will just reduce the value of the house by the cost of the works, meaning this will have to be negotiated with the seller, or extra can be paid in deposit.Whichever, it is better than paying the same for uselees or even damaging treatments.

 

[paulc]

If you are willing and able to do a lot of the grunt work, this would go a long way to keeping the costs down. I'm a little surprised that you have a solid floor - I was under the impression that houses built around 1930 generally had suspended timber floors. That said, timber was in short supply between the wars, so perhaps solid floors are not that unusual.

If your floor doesn't show signs of water running across it, the 100% moisture reading is totally bogus - In addition, moisture meters (the ones with prongs on) will only give a maximum reading of around 40-50%. This reading is only valid on timber. Other materials, such as plaster or concrete will contain variable amounts of salts, traces of metals, and any number of other chemicals that will give false readings.

 

[Lime]

Personally I would not dream of taking up the floor tiles.
They are probably not laid on concrete (as we know it) anyway.
The floors were expected to "breath" in those days.
My floor tiles are laid directly on soil are always slightly damp but don't cause a problem, why should yours?

Re. damp meters.
I agree that many so-called damp meters are only electrical resistance meters but proper damp meters that detect water do exist.
I have one.
It is very sensitive and consists of a flat sensor head that has a soft cushion on it to protect any surface it is testing.
It works on the principal that water molecules absorb high frequency magnetic waves (put very simply) rather like a microwave but without the heat
It is almost totally unaffected by metal of any size or thickness but if placed on the palm of your hand it goes wild.
Not only is it able to give a percentage contour of the dampness in wall plaster, brick or floor tiles but also I find it is particularly useful for detecting the very tiny leaks from water pipes in ceiling voids and walls that otherwise you do not know about.
It also can be used to check moisture content in wooden furniture or any other item or material that is likely to contain or absorb water.

 

[d49xc]

My house from 1931 has suspended wooden floors sitting on joists which themselves sit on cross under-joist which themselves sit directly on sleeper walls.
The sleeper walls sit on a concrete base.
However...
In the pantry/scullery area, the rear/back hallway, larder and ex store now utility room this concrete base is a floor level. In parts of this quarry tiles sit on this concrete base and it is all levelled up such that the level of the quarry tiles matches the top of the floorboards in the adjacent kitchen.
The main kitchen, main front hallway are all on suspended floors as per my first para.