Basement of georgian townhouse

[Fan]

We have a large basement that was the original service area and comprises 3 rooms and numerous store cupboards, wine cellar etc. It is in use but clearly damp as items left there tend to grow mold. The floor has beed screeded at some time in past.
There is central heating there. What is the best way to deal with the damp. I have advised by one builder to tank it and another to lay some sort of sealant over the floor.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

We have a large basement that was the original service area and comprises 3 rooms and numerous store cupboards, wine cellar etc. It is in use but clearly damp as items left there tend to grow mold. The floor has beed screeded at some time in past.
There is central heating there. What is the best way to deal with the damp. I have advised by one builder to tank it and another to lay some sort of sealant over the floor.

Dig up the screeded floor, dispose of any damp-proofing you might find beneath, reopen any area lights or air bricks, lay a new (stone, brick or terracotta) floor on a lime-based bed, and...

...accept that it's a basement and will always be at least a bit damper than the rest of the house.

Do not pour sealant over the floor.

 

[andrew gayton]

.........make sure that the temp is about 10oc and use it to store wine.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

.........make sure that the temp is about 10oc and use it to store wine.

Store wine? :shock:

 

[Pford75]

Agree with the experts here....our cellar contains 2 natural wells which from time to time run into a sump. We have lots of ventilation and breathability...so despite lots of water, it doesn't feel too damp

Our cellar contains some in-built 'bins' for wine storage...the combination of dark, slightly moist air and cool temperatures are perfect for laying down a bottle or two.

Gareth - A few bottles of well chosen & well stored wine are fantastic...quality, not quantity :lol:

Close to us is 'England's first Whisky distillery'....they are selling their first distillation by the case - it's my tip for a good investment if you can avoid drinking them for 20 years

 

[Nigel Watts]

Laying down bottled whisky??? It only improves in the cask, I am told.

These are my cellar tips:

For longevity I suggest some madeira, vintage port, the best claret you can afford and Northern Rhones (Hermitage, Cote Roti), in that order. Champagne lends itself to careful aging (keep it cool and dark) as do sweeter white wines (Sauternes and good Germans). Beware of Burgundy (red and white) unless you really know what you are doing, can cope with disappointment and/or have a deep pocket. Experiment if you like with Australians and other novelties and be prepared to be surprised (for good and bad).

Buy opening offers, in bond, the best you can afford, and try to forget about them for a good decade or so. Buy small quantites each year or so to guarnatee continuity of supply after initial wait....

 

[Matt Green]

If you want to change the feel, look and use of the basement to store dry goods you will need a system that stops or manages water coming through the walls.

The spec will depend on the material use to construct the building and mad variety of other factors (ground levels, water table heights, floor construction etc.).

Before any of that though:

Is the building listed?

 

[Penners]

A few bottles of well chosen & well stored wine are fantastic...quality, not quantity

I never heard such rubbish. :wink:

 

[Nemesis]

http://www.whiskymag.com/news/4002.html

The lot who looked at buying the mill II* at Boot and turn it into a distillery... thankfully they didn't.

I go for quantity with wine too. After the first half bottle who cares what it tastes like? The cheap stuff numbs the taste buds anyhow.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

http://www.whiskymag.com/news/4002.html

The lot who looked at buying the mill II* at Boot and turn it into a distillery... thankfully they didn't.

I go for quantity with wine too. After the first half bottle who cares what it tastes like? The cheap stuff numbs the tste buds anyhow.

and after the fifth half bottle I don't even care what it looks like...

My cellar has both kinds of wine, red and white

 

[worms]

It only improves in the cask, I am told.

Absolutely, but to be fair, pford75 said nothing about quality, only investment value and (arguably) if he was interested in quality, his product of choice might not be from

'England's first Whisky distillery'

English whisky indeed! Never heard such a sacrilegous notion!

 

[Nemesis]

There is only one decent whisky and that's the stuff produced on Islay.


Red and white Gareth? What sophistication!

 

[Penners]

My cellar has both kinds of wine, red and white

I promise this is a true story.

Some years ago I as entertaining a client to lunch at a new restaurant in Ely. The staff were all new to the job and quite nervous.

I asked what was available in the way of wine, and the middle-aged local lady who was serving us said: "red or white".

I knew my guest liked rose, so I asked whether she had any of this.

She thought for a moment, and then said (quite seriously), "Well, I s'pose I could make you some".

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Nemesis said:

There is only one decent whisky and that's the stuff produced on Islay

Yes - and for my money it's Bunnahabhain, followed by Bruichladdich.

 

[Mark]

I'd have a word with your money. Laphroaig or Ardbeg if you please.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Laphroig? Fine if you like Victorian cough medicine...