Bedding materials for new stone floor.

[Nannynags]

Back again..... Have progressed a little further with the bedroom refurbishment and now all of the cement render has been taken off where we can. Underneath this in places was the original cob, but in others it has been replaced with stone. The main solid external wall has so much cement in it, it goes more than half way through in places, that we were advised to leave it alone because removing it could cause structural instability. While it pains me to say it, I don't want my house to fall down so will have to live with it for the time being as I don't have the funds to take the whole side of the house down and rebuild it. (Baring in mind this house was supposed to have been completely renovated already, not a giant botch up and fake job). Now the question is what to do with the floor. It was a raised floor, obviously not originally. So I have taken the hardboard, polystyrene insulation and fishpond liner out to find vinyl tiles on top of a cement floor underneath. I stripped all of these off and luckily took a lot of the blackjack off too. The floor is now dry and there isn''t the smell of damp in the room, even with the cement floor.

The question is what to do now? Should I remove a large chunk of the concrete floor to install Limecrete to help with breath ability, or can I just lay the stone flooring onto the cement on a lime bed so that it breaths anyway. Baring in mind the walls are going to be lime plastered. I doing all the work by myself so it's taking some time and would like to get it right the first time so I don't have to sleep in the armchair forever

thank youx

 

[Pennyviz]

Hi

Not an expert, but couple of question s- is the property listed - might make a difference as to what is an easy option floorwise. Limecrete would be the ideal option - but digging out the existing floor and laying limecrete is an expensive and not particularly quick job. Is damp a major issue - assuming the bedroom is ground floor?

Penny

 

[plasticpigeon]

I've done a limecrete floor. It is a lot of work to dig out, but it works well, and it not hugely more expensive than a conventional one if you decide to go that way. It needs muscle more than skill to do. The thing that would swing it for me is whether the concrete floor is insulated as it make s big differnce to comfort levels, especially in a bedroom. If it isn't I would replace it, but if it is, then perhaps take a more wait and see approach.