Concrete floor?!

[Carissa]

Reading these forums over the last few weeks, I've started taking more notice of what my 1850s limestone and rubble terrace is built of. It fronts right onto the street (asphalt pavement) and the floor is only slightly higher than street level. The floor is concrete - but I think this was put in more recently as another house in the street has orginal flagstones that they found under their concrete floor.

Am I right in thinking that the floor would be set straight into the soil? So no wooden supports or joists underneath it? Is it likely that the only timber in the building's frame is the windows, first floor joists/ceiling, and roof?

With a concrete floor as I have described, I would have thought I would get more damp problems? The only damp part I can find is at the front door - there are some stones missing at ground level just a few inches away, so water will be getting straight in there.

Finally, how do I tell whether limewash has been used on a wall? The kitchen walls are not standard kitchen paints, I've always thought they were standard emulsion (but not specialist kitchen ones) - though now i'm not so sure. The rest of the house is definitely emulsion.

 

[Penners]

If your ground floor is concrete, it's probable that there is no timber underneath it. Such floors are normally poured on to a base of rammed hardcore that sits straight on the earth. If the floor is reasonably modern, then it may also have a damp-proof membrane on top of the concrete, above which will be a final screed of cement mortar.

Although a concrete floor can cause damp problems - particularly where the damp-proof membrane (where it exists) does not have continuity with a damp-proof course in the walls - such problems aren't definitely going to happen. It all depends on whether the dpm and dpc are properly fitted, whether there is groundwater pressure under the building... and other factors.
If you haven't got damp problems, just relax and enjoy it (after you've fixed the missing stones by the front door), and enjoy a frissant of schadenfreude when you read threads from all those other poor folk who have!

By the way, your analysis of the timber content of your house is pretty well spot on: windows, doors, first floor structure, roof structure. The lintels above the windows and doors might also be timber, or in your area they might perhaps be stone.

Can't help you on the limewash, I'm afraid. I know very little about it. I'm sure others will comment.

 

[middi]

HOw do you tell if the walls are limewashed ?

Just brush you best top or jumper against the wall and you will find out.

 

[Lime]

HOw do you tell if the walls are limewashed ?

Just brush you best top or jumper against the wall and you will find out.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: