Converting cellar to utility room?

[shar46y]

It has been a long time since I last posted here. We have just moved from one period property to another, this time a Victorian semi. And again I have questions!

We have a decent-sized two-room cellar under the house, the head height is pretty good (between 6-7 feet). We use it for storage of non-precious things as it is slightly damp - can't store cardboard boxes or wood directly on the floor as they slowly get moist. We have put in several IKEA metal shelving units which have plastic feet to keep our stuff off the floor.

We will have to get someone in to sort out a couple of floor joists which are in poor condition, so are thinking of asking them to quote for conversion work too. I am not thinking of going for a proper "finished" habitable basement but thought that it might be a good place to put a washing machine, tumble dryer and maybe a sink. There is already power down there but no plumbing that I can see.

Is this a good idea? I have been wondering about all the practicalities e.g. from reading this forum it is clear that tanking is a BAD idea, and am not sure we would need to do anything at all since I don't think it's particularly wet in our cellar. The floor seems to be brick tiles, in places very uneven so we would like to have a level floor to put the washing machine on - but what can we put down that will allow the floor to breathe? What about ventilation (the smaller room has the old coal chute just closed at the top with a metal lid) and/or a dehumidifier - again from reading this forum it seems that opinion is split?

Thanks in advance for any advice - the first company is coming to quote next week and if I can learn a bit more on here, I hope it will help me to ask the right questions and detect any bull****

 

[Juju]

Your cellar sounds exactly like ours. Like yours, ours is damp so we can't leave anything wooden or paper directly on the stone floor; a couple of joists look dodgy too. Our ventilation comes from a sort of window which is on to the lean-to so when the back door is open, it gets some air. We used a dehumidifier for a while but then we had a damp survey done (forgotten the company - it was Matt's old employer) and they didn't think it was doing much good... Anyway, we've concluded that the cellar is really only good for storage (paint, brushes, wine etc) and we have a spare fridge down there - we don't think our cellar can ever be a useable room but I guess others on the forum will have experience to share on dealing with cellars/basements...
Oh, the other thing is - if you haven't been in your house for long, you may not know what happens to your cellar if there is a flood or lots of rain. When Witney flooded a few years back, our house was safe being on slightly higher ground and we were a little way off from the floods but the cellar flooded to a depth of about a foot - I guess a rise in the water table? It subsided the next day and of course the floods were unprecedented but again, you have to think about these things if you want to use the cellar for more than storage.
Juju

 

[Pford75]

I would echo Juju's comments about waiting to see the cellar in all seasons before jumping to a decision. We have experienced one of the driest periods for a long, long time and this has an impact on the local water table. Our cellar is bone dry at present, but often floods in the winter due to rising water table.

If you do decide to press ahead, then I would decide what level of 'dryness' you need to achieve. If it is planned to be a scullery/laundry room, then it really wouldn't have to be that dry. Just ensure that if you do fit a tumble drier, it is either adequately ventilated or a 'condensing' model as you don't want to introduce further damp into the room. If the room does flood in Winter, then perhaps you could look at having the washing m/c etc. raised to eye level and sockets etc. higher up the wall?

 

[shar46y]

Thanks to Juju and Pford for your comment on the possibility of the cellar flooding :shock: I hadn't really thought of that! The previous owners did say that they haven't had any flooding in the time they have been in, but maybe I'll ask the next-door neighbour who has lived there for many decades.

The power sockets are already sensibly positioned high up so obviously someone had thought about it

We would most likely go for a condensing tumble dryer or else we could vent through the coal chute.

 

[Penners]

I echo what Juju and Pford75 have said about dampness. It would be a good plan to check the cellar under all weather conditions before you make a final decision about its use.

However, assuming that it seems OK for your planned utility room, here are a few thoughts:

We have our washing machine, tumble-dryer and freezer in a lean-to utility room. It's probably not as damp as your cellar, but it is a bit damp and grotty. However, it functions for its purpose perfectly well.

In order to minimise the dampness, I suggest you ensure that you have as much ventilation as possible - perhaps install an extractor fan and run it while the washing machine is on (washing machines cause humidity). And I certainly wouldn't recommend a condensing dryer - vent it to the outside air. Condensing dryers do (in my experience) considerably increase the humidity of the air in the room where they operate.

One additional thought - how high are your drains? You need to be sure about this before you try installing a washing machine! If the drains are higher than the washing machine's outflow then you're going to need a pump to lift its waste water up above drain height (a Saniflo or some such thing).

 

[Feltwell]

I certainly wouldn't recommend a condensing dryer - vent it to the outside air. Condensing dryers do (in my experience) considerably increase the humidity of the air in the room where they operate.

Couldn't agree more. We had one in a rented house a whie ago - whilst it did condense some of the water, it used to steam up the kitchen windows very quickly every time we used it.

Our cellar is damp, it houses stuff that won't spoil + an upright freezer. We were told it hadn't flooded for 10 years, not since the drains on the house were replaced. Anyway, 4 years ago we had major flooding round here - and despite us being on a high spot, the groundwater rose so much that our cellar flooded. Only by a few inches, but luckily we spotted it in time - I was there at midnight lifting the very heavy freezer onto some old pallets to keep it clear of the water. A quick temporary emergency fix, that's why it's still stood on the same grotty old pallets 4 years later... The cellar hasn't flooded since then.

Our neighbour uses their cellar as a utility room. They have a Saniflo to pump the water out, as Penners mentioned - one of these:-

http://www.saniflo.co.uk/sanivite.aspx

Their cellar is as damp as ours, they are the other half of our semi. They can't keep washing powder down there, other than that the arrangement seems to work OK. I'm not sure what they do for a tumble drier.

Don't forget you can vent a tumble drier through a relatively small gap using rigid ducting, if you have any way to access the outside. Flat ducting may be easier.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/manrose-rectangular-flat-channel-1000mm/14118

If the cellar smells at all damp though, then so may your clothes as the drier blasts that air over them.