First House Advice

[MrBilly]

Hello Everyone,

My wife and I have just bought a tiny 1800s cottage in a lovely village.

It needs a bit of work before we move in.

Downstairs, The orginaly floor is flagstone, in the fireplace there is some damaged stones that once hoovered out is clear its laid straight on top of earth.
I have pulled some onf the carpet back in the living room and the back is moldy. Someone has poorly done a concrete screed on top of the flagstone, in places its lifting slightly. Our orginaly plan was fit an engineered wood floor. but know we are toying with the idea of going back to flagstone. What is it like to clean them back, and remove and stubbon screed? Any tips??


Also, we had a few cracks upstatirs. I've opened them up today. worst one is about 4 inches deep aand maybe an inch wide. Whats the thoughts, just lime render to fill? The walls are 2 foot thick.

Also some patches inside of the plaster/render had delaminated and blown. upon cleaning them back ive found thin reed like backing with a chalky mud and hair render. Is this classed as lathe and plaster or is it wattle and daub? Whats the best way to repair.
Some areas have previously been plaster boarded badly.


Any help would be greatly appriciated!!

Billy

 

[Sam W]

Floors - previous owners of our house had fitted carpet to rooms with stone floors on earth. The rooms spent most of the year smelling damp, although the carpet wasn't obviously mouldy. We've now pulled the carpet up, after some cleaning up the floors look great and the rooms no longer smell damp. Based on this I would steer people away from carpeting that type of floor, just too much moisture and any impermeable membrane between the floor and carpet is likely to push the damp somewhere else.
You said the concrete screed is starting to lift slightly. I'd start pulling at one of the loose areas and see how much will come off cleanly, with a bit of luck you'll be able to get the existing flags looking good again without too much work.

 

[Cubist]

Congratulations on the purchase and I hope you and your family will be happy with the house.

Sadly, I think you need to bin any thought of engineered, or any other kind of wood, floors on the ground floor. Theres likely to be too much damp rising from the earth below and the wood would soon warp and rot.

That's said it may be feasible to prepare the floor to avoid the problem but it is not as straightforward as some would have you think.

 

[housewinnie]

Clean off the screed, sweep them and then enjoy them.

 

[RBailey]

Welcome to the "joy" of old houses.

I'd caution similar to cubist, that an engineered floor on top will get damp and warp.
Be cautious (even if the floor guy says it will be okay) of sealing anything with concrete or more screed as that will just push damp into the walls.

Expose the flags, including the joints (repoint / rebed with lime if needed) and let the floor breath.


If your new to old houses I'd also recommend a couple of books.

A good all round book

Period Property Manual

Britain has a wonderfully rich stock of period houses. These properties are often unwittingly damaged, some by well-meaning owners or incompetent builders, others as a result of mortgage lenders insisting on misguided quick-fix ‘remedies’ that cause long-term deterioration. There is widespread...

haynes.com

Just on lime but good booklet and cheap (only a fiver).

Lime in Building - A Practical Guide by Jane Schofield

If you want to use lime to repair or redecorate an old or natural building but are unsure where to start or what to do, then this booklet is for...

www.blackdogpress.co.uk

Cheers,
Richard B.

 

[MrBilly]

Hello. So this weekend my wife and I got the screed up. Just go to smash it smalle to fill potholes on the trackway now.

So some of the flags are small. Looks like they have been broken inthe last 200 years....

My wife is over the moon with them. Going to sweep and hover up tonight and see how it looks.

Ill have a look at the books.

Thanks everyone. No doubt i will be asking for advice again!!

 

[housewinnie]

We did use a bit of skimmed milk to clean ours a little. But we have just left ours and love them. A natural rug or runner over the worst bits.

 

[ThornhillMike]

Welcome to the "joy" of old houses.

I'd caution similar to cubist, that an engineered floor on top will get damp and warp.
Be cautious (even if the floor guy says it will be okay) of sealing anything with concrete or more screed as that will just push damp into the walls.

Expose the flags, including the joints (repoint / rebed with lime if needed) and let the floor breath.


If your new to old houses I'd also recommend a couple of books.

A good all round book

Period Property Manual

Britain has a wonderfully rich stock of period houses. These properties are often unwittingly damaged, some by well-meaning owners or incompetent builders, others as a result of mortgage lenders insisting on misguided quick-fix ‘remedies’ that cause long-term deterioration. There is widespread...

haynes.com

Just on lime but good booklet and cheap (only a fiver).

Lime in Building - A Practical Guide by Jane Schofield

If you want to use lime to repair or redecorate an old or natural building but are unsure where to start or what to do, then this booklet is for...

www.blackdogpress.co.uk

Cheers,
Richard B.

Richard. What do Haynes class as 'period'? Can't see from the book synopsis.

Thanks

Mike

 

[RBailey]

Richard. What do Haynes class as 'period'? Can't see from the book synopsis.

Thanks

Mike

Not by date (although the do do a few period specific, Victorian, Georgian).

Period (generally and for Haynes) is anything that doesn't have a proper damp course..

 

[MrBilly]

we ordered the haynes book. I am finding it very good! Maybe for some that have more experince it might not be suitable, but for a someone new to looking after houses and older houses its really good!!

We are loving the flags now! they have dried out and lightened up a bit. We think were it 2 we are going to look for replacement as the have broken up at somepoint in the last 200 years. I'll upload pictures of our little cottage soon!