Floor Rebuild

[MrT]

I'm about to take up a failed concrete floor in the back room of my Victorian
2up-2down terrace. I'm not sure what was there originally but I have some
reclaimed ash shelving which I'm going to adapt to floorboards. I will
probably put in a solid base with hardcore, a concrete or limecrete slab and
then 50-100mm timber studs in filled with sheep's wool or warmcell. I will then
staple down some breather paper and lay the ash boards.

Any comments would be appreciated. How long will I need to wait for the hempcore
to dry before putting down the timber or would concrete be better suited?
Should I consider a suspended timber floor instead?

 

[Manny]

I'm considering an almost identical project in my basement. Currently the floor is just concrete screed but I want to install a wooden floor without sacrificing too much headroom.

The old carpet we pulled up was damp in places but we have corrected the ventilation now.

I'd be interested in what people think about the need for insulation between the battens, need for a further DPC etc. I assumed that leaving the space between the new boards and the concrete would be ventilation enough as long as there is a gap where the floor meets the wall.

Thanks.

 

[Gervase]

With a hempcore or limecrete floor, I'd give it at least 28 days before fixing timber elements to it. Remember to stagger the battens and, if you haven't got airbricks or breather pipes, to leave a gap btween floor and wall under the skirting or fit small vents around the edges of the floor, to allow for air circulation.
I'd be tempted to use warmcell as it's significantly cheaper than fleece and dead easy just to pour into the gaps betwen the battens.

 

[NT]

I give up. So did google. What is hempcore?


NT

 

[Penners]

Sounds like something you'd smoke.

 

[AMc]

I assume from the context it's related to or is a form of Hempcrete e.g.
"Tradical® hemp and lime products
Tradical® Hemcrete is a light concrete made of Tradical® HB - Hemp binder and Tradical® Hemp products."

http://www.lhoist.co.uk/tradical/hemp-lime.html

 

[MrT]

Gervase,
thanks for the advice. The long wait for the limecrete floor to set is what puts me
off. You suggest staggering the battens. What exactly do you mean by this?

many thanks.

 

[Nemesis]

Be happy - grow your own hem(p)crete!

http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=453&storycode=3086670&c=2

 

[plumbers mate]

Bamboo is the trendy wood for floors and things so with the amount of bamboo there is in decked and water-featured gardens, it should be a very renewable resource for walls too?

 

[Penners]

An awful lot of wood-miles in bamboo. On the plus side, though, it's one the world's fastest-growing renewables.

 

[NT]

'An awful lot of wood-miles in bamboo.'

OTOH it could be grown in situ. Perhaps one day we'll plant houses.

Regrettably I cant find the link to a picture of a growing tree used as the structural element of a house.


NT

 

[Penners]

Like this, perhaps? :wink:

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Is that your study, Penners?

 

[Mark]

http://www.hemcore.co.uk/

couple of threads on aecb. Moderatly common in france as IsoChauvre (spelling?) so Im told.

so far as I have read either mats - like thermofleece perhaps ? or chopped into lime plaster.Ive yet to see some or get proper details.

 

[Gervase]

Gervase,
thanks for the advice. The long wait for the limecrete floor to set is what puts me
off. You suggest staggering the battens. What exactly do you mean by this?

many thanks.

Don't have them running the full width of the floor as the air won;t be able to circulate as well - put a batten half way across, and then another batten overlapping from the other side but a few inches ahead, if you gt my drift.

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sort of thing!

 

[Gervase]

Bum - the formatting here ignores loads of spaces!

 

[NT]

Like this, perhaps? :wink:

I dont think I managed to explain it. There is no trad woodwork, rather the growing tree(s) is the frame & lath of the walls. So your house will grow a bit bigger every year.


NT

 

[Penners]

Is that your study, Penners?

I wish!