george2019
Member
- Messages
- 70
Hello all - this is my first post and first thread! It's a bit rambling... As an introduction, I'm a civil/structural engineer by profession with an interest in old houses, especially now I co-own one. I'd like to join the CARE (Conservation Accreditation Register for Engineers) list at some point.
On my own house I'm planning a small two storey extension which is focusing on the ground floor kitchen (and renovates the bathroom upstairs). As the house is on two levels - probably as one end used to be a dairy/store - there are quite tricky details for controlling water ingress and matching old and new. Much of this post is me explaining my thinking and plans, but I have some questions at the end! I'd be very grateful if those who have done similar work could offer their thoughts.
Existing situation
House:
1880s cottage with 9" thick masonry walls. On clay soil but pretty much on top of a hill. Some rather ropey drylining has been done in a few places. A renovation in the 1980s using gypsum etc is the last time it was touched - but in fairness (to my father) - much of the original features had been already ripped out in the 1950s.
Kitchen Floor:
4x4" red tiles that look fine - I am 90% sure they are embedded in cement as the grout is very tough. There's a bare concrete floor in the pantry as well, so I'm pretty sure this was all laid in the 1950s. Further evidence is that the sand+lime extends beyond the floor tiles.
Walls: originally sand+lime plaster but layers of gypsum, wallpaper and paint has blown this off in quite a few places. No evidence of haired plaster.
Photos:
Self-removing plaster - wall is largely dry except near the floor but expect that is condensation and humidity from cooking. Below the carpet is a 1980s concrete floor.
Concrete floor in pantry - this may extend below rest of floor...? This would be left insitu.
Close up of wall/floor junction
Proposed works
Floor in kitchen:
Trial pit and see what is below!
If there is anything below that is worth saving then reassess, but otherwise dig down a bit and put in a new concrete floor with insulation and screed/UFH laid on top. Red tiles will be saved and repurposed elsewhere.
Rational - existing floor is impermeable with no major problems and adjoining rooms have concrete floors form the 1980s with no problems. While the tiles are nice, trying to match them to the new flooring will be near impossible and for aesthetic reason, I don't want a divide in the flooring or the darkness of the red tiles.
Floor in extension:
New extension will have to be concrete, as there is an old well just outside the current kitchen wall, a raft slab is the only option I am comfortable with (plus no upfront fees as it will be my own design). Any underslab insulation causes problems at interfaces and makes working with the well trickier, insulation above the slab with a grout for UFH and thermal mass is my preferred solution. Also, this would allow an impermeable floor covering like 'luxery lino' at a much reduced cost.
Walls:
Where needed, put new lime plaster internal walls. On external walls put Steico wood fibre system on - the Lime Green place isn't too far away.
Another observation:
In some place, external ground level is too high and it is concrete hardstanding. I will be remedying this ASAP with a concrete saw.
Questions...
Am I mad for not using Limecrete?
Is a 1950s floor worth less... should I make just as much effort to save it?
Is the Steico system decent? I was thinking 60mm on E, W and S elevation and 40mm on N elevation, to allow more warmth to drive out moisture.
In conclusion, I am keen to improve the building fabric... the property is lovely overall but it isn't anything special architecturally or historically so my motivation is efficiency as well as preservation (but I would rarely advocate demolition anywhere as renovation saves the embodied energy used in the original construction - and in rural 1880s England, it was a largely carbon neutral construction). The 'story' of the house is impoverished farmers just about making a living!
On my own house I'm planning a small two storey extension which is focusing on the ground floor kitchen (and renovates the bathroom upstairs). As the house is on two levels - probably as one end used to be a dairy/store - there are quite tricky details for controlling water ingress and matching old and new. Much of this post is me explaining my thinking and plans, but I have some questions at the end! I'd be very grateful if those who have done similar work could offer their thoughts.
Existing situation
House:
1880s cottage with 9" thick masonry walls. On clay soil but pretty much on top of a hill. Some rather ropey drylining has been done in a few places. A renovation in the 1980s using gypsum etc is the last time it was touched - but in fairness (to my father) - much of the original features had been already ripped out in the 1950s.
Kitchen Floor:
4x4" red tiles that look fine - I am 90% sure they are embedded in cement as the grout is very tough. There's a bare concrete floor in the pantry as well, so I'm pretty sure this was all laid in the 1950s. Further evidence is that the sand+lime extends beyond the floor tiles.
Walls: originally sand+lime plaster but layers of gypsum, wallpaper and paint has blown this off in quite a few places. No evidence of haired plaster.
Photos:
Self-removing plaster - wall is largely dry except near the floor but expect that is condensation and humidity from cooking. Below the carpet is a 1980s concrete floor.
Concrete floor in pantry - this may extend below rest of floor...? This would be left insitu.
Close up of wall/floor junction
Proposed works
Floor in kitchen:
Trial pit and see what is below!
If there is anything below that is worth saving then reassess, but otherwise dig down a bit and put in a new concrete floor with insulation and screed/UFH laid on top. Red tiles will be saved and repurposed elsewhere.
Rational - existing floor is impermeable with no major problems and adjoining rooms have concrete floors form the 1980s with no problems. While the tiles are nice, trying to match them to the new flooring will be near impossible and for aesthetic reason, I don't want a divide in the flooring or the darkness of the red tiles.
Floor in extension:
New extension will have to be concrete, as there is an old well just outside the current kitchen wall, a raft slab is the only option I am comfortable with (plus no upfront fees as it will be my own design). Any underslab insulation causes problems at interfaces and makes working with the well trickier, insulation above the slab with a grout for UFH and thermal mass is my preferred solution. Also, this would allow an impermeable floor covering like 'luxery lino' at a much reduced cost.
Walls:
Where needed, put new lime plaster internal walls. On external walls put Steico wood fibre system on - the Lime Green place isn't too far away.
Another observation:
In some place, external ground level is too high and it is concrete hardstanding. I will be remedying this ASAP with a concrete saw.
Questions...
Am I mad for not using Limecrete?
Is a 1950s floor worth less... should I make just as much effort to save it?
Is the Steico system decent? I was thinking 60mm on E, W and S elevation and 40mm on N elevation, to allow more warmth to drive out moisture.
In conclusion, I am keen to improve the building fabric... the property is lovely overall but it isn't anything special architecturally or historically so my motivation is efficiency as well as preservation (but I would rarely advocate demolition anywhere as renovation saves the embodied energy used in the original construction - and in rural 1880s England, it was a largely carbon neutral construction). The 'story' of the house is impoverished farmers just about making a living!
