Pamment Flooring

[Anonymous]

We have purchased an 1850's old village school with 3 pamment floors that the surveyor has indicated are damp.

I have found that they are laid on sand with no damp proof membrane undernerath.

The question is how do I relay them. I have assumed that I dig out then fill with ballast then sand then dp membrane the insulation, but how do I relay the pamments? to I cement them down?

The other worry is the bottom of the internal walls are also damp and wonder how to resolve that also I am not sure I want to trust the opinion of someody who is comng round to price the job up.

Thanks in advance for any help

Shaun

 

[Anonymous]

Is the property really damp? How has this been diagnosed?

Is it lived in or has it been standing empty?

I'd leave the floors intact personally - I have flagstones laid on earth.

It's all part of a 'breathing' building. It's how old buildings are meant to function.


http://www.oldhouse.info/ohdamp.htm

 

[Anonymous]

The property has always been lived in. We had a full survey done before purchasing which recommended that something being done with the three floors.

They have exhibited signs of dampness with a white appearance to some of the pamments.

The woodchip wall paper needed no help in coming of the walls. Even the plaster wanted to come off in chunks and the exposed brick beneath crumbled to the touch.

I have seen slate in the external walls indicating a damp course but upstairs in the corner of a bedroom the wall paper is also falling off the wall.

 

[Anonymous]

Drains? Gutters? Outside ground levels? etc. etc. etc......

We have flagstones in the hall and pamments in the breakfast room, all laid straight on to earth, and all bone dry.
When we were working on the house before we moved in, however, there were traces of damp in the pamments and very dicky plaster in the back of the hall. Once the concrete in the back yard (sloping towards the house, of course) had been taken away, new paving (with decent sized gaps) laid, and a drainage gulley run along the back wall of the house, just in case, it all dried out and eight years on we've had no recurrence of the problem.

 

[Anonymous]

a surveyor with a hand held damp meter?? like an undertaker with a tape measure!!......... leave them alone. absence of a dpc/dpm does not automatically dictate that the structure will be damp look at ground levels/impermeable surfaces/poor heating and ventilation.... 'house keeping' (internal unvented tumble dryers etc)/disposal of rainwater..........