replacing ground floors in 20yr old stonefarmhouse *LINK* *P

[Anonymous]

we are in the process of wrangling with the mortgageco to buy a run rundown farmhouse. its the usual case of replacement of electrics, plumbing, sewage system etc etc

there is no insulation and rising damp. the outside level is higher than the inside. walls are believed to be stone.

we intend to live in the caravan and do the house bit by bit over the years to make it liveable.

items on the to do list so far include

lowering of level outside, digging a channel around the outside and installation of drainage,
removal of at least six inches of external render (as it currently is all the way down to the ground (we will eventually redo the lot),
removal of internal plaster (not lime) and deal with suspected asbestos in plaster,
install new staircase,
insulate with sheeps wool, lathe and lime plaster walls

Now the surveyor indicated that the one remaining wooden floor needed to come up and the rest re-cemented. Does anyone have any guidance in this area. We did think that maybe we could consider installation of u/floor heating while we were there.

thanks

liz


http://www.trailend.co.uk

 

[Anonymous]

oops thought the picturewas supposed to be a tiny avatar not full size! otherwise iwouldhave posted something useful.

 

[Anonymous]

it should read 200yr old! another ooops!

 

[Anonymous]

Did the surveyor explain -
Why the wooden floor needed to come up?
What should replace it (and why)?
and
What the cement floors should be replaced with (and why)?

 

[Anonymous]

not yet, I`m waiting for thefull report to come through in the next couple of days. he gave methe highlights on the phone. he did say he suspected that something was festering under the boards.

we are going to take the report with a pinch of salt because he did the usual remove the plaster up to 1m and the usual dpc comment!

but if we assume for now the floor does need replacing what should we beconsidering. I`ll post the detailed comments from the report once we have them.

 

[Anonymous]

Just thought I'd edit the subject line for you.

 

[Anonymous]

Your surveyor's report sounds more than a little inconclusive. As Moo says, I'd be pursuing him for a great deal more detail.

Why does the wooden floor need to come up - what's "festering" underneath, and why does he think so?
Why do other floors need "re-cementing"?

You really need to pin him down on these points - get a full explanation of what he means and why. Then, if you feel you'd still like to hear opinions from people on this forum, post back the additional information that he gives you.

 

[Anonymous]

If the floors do have to be replced - why not wood again? Or limecrete? Not cement!

 

[Anonymous]

well the mortgage compaaaaany will only lend on a 100% retention and only once we`ve totally ruined it by doing all sorts of unfriendly chemical treatments etc!!!!!! so we are desperately trying to find a renovation friendly lender. Money is tight so we intented to live on site in a caravan and work on it bit by bit over the next five years spending 10-15k each year on it.

any suggestions?

 

[Anonymous]

The Ecology Building Soc and Norwich and Peterborough - Skipton BS...

 

[Anonymous]

Have you tried this:


Ecology Building Society

 

[Anonymous]

Oops - sorry Evelyn - you got there first!

 

[Anonymous]

- and possibly a better-informed surveyor, who will be able to give you a report (backed by all those letters after his/her name) that will pacify your building society. Someone here will be able to advise on finding one.

 

[Anonymous]

you should plan to replace the floors with whatever would have been there before modernisation. <IMG SRC="http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/discussing/smileys/smile.gif" BORDER=0 ALT=""> so, probably with lower outside ground levels, french drains and wooden floors with good subfloor ventilation, or flagstones/tiles laid directly on a sand/lime mix with no dampproofing. modern dampproofing will only mess up an old stone house. avoid concrete floors and dpc like the plague.