Solid oak floor - lifting!! Enough gaps left.

keystone

bluedrop wrote: »

Reg the vents, they are all external. Several other external vents that are slightly raised from the ground level...no probs with them.... Only three vents are at the ground level. Two of them are on either side of the speedbump. One is on the other side of the hallway wall. There is slight damp on the internal wall too. Exactly on the inside of the vent

The vents at the ground level look like this :

I would suggest that therein lies the source of your problem then. The paving is far too high. Your DPC will be under the course above the airbrick (no they should NOT be blocked - thats how your suspended floor gets its ventilation). When it rains not only is there potential for water to enter the underfloor space via the airbrick(s) but it will also splash up from the paving to above the DPC whence it leads to penetrating damp.

You will forever have this problem whether the floor is relaid or not and I'm now thinking it should not necessarily be. Its vital to lower the level of the paving such that neither situation obtains as a matter of urgency IMO.

Cheers

keystone

krisdorey wrote: »

Bad idea if the OP has gas fires in the room.

These airbricks are for underfloor ventilation. No bearing on ventilation for fires whatsoever.

Cheers

DevCoder

You're right Keystone, forgot to look where the DPC was on the wall.

bluedrop

keystone wrote: »

I would suggest that therein lies the source of your problem then. The paving is far too high. Your DPC will be under the course above the airbrick (no they should NOT be blocked - thats how your suspended floor gets its ventilation). When it rains not only is there potential for water to enter the underfloor space via the airbrick(s) but it will also splash up from the paving to above the DPC whence it leads to penetrating damp.

You will forever have this problem whether the floor is relaid or not and I'm now thinking it should not necessarily be. Its vital to lower the level of the paving such that neither situation obtains as a matter of urgency IMO.

Cheers

That pic was just an example. My airbricks are fully above the paving. But "just" barely above the paving. Water can get in easily though...

keystone

bluedrop wrote: »

That pic was just an example. My airbricks are fully above the paving. But "just" barely above the paving. Water can get in easily though...

You didn't say it was just an example. The natural conclusion is that its a pic of your house!! Your DPC should be 150mm above the ground level so as to avoid splashback like I mentioned previously. Your DPC is almost certainly between two courses of bricks where the brick colour change takes place. Irrespective of the airbrick (which I now have no idea about seeing as the pic isn't of your place) you ARE going to get penetrating damp due to splashback if it isn't a minimum of 150mm up. If at the same time waater can easily flow in through the airbrick as you suggest it doesn't change my previous post one bit. Ground level is too high and because of that your nice shiny new expensive flooring is heading towards ruination irrespective of what the installer has done or not done.

The fact that this siutation only really rears its ugly head after it has been raining heavily kinda suggests that I might be right. :cool:

Cheers

bluedrop

keystone wrote: »

The fact that this siutation only really rears its ugly head after it has been raining heavily kinda suggests that I might be right. :cool:

Cheers

150 mm! It's not more than 5mm!

Thank you very much - it all makes sense.

I need to figure out a way to sort this out..,

cyclonebri1

You may still have issues even if you do lower the paving if it is an exposed site. But it should lessen the effect.

Your biggest issue is now how to deal with the fitter, you do have 2 separate issues by the sound of it.

Don't lose track of the fact that all floors are exposed to changes in humidity do to heating and weather, it's airborne and your house isn't airtight, the floor should float;);)

To put the issue in a nutshell, and this is regardless of any property damp issues;

You have a hybrid situation. The fitter has neither installed a floating floor or a fully fixed 1.
He has used too many nails for it to float and too few for it to stay rigidly attached to the sub floor

I_have_spoken

As the lifting follows heavy rain, it seem certain that water is crossing the DPC and/or entering the air vents and creating localised problems.

I have seen a comment elsewhere that cooler air coming in via the airbrick creates a local condensation problem and dampness.

martinsurrey

bluedrop wrote: »

150 mm! It's not more than 5mm!

Thank you very much - it all makes sense.

I need to figure out a way to sort this out..,

the only real solution involves a lot of digging.

A french drain along the side of the house (goolge french drain).

you can both drain the wall, and lower the ground level at the same time, and they can look brilliant if done with care.

cyclonebri1

There is another issue to consider.

If this is as suggested, and I'm not saying it isn't, then other things in the home should be affected.

IE, doors would start to stick, draws in cupboards would bind, fittings, say brass plated lamps and light would rust very quickly.etc etc

Is there any evidence of this?, or are the symptoms entirely restricted to the flooring?

My 1st home was a mid terraced property in a mining village, built in 1876. It had a cellar. It wasn't uncommon in winter to have up to 12" of water in that cellar. The floor didn't move and the carpets didn't stink, but the lights unless solid brass did rust.

What I'm saying is, as above you should see other issues.

Leave a sheet of printing paper out overnight, how badly does it curl?