Damp dilemma - help needed!!

kg1448

Hello!

Sorry for the very long winded nature of this post. I am a total novice DIY/house renovator and would be most grateful for any wisdom anyone can share!!

I am in the process of renovating a Victorian semi detached house. It has a rectangular 'rear addition' housing the kitchen (and rooms above) which has 3 external walls which all suffer from damp on the ground floor. There were raised external ground levels when we moved in with a concrete patio sloping towards the house so rainwater would drain towards the house and sit there. To try and sort out the damp issues we wanted to lower the ground level to 2 brick courses below the damp course etc, however on inspection we were totally unable to locate a damp course in this part of the house at all. We also dug down and found the foundations were extremely shallow, so we weren't able to lower the ground as much as we hoped. We therefore lowered the ground level as much as we could without undermining the foundations and have installed a linear drain around the outside. We are hoping this will significantly help the damp problem, but the ground level outside is still a few cm higher than inside.
The floor inside is about 10/20cm below the level of the rest of the ground floor. The kitchen floor is made up of half original (I think) solid floor and half suspended timber floor. The suspended timber floor has a very shallow cavity (approx 6cm) and is quite damp in places underneath. This floor has had its airbricks covered up and so has been completely unventilated for c. 40 years. Our original plan was to install airbricks to vent this floor, and to leave it all as it is and cover with tiles etc, however recently a damp surveyor looked at it and advised us to consider ripping it all out and replacing the floor with a new concrete floor with dpm. I have read though that this can force moisture up into the walls and therefore could exacerbate our problem. Another possible option is to replace the whole floor with a new suspended timber floor and raise the level of the floor, which is feasible (whilst keeping a ceiling height of 2.25m ish).


I would be really grateful for any advice on these options/the situation in general, including the drainage, damp, plastering, floor etc. This is our first renovation project and we are completely clueless!!


Thank you and merry Christmas!!

wallbash

My first property was a Victorian , and yes the depth of foundations are shocking/ surprising, but they seem to have stood the test of time.
I ripped the whole of the ground floor out, and replaced with concrete . Never had a problem .

hat this can force moisture up into the walls and therefore could exacerbate our problem.

Suggest you seek clarification, I can't see it.

ps as for cost, solid floor , if you are willing to do a lot of it works out much cheaper .

cyclonebri1

kg1448 wrote: »

Hello!
. We are hoping this will significantly help the damp problem, but the ground level outside is still a few cm higher than inside.
The floor inside is about 10/20cm below the level of the rest of the ground floor.


Thank you and merry Christmas!!

I'm sorry but the levels must be restored. If not you will fight damp forever without total tanking out