Our extension used to be a coal shed - how do I improve it?

LaurenHeath123

Hi all

We are trying to make the extension on the back of our 1930s semi habitable again. It was used as a kitchen for years and years (probably around 50-60 years ago when it was attached to the house) but I lifted the vinyl and it is just earth, only concrete closer to the old entrance of the house where the AGA sits.

The room is completely damp and in 2 years time it will be knocked down to make way for a single story extension that runs across the whole of the back of the house. For now, we are hoping to 'tart it up' and make do so we can use it as a utility room.

As is the case in most houses these days, the internal floor is below the external ground so that is causing an awful lot of damp, coupled with the fact that there doesn't even seem to be a floor. I'm not really sure how to tackle this. My initial thought was to put a french drain around the extension but when I discovered the lack of floor, I'm not really sure how to go about that.

Should I dig down, fit a DPM, put floor battens in and insulate? Not really sure how to go about this without knocking the whole extension down and starting again (but we can't afford that for another 2 years).


Thanks in advance - sorry for rambling!