Water under my bungalow

FreeBear

youth_leader said:  The timber quote was £9K plus VAT

Depending on how long ago this quote was done, you can easily add another 25% on top. Timber prices have shot up considerably over the last year or so.

Bendy_House

£30k to lay a couple of concrete floors? Shoorley shum mishtake.

Be as informed as possible - get a couple of local, recommended builders to quote for this; ripping up the existing floors, compacting down a shed-load of hardcore, screed, DPMs, insulation and stuff. Armed with such quotes, you'll know whether it's a goer.

The floor you'll end up with would be PERFECT for UFH. A new suspended timber floor will NOT. (Unless hugely modified).

(Why not mechanical ventilation? I presume this would be powered? So a constantly running fan in order to compensate for a poorly executed job? Ie, fixing the symptoms and not the cause. Instead of curing the issue, and making the whole thing better?)

GDB2222

If the problem is actually insufficient ventilation, then adding mechanical ventilation (it’s just a fan) may well solve the problem as well as the symptoms. It’s also vastly cheaper than the other suggestions, and there are systems designed for this issue.

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/VAPAH.html?source=adwords&ad_position=&ad_id=454654373914&placement=&kw=&network=u&matchtype=&ad_type=&product_id=VAPAH&product_partition_id=957814854954&campaign=shopping_8_Percent&version=finalurl_v3&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_4-SBhCgARIsAAlegrVSQQjZtvC7gOX27lHpHFD35gYSClIwSoFRUVszR3NrWdXpbaJFjUkaAuCIEALw_wcB

I hope the link works. It’s just a fan system costing under£300 from a well known brand.  The op might well need more than one, but I doubt that the work would cost more than £2k say. Or, she may need some entirely different system. 

As long as it solves the problem, it is what I would probably do, but at the moment we are just assuming the problem is poor ventilation.

Pouring a new concrete floor may also work well, but it’s likely to be more expensive and much more disruptive.

youth_leader

Thanks GDB2222.  I really want to find the source, I am 65 and don't want to have to pack up and move out again in five year's time because it's all wet again. It's far more money than I imagined spending on 'maintenance' in my first year here, I'd allowed £3K per year.  Having to replace all of the carpets so soon wasn't budgeted for either.  If I don't have to sell for care home fees my kids will inherit the bungalow, I don't want them having to renegotiate the price because of a bad survey through my making a bad decision.

My enquiries so far have only reassured me there isn't a burn underneath.

I wrote to the original landowner's archivist and received a copy of the 1897 OS drawing, no evidence of a burn.

I had also written to the 1936 bungalow builder/land owner's descendent, unfortunately his Uncle's records were lost when his business closed down in the 70's.  Interestingly one of the drain covers has the original builder's name on it.

I purchased a 1926 OS map, there is a burn, but not near my property.

I saw my son's previous geography A level teacher whilst walking the dog- he thought it could be a blocked field drain.

My solicitor summarised the search results in his letter to me,  I didn't get my searches, but I paid for my file to be recalled and now have a copy of the Drain and Water search, all seems OK as he had already said.  

I think I have done everything I can to investigate the land, except to check where the field drains are.  

The bungalow and houses on this side of the road are slightly elevated with a slope down to the road which I assume was to allow water to drain down and away from the building.  No drain in the gutter outside the house and for a road 420 foot long (measured for the Jubilee bunting), hardly any drains.

I do feel upset that the concrete floors might have to be dug up too as I've packed my most precious things into the concrete floor areas, my late husband's things, photos etc.  I didn't want to put everything in storage but looks like I might have to.

I've just been round each airbrick with a 12" metal barbecue skewer.  As it's raining I didn't want to lie flat on the floor this time, so I've just measured how far it would go in and not tried to see what I'm hitting.  No idea what the 'soft' resistance is, it feels like the sponge looking insulation material I saw them putting in the roof.  I can't understand airbricks as they seem higher than the floor inside?

There is a marked difference in the space behind each, especially the side of the extension.  

There is a big circular drain cover just outside the bathroom window, and a double oblong drain cover with the builder's name at the side of the house at the start of the extension.

Unfortunately both the floors of the two bedrooms on the left are chipboard. 

I think your suggestion should have been my first course of action.  I'm going to go into the front and back bedroom today, cut the carpet into strips, wash the chipboard down with vinegar to kill the mould, and find someone to cut these hatches, thank you for the suggestion. 

I've had a runny nose every morning since I moved in, and my elderly dog now has a cough.   Unfortunately the screw heads have gone, so I can't just unscrew a panel.  Seems because floorboards were replaced with this chipboard the joists won't match up if I have timber, will need more inserted and they'll have to be realigned.  

Thank you very much for your time.  Did I mention it is Number 13?  My 89 year old Dad is convinced I'm doomed.

youth_leader

Difference in airbrick clearance. 

FreeBear

Bendy_House said: Be as informed as possible - get a couple of local, recommended builders to quote for this; ripping up the existing floors, compacting down a shed-load of hardcore, screed, DPMs, insulation and stuff. Armed with such quotes, you'll know whether it's a goer.

If I were to go to the expense of putting down a concrete floor, I'd look at using foamed glass in place of hardcore - Does the same job, but also contributes to the insulation.

DRP

I'd be very surprised if the problem is ventilation alone, if you actually have water under the floor.

Find the source. This will probably require a bit of destruction/disruption, but it will be worth it over doing half - jobs here and there.

ccluedo

FreeBear said:

If I were to go to the expense of putting down a concrete floor, I'd look at using foamed glass in place of hardcore - Does the same job, but also contributes to the insulation.

This is similar to what they used in our case  (I called it polystyrene in my post on your previous thread).  Much less weight, mess and not so labour intensive.

Bendy_House

FreeBear said:

Bendy_House said: Be as informed as possible - get a couple of local, recommended builders to quote for this; ripping up the existing floors, compacting down a shed-load of hardcore, screed, DPMs, insulation and stuff. Armed with such quotes, you'll know whether it's a goer.

If I were to go to the expense of putting down a concrete floor, I'd look at using foamed glass in place of hardcore - Does the same job, but also contributes to the insulation.

Sounds good, FB - hadn't heard of it.

Bendy_House

DRP said:

I'd be very surprised if the problem is ventilation alone, if you actually have water under the floor.

Find the source. This will probably require a bit of destruction/disruption, but it will be worth it over doing half - jobs here and there.

As far as I can make out, the 'actual water' is 'just' a damp-feeling solum.

I don't think having damp ground under the found void is particularly unusual for older houses, in fact I've read a few threads about actual pools forming at certain times of the year in some. But, provided there is a DPC and adequate ventilation, the joists and floors should be fine.

"The foundation void 'solum' concrete feels wet - I can only touch a small area where the surveyor broke the floorboard.  The joist he touched in the other room was also wet. When I looked under the floor I can't see any obvious 'pools' of water."