Cobblestone in basement (damp smell)

Matty0682

live in a 200 year old property with a basement. The basement floor is s combination of flagstone and cobblestone which have been sealed (not sure what with but is transparent, see first pic).

There was a smell of damp coming from beneath the basement stairs (the area was sealed off). I have exposed the area under the basement stairs. and there are more cobblestone but not sealed with anything.

What can I use to seal these cobblestone? At the moment I am using a dehumidifier and letting it breathe.

Or do I leave it as is? (I have removed as much soil as I can and washed them)

Thanks

twopenny

Is there any heating down there?

And when did the smell start?

When you say sealed, does the area that has been 'sealed' cover the soil too?

Interesting to have in your basement though

Matty0682

Yes there is a radiator down there. It doesn't get too cold.

Yes the sealed cobbles are completed sealed, including over the soil (it looks like the sealed cobbles have been grouted with cement first)

The eealed layrt looks like a thick layer of varnish or proxy.

I have only lived.here for a year and there has always been a smell of damp in the basement. When I exposed under the stairs, much stronger damp smell 

Doozergirl

Basements should breathe, they are supposed to be damp.  They are underground!  

The house should have air bricks that enable a through-flow of fresh air through the cellar and that is it.  

Eldi_Dos

In some properties of that vintage you can see a vent in the riser of the first step of outside staircase,I always assumed it was there to ventilate understair / basement area.