Damp cellars. How damp is too damp?

PINGU · 31-07-2005, 21:15

When viewing properties I have noticed that some cellars have signs of damp. On searching this site it seems that damp is common and accepted in cellars in many houses.

What I would like to know is, should damp in a cellar put me off a property or is it just to be expected?

ukdavvy · 31-07-2005, 21:48

Our cellar has a big hole dug in it with a pump.

When it rains heavily you nip doonstairs with a brush, sweep all the water into the hole then switch on the pump.

Id be relieved if someone else can say this too lol

d

JoeP · 31-07-2005, 21:57

Have a good, long sniff.

If you're smelling mould then I'd think twice. There's no reason why a cellar shouldn't be dry, if it's been properly constructed and / or maintained. Take a look at the paintwork. Is it peeling off the wall?

Or, if you can see the brickwork, is it mossy or are there definite 'lines' like tide marks?

Visit after heavy rain, as well.

Are there crumbly patches of brick or plaster?

Are there layers of white crystals / dust on the bricks? Excess damp can leach minerals through.

Joe

Strix · 31-07-2005, 22:15

It seems it isn't uncommon round these parts, but there are methods of dealing with specific problems

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/show...179#post420179

Hels · 31-07-2005, 22:33

Personally, i'd be wary of any property with a damp cellar but you could also seek advice from a surveyor.

Some friends of mine bought a house a year ago and then found out they had really bad problems with damp. It turns out that an underground stream runs through their house/cellar? and it must have flooded at some point.

They have a pump fitted now, have replaced all the floor boards downstairs and haven't had any problems since, but it has been costly.

The advantages of a cellar are extra storage space/much needed utility area/extra room, but if it's damp you'll need to do something with it. The cost of sorting a damp cellar out may be worthwhile for the extra space you get.

If you're viewing houses and not certain about the cellar or what the vendor is telling you, speak to the neighbours - if they are not selling they may be able to give you some impartial advice and comments.

jules99 · 31-07-2005, 23:30

Quote:

Originally posted by JoeP
Have a good, long sniff.

If you're smelling mould then I'd think twice. There's no reason why a cellar shouldn't be dry, if it's been properly constructed and / or maintained. Take a look at the paintwork. Is it peeling off the wall?

Or, if you can see the brickwork, is it mossy or are there definite 'lines' like tide marks?

Visit after heavy rain, as well.

Are there crumbly patches of brick or plaster?

Are there layers of white crystals / dust on the bricks? Excess damp can leach minerals through.

Joe

jules99 · 31-07-2005, 23:33

joe., i have white looking crystals in my cellar, i reckon its damp in some way, but what does it mean exactly, ive never heard of damp like this, if u have any info what i can do , would be appreciated, thanks jules

Strix · 31-07-2005, 23:40

It's salt Jules. yes, it's brought about by damp, but as cellars are usually below your damp-proof course, it's to ve expected. So long as it's not affecting your floorboards above, don't worry (unless you're storing stuff down there, in which case it should really be converted properly).

Ventilation helps to minimise the problem, so if your coal access has been concreted over, it may be an idea to investigate alternatives

Bloomdido · 01-08-2005, 01:54

I am in the process of excavating my cellar! Under half an inch of concrete there lies very wet clay. My guess is that the damp comes from the water table as it rises, I made a hole and could see water under the floor but it was static.

Since lining the floor with plastic sheeting, I have been able to store stuff down there and am now concreting the floor so that I can use the space more effectively and it will also look nicer.

JoeP · 01-08-2005, 07:27

Quote:

Originally posted by jules99
joe., i have white looking crystals in my cellar, i reckon its damp in some way, but what does it mean exactly, ive never heard of damp like this, if u have any info what i can do , would be appreciated, thanks jules

As strix says, it's mineral / salt deposits caused by damp.

As she also points out it it's not necessarily teh end of the world but if you ae storing stuff down there you need to get it sorted out.

It's an 'indicator' that there may be a problems.

Joe

jules99 · 01-08-2005, 11:26

thanks for the advice joe and stix, im not storing anything down there, but am thinking of selling next year, so i suppose i better get it sorted, cheers. jules

Rikster · 06-08-2005, 08:24

Given that they are underground and below the damp proof course, almost all of the cellars I've had in Sheffield have been dampto some extent. In my current house the floor was always ... muddy. Not actually wet per se but if you swept it you always got slightly damp mud and if you left a cardbord box down there it would become soft within a few days..

We have fixed it 99% by putting a plastic membrane (like pond liner) down and then laying a tile floor on that as we figured that teh majority of the damp was coming from there rather than from the walls. We now run a de-humidifier for about an hour a night (mainly just to move the air around) and all my tools, the freezer etc live down there with no problems at all.

Didn't cost us very much to do and has made a massive difference to the usefulness of the room.

Rik

R0bert · 08-08-2005, 11:59

I'm sure the biggest thing with damp cellars is ventalation. I'm experimenting with having a fan/extracor down there to see if that helps.

When I had a survay done the guy was telling me that Victorian houses need to breath. As such there needs to be as much circulation as possible around the cellar.

Any thoughts?