Coal Shute problem

[dianeh14 10]

Hi my daughter has just moved into a house on a hill in Sheffield

The cellar is damp and is going to get some one in to sort it, but she has a coal shute that is open to the public pathway and so gets quite a lot of rain and damp connected to that.

Can anyone give me suggestions as how to solve this problem

Thanks

[geared 302]

Is it rented?

[dianeh14 10]

No it isn't. It is her first house and doesn't know much about these things, and neither do I.

[Jeffrey Shaw 90]

What did her Homebuyers Report say about it?

[dianeh14 10]

I will ask her and get back to you, thank you for your interest

[geared 302]

You could block the coal chute up as I'm assuming it's not being used.

 

but the basement will need ventilation, otherwise it'll get horrible down there.

[dianeh14 10]

Can anyone recommend a builder who can put in an air brick and the block up my daughter coal chute. She lives in s6. Also she needs an electrician, any recommendations?

 

---------- Post added 02-07-2016 at 13:04 ----------

 

Wayne number not answering

[mally350z 10]

More than happy to take a look & do a quote

[dianeh14 10]

Thanks Mally

Passed your number on to my daughter. Thanks

[EUCLID 11 10]

Ive lived in a house with a coal cellar. In the middle of the floor there was a hole in the bricks exposing earth. A builder relative told me to leave the floor alone and NOT to fill the hole in. Its a soakaway for any water that gets in through the coal chute. Where I live now, my neighbour concreted the floor in his cellar. Heavy rain caused serious flooding, 4 feet deep. He had to buy a pump and pump it out. He didnt know about soakaways. My advice would be to secure the coalchute but dont reduce ventilation, and dont fill any soakaways.

[dianeh14 10]

Thanks Euclid, will give that info to my daughter ASAP. Just need someone to do it

[Jon26 10]

Years ago when I had my first house also a terrace I had the same thing.

 

I found a stone slab which would cover the hole, then bought 3 air bricks which I placed on each of 3 sides along with some bricks and then laid the stone on top. I used a 4 of sand to 1 of cement mix. Overall I doubt it cost more than £10 then. Most houses tend to have a few bricks laying around. I did leave a gap next to the house wall to avoid bridging the damp proof course etc..

 

Last time I went past it's still there.

 

It stopped water coming into the cellar and made it a little more secure.