Smelly cellar!
Hi,
We are refurbishing the cellar of our 1850s house. It is a semi basement as it is on a sloping site. The walls are damp but never running with water and there is never any water on the natural earth floor. The problem we have is that it smells horrible - very damp, mouldy smell!
We are running Newton cavity drain membrane down the walls but intend to leave the floor as earth as it is dry and suspend the floor.
Does anyone know whether we are going to have a problem with bad smells when we are finished? Could it just be that there has been no heating down there since Victorian times and the old timber smells or could it actually be the earth itself?
I know it is a long shot but wondered if there are any experts out there or if anyone has been through a similar thing as it could be an expensive mistake! Thanks x Lottie
Comments (12)
PROMBH Carpentry and Joinery Ltd.
7 years agoHi I am no expert on this so take it as you will,
Ventilation will be key, an air/heat recovery system that drawers fresh air in from outside and sucks the stale air out, this will possibly sort the smell out, my experience of the Newton product your using is this the one that needs fixing every 200 mm with brown plugs? If so this stops the damp penetrating through your wall finish but it has to go somewhere! Normally down on to the floor. If this is the case then you would need to do something with the floor space below the suspended floor to get the water out! My only experience is in new concrete basements and normally a sump hole is put in with a pump as a fail safe against flooding and so on with access in new floor to get to pump for maintenance for habitable rooms these recovery systems have been used and kept at a regular temp to stop the room sweating.
I hope you may find some help in this I will look out for your updates.lottiefenwick thanked MBH Carpentry and Joinery Ltd.
PROAquatecnic Wetroom Experts
7 years agoHi Lottie,
I would be happy to help. The Newton system is a cavity drainage system and as touch upon normally a pump is installed in the floor to pump water away. It stops water penetration your wall finish.
If you want to check out Koster UK which is the company I work for. Our systems have been used in conjunction with cavity membranes when two forms of waterproofing are required and as a stand alone system.
A good video for you to watch is Here.
The smell is more than likely dampness. Please be aware that cellars were never heated in the era your house was built and were kept damp to preserve food so were never waterproofed. The system shown in the video is designed to adhere and penetrate into the wall and stop moisture from coming through. Cavity systems are designed to manage the water that makes it way through the fabric of the building.
My email is mike@kosteruk.com and my contact number is 01387 270252 if you would like to discuss your project.
Kind Regards,
Mike
lottiefenwick thanked Aquatecnic Wetroom Expertslottiefenwick
Original Author7 years agoThanks so much for your thoughts on this... The Newton membrane system is the dimpled plastic one that is fixed with plugs. Usually they run down to a concrete slab with a sump and pump, but we have never had any sign of water on the floor despite going through some torrential downpours. We also have a Victorian drain in one corner of the cellar which still works and we are on a steeply sloping site so we have gravity in our favour too as a safeguard. We had a test done and the water table is 1.5 metres below floor level... pouring a slab just seemed a bit of overkill (and a nightmare!) for a cellar that is only ever damp rather than running wet. Maybe I am being naive!
Ventilation is worrying me as although it is a semi basement, the ground level is still well above internal floor level so not sure if I can ventilate it? Air heat recovery system sounds great if it will work in our situation. Thanks for the advice on that, I will look into it.
Sound, sensible advice as ever from Man About The House! Thank you for giving it some thought. It is hard to dry walls out when covering them in plastic, so I will need to find some way to get some air circulating.
Thanks again everyone and please do let me know if you have any more thoughts as and when, as I think I will be battling with this for some time. x Lottie
- PRO
Aquatecnic Wetroom Experts
7 years agoHi Lottie,
We do have a number of systems that can assist in protecting the basement and creating a healthy living environment.
I can send you some information on these methods via email if you wish.
Kind Regards,
Mike
lottiefenwick
Original Author7 years agoHi Mike, I have taken a look at your website and it is very interesting. Perhaps you could let me know where you are based or a contact number and I will give you a call as there are a few areas that you may be able to help with. To be honest, we are never going to be big business for you though. We do most of the work on the house ourselves and we have a big project and a very small budget. However, we are certainly on the look out for good products and systems so it might be worth a chat.
PROSTUDIO PARKOAR
7 years agoWe've some experience on similar basement projects...happy to advise if you can send some further information...photos and maybe plans if you have them.
- PRO
Aquatecnic Wetroom Experts
7 years agoHi Lottie,
My contact number is 01387 270252. We do supply large civil jobs but equally we deal with small residential jobs where basements need tanked or rising damp needs combated.I am move than happy to advise and would be happy to look at what you are doing and provide some recommendations for you.
Kind Regards,
Mike
PROThe Classic Barn Company
7 years agoHi
Its important that you are dealing with the source of the damp first. seal the walls but also see if you can identify if anything above ground is adding to the problem. This could be a drain gutter 'run off' or simply diverting ground water away from the walled area. We dealt with a similar baeement issue by treating the walls with damp proof, but also by investigating above and then by adding guttering to a roof that didnt have any, plus installing a ground level run off where water ran back towards the property instead of away (the basement sat beneath this area that colected water).Once you have the walls treated you then need to consider air movement or the 'changing of air', again this is really imporntant in dealing with damp and its smell. If you are unable to create air movement by fitting air grills at different ends of the basement then there are some 'air trickly products' on the market that do the job for you, they use minimal power and require minimal servicing intervals (just filter cleaning mainly). I have had great feed back from these devices. the air coming in must have a place going out, but if you have gaps under doors etc then that should be fine.
Finally, give everything a really good disinfectant wash for good measures.
Hope this helps. good luck.
lottiefenwick
Original Author7 years agoThank you for all your advice. Classic barn company, thank you, I have yet to sort out surface water management. There is a plan involving french drains but scaffolding is preventing it at the moment and I suppose we won'y really know if we have a problem with smells until this is sorted and the space is heated and drying out.
Mike, apologies, you already gave me your contact details didn't you. I only get online far too late in the evening! I will give you a call this week as I would really like some advice.
Thanks all x Lottie
- PRO
The Classic Barn Company
7 years agoLottie - if there is suspicions thats drains might be playing a part then pay to have a camera sent down the drain (some companies record and send you the video), If you have a drain that is damaged / collapsed / root ingres then that maybe a different ball game and your need to have it seen to. Nether the less my advice regarding damp/smells still stands apart from the possibility that if a drain is constantly directing sewage to the walls/floors etc this would need fixing also.
lottiefenwick thanked The Classic Barn Company lottiefenwick
Original Author7 years agoHi there. Sorry for the delayed reply. Having the gable wall rebuilt down to cellar level at the moment as it was dangerous! Nothing but black plastic separating us from the outside world right now... Can you imagine living here... having a nervous breakdown! Thank you Classic Barn Company, I am now having the drain redone at the same time as one side of the drain was actually the wall of the cellar, not sewerage, but rain water goods and washing machine etc. I think we are suffering from a combination of factors and until I get them sorted one by one then I won't be able to figure it out. It is worrying though, that everything you suggest seems to be relevant. I seem to own what people describe as a money pit... If only I had a pit of money to play with! Thanks so much, your advice really does keep me on track and stops me from making expensive mistakes x Lottie
User