When to save a stone floor and when to simply cover it over....

We recently had a call-out to help a client save a floor in a listed building.

It raised the question – When can a floor be saved and when is it best to rather cover it over or replace it? Renovating a stone floor is obviously preferable, but there are limitations....

Because the floor we looked at was in a listed building and there are limitations on what can be done, all the actions the home owner wants to take has to be approved.

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Here are some basic guidelines – please note if the home or building is listed you will require consent to carry out works:

Background:

The old carpets are lifted from the floor and a beautiful clay tile floor is exposed. Here are a few things to consider....

How old is the home? – if it was build prior to 1875 it will not have a damp proof membrane and the floor will require to be open and beatable to allow for the moisture to evaporate. In some cases homes built up to 1980 and later can have damp problems due to incorrectly installed Damp proof membranes or DPC’s.

In a case where moisture is a problem (many time the smell in the room will give this away) the following should be considered:

Lift the floor and install a good quality DPM / DPC – get a builder with experience in the field.

Or the floor can be cleaned and a impregnating sealer can be applied to allow for moisture movement through the floor. Avoid waxes and topical sealers – this will mean the floor will not have a shine finish.

Do Not place rubber matting over the floor as this can cause moisture to get trapped under the rubber and it can turn into a very smelly room – remember that carpet underlays will in most cases act as a barrier and this can cause the same problem. It is sometimes better to do what is required to fix the problem than to simply cover it over.

If you choose to lift the floor and install a DPM – you can opt to keep the original floor tiles and re-lay then after the DPM is installed – ensure your builder is aware of this so he lift the tiles with care.

If you would like some more information and advice about our professional wood and stone floor services please contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or visit www.artofclean.co.uk.