Should have fitted the kitchen myself :(

[Vir Campestris]

So we warned them that our house is 300 years old, and every other bit of work we've done has showed damp.

They stripped out the old kitchen, waved a damp meter at the floor, and fitted the new one.

Then the floor fitter turns up. Looks damp he says, and sets up a test. He's also unhappy about what I hadn't looked at properly and thought was a bit of the old floor. It's another layer of vinyl, with a screed on top of it.

Proper damp test says it's damp. Test was done under the cupboards, not on the exposed floor.

They are now proposing that they'll chip out the old screed, put a damp proof membrane _on_ _the _ _part_ _of_ _the_ _floor_ _which_ _isn't_ _under_ _the_ _cupboards_, and fit the new floor.

They keep suggesting that we'll carry at least some of the risk of damage to the kitchen.

We're also not at all happy about the damp being left under the cupboards. Especially the bits where there is wood touching the damp floor.

What does the team think? Do we need a membrane all the way across?

Andy

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Vir Campestris used his keyboard to write :

Yes and the wood not in direct contact with the floor.

[tabbypurr]

If it's 300 years old, dpm-ing the floor will increase the damp in the walls, as the underfloor will no longer evaporate damp. A dehumidifier might be a better option, at a suitable setting.

Would I put laminated chipboard kitchen units on a damp floor? Nope.

NT

[alan_m]

Don't most decent (and even cheap) units come with plastic feet that are the height of the under cabinet kick-board? If so the damp will not affect the units apart from a chipboard kick-board which could be replaced by something more suitable (uPVC?).

Judging by some of the water damage done by leaking washing machines etc. that I've seen often the chipboard kick-boards fitted to expensive kitchens have the strength of weetabix when damp.

[Brian Gaff]

You used to be able to get Upvc clip over bits for the bottom of chipboard units and even spacers made of it for just this scenario. Should not the fitters have twigged the problems and at least made sure the damp does not get into brand new units?

Brian

[Brian Gaff]

That strong eh? a tiny 18th in bit of marine ply was under mine, Only secured at the ends. boing boing. Brian

[Fredxx]

I have seen floors without any membrane and allowed to breath without issue.

I would hope these are on plastic stilts?

[newshound]

My problems are walls rather than floors. IME trying to hold it back always fails. (I realise that industrial quality tanking works in new build cellars but usually not an option in old cottages). I fixed my worst wall by stripping it all back to the rubble stone, putting ventilated wainscotting as a feature up to 3 feet or so, then having "feature" stonework above, nicely pointed with dyed lime mortar containing random ground stone. This keeps the whole thing dried out. Occasionally you need to brush off a bit of efflorescence.

And for avoidance of doubt, it isn't penetrating damp, it is rising. It can reach 8 feet from the floor because the walls are built straight onto the limestone, and there is a 300 foot hill within a quarter of a mile.

[Vir Campestris]

We have a dehumidifier. Obviously it doesn't have much effect on the parts that are behind the cupboard doors - the old ones always smelt damp.

Most of it is in plastic stilts.

Most.

There are four fixed panels that go all the way to floor level.

Andy

[Fredxx]

Generally those are end panels and can be easily changed, so something I wouldn't worry about.

[alan_m]

Doesn't that really depend on how the units have been assembled? If glue has been used on dowels or the edges of the panels on a flat pack removing a side panel may not be possible without damaging the rest of the carcass. Even with the screw type fittings that have a quarter turn to pull the panels tightly into place access underneath a fitted unit will be somewhat difficult.