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Old 1940s Yugoslav wooden village house - foundation/damp problems

 
Posts: 7
Location: Eastern Europe
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Greetings...! I'm fixing up an old wooden house. Oak beams laid onto a brick course, no damp proof membrane. An internal concrete floor was poured over the compacted dirt floor in the late 1980s - again no damp proofing. I've got holes around some of the sides of the floor/ground beams - where the beam has rotted away/mice have entered. I have attached photographs. My plan is to clean out as much loose rotten wood/dirt from the holes, and then pour in a thin layer of cement. Then paint the whole floor with the liquid bitumen, then with a butane heat lance and bitumen roll - install a fresh, new damp proof membrane. I am sure that after I have installed roof gutters and weatherproofed the exterior foundation - from penetration rain (the brick course currently has a layer of concrete on it) - the dampness in the land will be improved.

Delighted to hear any advice. Many thanks
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Posts: 726
Location: Morocco
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I have had success with removing the concrete floor and restoring the compacted dirt. That way the ground can dry (assuming sufficient ventilation) and the wood will not continue to rot.
 
James Wardell
Posts: 7
Location: Eastern Europe
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Thanks for your reply! The beams were laid on top of a couple of rows of solid bricks. Extremely difficult to get access to, without a huge cost. The poured concrete isn't really in a bad condition - but does need to be water proofed. I'm going to clear around the perimeter of the house, dig down a bit, dump broken tiles and then concrete over. I have found that although the septic tank runoff goes into the ditch in front of house, the other bathroom/kitchen sinks empty via individual drain pipes onto the land right next to the side of the house. My mission - to capture rainfall from roof into water storage tanks, and dredge my ditch to keep flow of water away from property.
 
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