zoothorn

Alas not.. looked everywhere for a VGA(edit!) lead. I'll pick one up when I can. I've managed to just see my pic I wanted tho.. Ok so back to the floor. I have my ref pic (of the '06 build I used to live in/ the small 1 big room 'wing' addition to a cottage being most of my residence). The builder's blue dpm is spead over floor, spilling up over 1 block perimeter outer course 'lip'. Chap's there whacking on maybe 6" depth/ height of concrete, barrow by barrow, smoothing over top carefully with hand float: going from one corner back, standing on the dpc (so doesnt this rule out its likely eps underfoot then-?). I thought I had pics of what insulation.. if any.. but alas not, so my pics not as useful as Id hoped: no evidence of insulation. Unless -under- the dpc. Is that a possibility? The room once complete, with rockwool used in wall cavities & in ceiling joists (no PIR if I recall used in the build).. was 'normally' warm/ decently insulated enough it seemed.

Will do. Just found an oddity. popped the dvd tray > in again, saw very very feintly some spiel 'f1 to continue' on the balck screen. F1 > the windows started up, old XP 5-note startup tune/ all noises I was used to hearing. BUT. The screen's only feintly visible: in fact if I turn off the led hood lights above thinking Id see more.. I cant see a damn thing. weird.

2 prominent beep-beeps, 20 secs after start up. Maybe a dadt Q but can I not just shove the hdd in my toshiba laptop/ swapsies/ one Im on now?

Ok its a IDE one. Dug out & fired up the old 'puter. Its sounds normal, a gentle whirring HDD.. but a black screen (no sign of -any- life) a 'Beep Beep' signifying summink amiss/ unusual beeps. And remains as is, Hdd & 'puter on.. screen black.

It was a dell d600 (yup that old!). I took the HD out. But surely if put this in a caddy it still won't work-? (ie I cant see how the caddy would 'revive it')

@Onoff just picking up on this subject Onoff.. it was my stalwart old XP laptop, which just won't boot up/ wont get to the windows xp start. I had loads of pics of that pro build taken -just for- situations a few years down the line, like now- Id sure love to get them back. Took the HD out/ scrapped the rest. What you think- any chance of retrieval?

Lino£.. 170 pro quote, with me doing the hardboard layer prep including removing old lino.. so £200 lets call it. Ouch. Not expecting that. I can't see the problem on the face of it, of laying new lino over the existing stuff.. sure the edges lift/ wibble a bit but surely I can grab-glue these down > lay new lino on? (the pro guy wasn't too happy with the idea, but hasn't seen the kitchen tho, & said it is done occasionally).

Another good link Onoff, that seems a fine idea- only snag being the cabinets mean I can only vinyl up to them, so where all the worktop areas are couldn't have this stuff on floor.. I wonder whether that might negate the overall benefit if not doing all the floor area. How much extra depth would I need if adding that underfloor heating element: is there any reason I couldn't consider this addition, if I'm doing a concrete 'top' layer (I assume it slips in here)? Id think very dear if I did the whole ~6x4m mind you- maybe spread it, or in middle 2/3rds only.

Its not neccessarily that I like the look, its a Q of cost/ & my skillset to attempt a job. Complicated external digger jobs (I cant use one) & additions to depth, however terrific the results might be, are simply 3-4 leagues out of my remit (& a recipe for disaster if nothing else). Hiring a jack-hammer, hand-digging, laying sheets of xyz, hiring a whacker-plate, doing a concrete layer, smoothing.. are all possibles due to low'ish difficulty levels.. therefore I could attempt (I very much hope). Even these low'ish difficulty level steps lets say it might entail, is a HUGE leap into the unknown for me. But anything more complex I'm not qualified, skilled. Same with upstairs rockwool/ pB redo, & the kitchen which was only a huge fiddle rather than anything of difficulty (even the plumbing) once Id got the hang of it. I must just stick to internal, & as simple as too.. for this stage of my skillset. In 5-10 years I could maybe come back & go to level 3 or 4 difficulty, but Id need to be very sure 1st- I doubt I'll ever be this competent tbh. Many thanks- zoot.

Yes exactly as newhome Yes exactly as newhome suggests above, its only the main room this would be for: within the original 'shell' 4 walls. The adjacent kitchen is not part of the plan, as Ive just done it & moving onto the lino/ finishing off. I'm not planning internal wall insulation within the main room: I cannot face ruining the character, ruining / compromising the space which I'm fairly limited with being my main space, or face doing the job anyway. They will be the achilles heel re cold yes/ this I'm aware of. But cold walls or not, I cannot let them stop me addressing the terribly cold floor by staying as is. The only thing in Q is the cold coming up/ in from the floor.

I'm not quite visualising these various suggestions &/ or can't put any external plan into action due to possible extension addition on the end of house (onto sheer blank wall @ fireplace end.. opposite to kitchen extention in the foreground).. which would need new foundations. Ive got planning for this ext, but up a gumtree re. costs & understanding the regs/ protocol so given up.. but may come back to do it when the right plan hits me. The reason I was thinking planA (dig up floor etc) was bc my builder made this as a suggestion.. & only this. Id assume maybe it being the simplest for him to do, builders being builders. He does know the house to a degree, & saw the floor hands on though. I think it might be the only conceivable thing I could actually do, without getting into a huge pickle attempting anything more complicated. Tbh I can't conceive of digging up externally, digger etc. Ive got water pipes & leccy cables buried, in-out relief to walls let alone unknown foundations & the ~possible~ extention adding onto 1 of the 3 'exposed' shell walls (4th tied up with the kitchen extension onto it).

Omg if I had underfloor heating in here! I can't stop thinking on it now Onoff's shown me that pic. I guess one thing this major house insulate 2 BIGass jobs won't give me (upstairs rockwoolling-the-fkn-lot the no.1 priority) is anything visible or 'worthy' for an estate agent to spiel about.. unlike "!underfloor heating!" is all bells n whistles. Just one addition/ & its innitial cost of course, within the job = adding significant value..?

My main room in Q. Got it pretty warm this ev- far more comfortable when its DRY outside, even if cold: if WET atmos then the room & house gets cold almost regardless of the actual temp. Weird. But sort of tells my instinct, that wet underneath = a sort of vehicle for cold.. summink like this. The staircase.. is awful/ 'agricultural' effort- so yet another job to replace it: which I gotta do somehow with the wood tools I have (£4k quote from a local Co for a pine rebuild!). And I guess would have to follow on immediately from the floor job (& a temporary ladder instead while jobs on.. urgh).

All very interesting, much appreciate the info (if a little complicated number-wise, for me that is). I'm basically on board with the perimeter idea, although I'm really not sure at all with the old 4-thick-walled 'shell' alarmingly in-out in places: the idea of digging down 1m around Id be very reticent about. Its not s'thing my builder mentioned either, briefly talking on the cold floor as we did/ him noticing scraps of blue dpc 'evidence'. Id really only be entertaining the original idea of digging the floor up, I think tbh, if of course the consensus IS that it is a genuinely decent idea. @Ferdinand my beams are exposed, & 6'8" between.. & 6'1" @ the lowest cross beams points! seriously, the lowest Ive ever known I think.

@Ferdinand can you explain perimeter insulation.. are you talking walls, externally? Im not entertaining this idea if so, as it'll detract from the contoured original exterior. The orig 'shell' 4 walls are are undoubtadly cold slate lumps sure.. but will have to be, & everything but the kitchen sink addressed/ attacked but them: that's the basic action plan for the house.

@Onoff hey thanks for all the info- impressive.. & terrifying in equal measures. I had no idea the job was to this level of xyz to do. Maybe I can simplify / hope so or its too daunting a job. My crib before was just a small new [pro] built 'wing' (onto an old cottage). Took tons of pics of build (lost on a died laptop- v. annoying) & seem to recall the floor wasn't nearly as complex, & 'felt' perfectly good/ normally-well insulated: once the base prepped it seemed to be effectively, a dpc > eps only (poss 100mm?) > concrete top, levelled, then hand smoothed over with a big square float. I was hoping I could do it in a roughly similar way, the digging down/ removal & prep being the vast majority of the work. I'll have to consider possibility of hitting stone (slate- not too hard I believe, thankfully).. how much I hit dependent I guess on what depth to go down. What would be the minimum insulation I should be considering here? I'll not be going whole hog 300mm thats for sure.

Another good Q Ed- yes 2 slopes, LHS drains away acroos then steeply down to brook 5m from house. RHS: water collects along this channel here, but nothing Ive ever been concerned with & main WC drain in middle helps. If damp ingress via this RHS channel here you might be thinking, nothing to say inside the main room this side any different/ worse than other LHS. Seems ok.

This is the basic house, foreground the 80's dreadful kitchen, behind the 4-thick-walled 'shell' main room (ontop the 80's disaster 1st floor addition).

Hi newhome- very kind link/ good plan I admit. I resort to warming hands over toaster s'times.. last did this as a 19yr old stewdent-grant. This cold snap I'm just going full pelt on my 1 'leccy slim kitchen rad (I had a similar one 2x as big, in main room.. but just removed/ sold it bc putting it on didn't make a jot of difference/ total waste of £ & energy, any heat if felt just going up stairway above).. & my stove stuffed to the gills for my 2 hr 'window' 7-9pm. A leccy blanket- now you remind me- is a must next-thing to get.

@Onoff wow you've even done this very job! & your results- really 1st class (pic3). Assuming your idea's as mine, to essentially put in 100mm of PIR underfoot.. any info/ pics between pics above 2 & 3? I thought it might be a jackhammer affair. Ok one imperative consideration/ difference with mine, is some vertical beams bases of which of course sit upon (or upon what exactly?) the floor as is: IE if I take these away.. I can't bear to think, but Laurel & Hardy springs to mind.

Hi Ferdinand. Good Q- alas cannot add onto/ up. Its the lowest ceiling Ive ever known in a house perhaps (& would add a badly out of kilter step). Imagine a characterful black & white beamed cottage ceiling.. then take a foot+ off! It must be to same level, which continues thru to adjoining kitchen.

Hi Onoff- Ive put in VG back door seals, so no draughts now. We disagree on PIR (my eg was a BIG, double-fullwidth-doored, both open, cold december evening.. log chap self built this separate garage & main huge house adjacent.. one rad on medium only, & just one step inside = you just felt the warm insulation like a comfort blanket): if I had 300mm PIR in walls & ceiling, despite the back door close to kitchen, it'd be massively different & I say till the cows come home: its cold UP from the floor no1 (+ yes via walls) I'm sure, as my ankles feel cold 1st. Anyway.. I have a decent 'leccy slimline wall heater in kitchen/ cvan bang out heat. If its very cold, it flat out for 2 hours & I'm 3m away.. my hands, nose, legs remain a bit cold. Only way I can get warm is a fan heater on too, firing at me/ a godsend. A huge ammount of heat to combat/ get the better of the cold in room. The same in big main room, but magnified: a HUGE maxed 2hr wallop from stove just to get room medium-warm then keep this going at max a must or cold wins. A battle I rarely win to be honest & retire 9.30 (couches, & corners of room always remain cold) & a huge no. of logs per night. not fun. I need to have something done/ anything now Im desperate.

Chaps- happy new year! kitchen 90% done: lino.. will be pro job I've decided: those door frame in-outs/ 1 mistake & I'd mess up. Then plinths/ lastly skirting. The improvement of living cooker side is massive. Sink/ tops & tap's WAY better than expected too- the best bits. Room unfortunately seems just as cold as before, but, it was worth trying.. & great trial for upstairs job (spring). As cold's back top of agenda, I'm doing prep/ a new thread re. my main room floor. Mods- could it be moved to a more popular section I wonder? I seem to not be getting any replies, here.. https://forum.buildhub.org.uk/topic/8149-cold-stone-cottage-orig-floor-insulate/ Thanks, zoot

Hi chaps, happy new year. I have a C1830 small welsh stone cottage with terrible cold issue, coming up from old floor for definite. Its a stone 2ft thick, 4-walled original 'shell' (so 1 big main room) with an 80's 1st floor addition (2 small beds) plus small ground-floor kitchen/ b'room extention. Main room floor: my builder did see a bit of blue dpm edge 'evidence', so maybe not original floor: but I'm certain there's no insulation as its SO cold underfoot. So is the right idea to dig & put in PIR? And could it be done in 'halves'? (say a placcy screen for dust, shifting stuff over > do one side at a time?). I do have minor damp patches twds edges too.. so dpm either badly done or compromised would you think? Your thoughts appreciated. Zoot

Hi Mike, no the system is ancient/ 80's looks like. They moved in 2.5 yrs ago (the most un-tech couple ever). If familiar with these heaters, Id be grateful for your thoughts on symptoms of the one i can't seem to work/ figure out (runs flat out 11pm > 6 am.. then simply not on whatoever during the whole day: its LHS dial 'boost' is on low, as it says is 'normal' to on its flip-down cover.. RHS dial -presumably "heat"- is say midway). If I can get a consensus on the likely issue, I can at least give my folks this info. Whether or not they then trust me (even saying its a "reliable consensus of experienced builders' opinions on a terrific site etc".. ie not just my wild guess) to do anything about it, stuck in thought still that 'its working as it should'.. is alas still 50/50. Thanks.