The cellar of my Victorian house was built as a coal storage area, approx 2.5 x 3.5m dimensions. The walls are brick but the floor is compacted earth. There is the musty smell of damp coming from the floor but no sign of damp on the walls. The height is barely adequate and I have no desire to raise the floor level. I know that to dig down more than a few inches would necessitate expensive under-pining so I can't expect to increase the cellar height.
I intend to dig down just 6 inches (but not under the base of the walls), in approximately 1m bands across the floor, lay 2 inches of ballast, a damp proof membrane and then 4 inches of unreinforced concrete. The finished level would be as the earth floor is now. I intend to lay the concrete in bands in order to work in manageable bites and to ensure that, if there is any strain put on the wall foundations during construction, it is only a fraction of the cellar at any one time. Once the 3-4 bands of concrete have been laid, I would then level the floor with self-levelling screed.
Any advice/comments?
Surely, if anything, the cellar wall foundations would be strengthened by a concrete floor over compacted earth?
The cellar will only be used for storage and I expect to paint the walls with damp-proof paint just in case some of the mustiness does come from the walls.