filling in a cellar Damp can be a major issue in the home. Find answers to questions or post your own here.

[DIY DUNCE]

Has anyone ever filled in a cellar? I keep finding plenty of advice on how to convert an existing room into a cellar but none for how to fill one in. We have a cellar underneath the front of our 150 year old stone semi. When is a rain constantly it floods up to 6 inches. We've solved the problem with a DIY pump and sump. . We do not need the space and I'm keep thinking I can smell damp in the room above. I do not think we can afford to convert it properly as the cellar has a head height of 6ft 3 only. Would it not be sensible to just fill it in and install a concrete floor . Am I mad to contemplate doing this when most housey programmes and magazines go on about using all the space you have in your house :?:

[Perry525]

Just think for a moment how many cubic feet of space you are thinking about filling in. Multiply that by about one cwt per cubic foot, think of the cost of buying, transporting and placing all that hard core in a gradually diminishing space and to what purpose?
Turn it on its head. You think you can smell damp at times? It is possible that you can? After all you have a damp cellar under the house. Possibly with a pile of wet rubbish in one corner?
Look at it a different way, a normal house has wet foundations most of the time. Well probably wet up to the dpc. Thats normal. Damp will usually rise through a wall about four feet.
Buy a damp meter for a few pounds check out the walls and joists at cellar ceiling hight if OK clean up the cellar floor the smell will go away. Fit a couple of large air bricks in the cellar on both sides of the house- the suction of the passing wind will sort it. If the ground floor is not insulated do it now.

[DIY DUNCE]

To perry 525
Thanks for replying. The cellar is empty and there are already two air bricks fitted on two opposite sides of the walls in the cellar. What do you mean by insulation? Does that go over the wood floor in the room above or between the joists holding the floor up or underneath the ceiling of the cellar?
Thanks again for replying to my original question. Diy dunce

[Perry525]

Its nice to have a warm house.
Very often floor boards shrink and the fires or radiators pull in cold air from under the floor (or anywhere there's a hole)
If you fit sheets of cut to size polystyrene under the floor boards, cut slightly oversize with tapered edges and pushed into place, make sure every hole is filled at a stroke you will have a warmer house and no smell.
Even one inch thick polystyrene can make a very large difference to your heating bill.

[anthonyE]

Hello. I was wondering if you did fill in your cellar? We have a small cellar beneath our 1935 semi which has water table issue and fitted with sump pump. Someone did suggest filling in the cellar with concrete so i wondered if it's an option?