Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2004 4:24 pm
A bit of an odd one perhaps. I am to lay a new floor in my cellar, size about 12 foot x 15 foot. The problem is the water table seems to be about 2 inch below the old floor level in dry weather. In wet weather the level rose and the cellar collected water.
I have dug out the old concrete floor which was one inch concrete laid on one inch of ash. In addition I built a sump with a float switch activated pump. This removes flooding after rain, but on the dug area water still collects and remains. After a break of three months, to watch and see, the puddle formed is still there. The ground is yellow clay, a bit harder than cold putty, with clay type shale in some small areas. Filling the builders skip full was...well, let's say I was glad when was done.
My thought is to lay a base of 20 mm gravel to a depth of a couple of inches followed by an inch or so of pea gravel. On top of this to lay two foot square concrete flags. My intention is to have a flexible floor stood on ( water permeable ) gravel.
Compacting may prove difficult due to being inside and the danger from petrol engine fumes. I think I have to accept settlement will take place so the flags to be laid with a three eighths inch gap grouted by a 7-1 sand / cement mix. The intention being it should be easy to run a disk down through the grout to enable flag lifting, repacking and subsequent re-laying.
Do you have any helpful comments?
I have dug out the old concrete floor which was one inch concrete laid on one inch of ash. In addition I built a sump with a float switch activated pump. This removes flooding after rain, but on the dug area water still collects and remains. After a break of three months, to watch and see, the puddle formed is still there. The ground is yellow clay, a bit harder than cold putty, with clay type shale in some small areas. Filling the builders skip full was...well, let's say I was glad when was done.
My thought is to lay a base of 20 mm gravel to a depth of a couple of inches followed by an inch or so of pea gravel. On top of this to lay two foot square concrete flags. My intention is to have a flexible floor stood on ( water permeable ) gravel.
Compacting may prove difficult due to being inside and the danger from petrol engine fumes. I think I have to accept settlement will take place so the flags to be laid with a three eighths inch gap grouted by a 7-1 sand / cement mix. The intention being it should be easy to run a disk down through the grout to enable flag lifting, repacking and subsequent re-laying.
Do you have any helpful comments?