The Brew Cabin

Posted: **Wed Jun 08, 2005 9:52 am**

Hello.
We have just had our cellar done up, and have left the yorkstone paving down. We are now attempting to clean the paving and seal it.
The house is an old building and the cellar has previously been used for storing coal. As you can imagine we're having a struggle with the cleaning. We have scrubbed it twice already and although it is looking cleaner, I wondered whether there was any faster/ better way of cleaning the floor?
We've also bought Thompson's sealant, but I've seen bad things written about it on this website, will it be ok to use?

Posted: **Wed Jun 08, 2005 1:54 pm**

I would avoid sealing a cellar floor, as you will force the damp up the walls. The reason cellars are so cool (and often so dry) is that groundwater evaporates from the stone flag floors.

Have you tried a power washer?

Posted: **Wed Jun 08, 2005 1:58 pm**

We have had a damp proof system added to the walls, and then new plaster added, will this not stop the problem of the damp rising up the walls?
Haven't tried a power washer, cos I thought this would ruin the new plaster?

Posted: **Thu Jun 09, 2005 12:47 pm**

A power washer is probably the easiest way to clean the flagstones, but it's probably worth protecting the walls with visqueen or polythene before starting.

As for the sealant, I wouldn't bother.

The Brew Cabin

Cleaning yorkstone paving in cellar