Exploring/reopening a cellar
Discussion
I live in an old mid terrace house (one of six). Every house on the terrace has a cellar except mine.
I think my cellar has been sealed up to make more room in the kitchen (or for other reasons like its too small for any purpose or maybe a dungeon with skeletons). I have a good idea where the door/access would have been.
My kitchen has large stone tiles and I am tempted to take one up to look. Before I do that is there some sort of device that would tell me if I have an open space under the floor I could hire - like a sonar type device?
Enquiries to the council/Town Hall have been unsuccessful to get plans of the house.
I think my cellar has been sealed up to make more room in the kitchen (or for other reasons like its too small for any purpose or maybe a dungeon with skeletons). I have a good idea where the door/access would have been.
My kitchen has large stone tiles and I am tempted to take one up to look. Before I do that is there some sort of device that would tell me if I have an open space under the floor I could hire - like a sonar type device?
Enquiries to the council/Town Hall have been unsuccessful to get plans of the house.
Flintstone said:
Any way of checking from your neighbours cellars?
I've been down both neighbours cellars and they are pretty small but useable. I did think to ask if I could drill a hole through to my house but the walls are very, very thick.Normally you would be also be able to tell from an outside coal shoot but the previous owners put up a very nice decking area which from my limited dismantling exercise didn't show up anything.
Edited by MonkeyBusiness on Sunday 21st September 20:44
You may well be able to tell whether there's a void underneath by simply stamping in the middle of the floor and listening/feeling for reverberation.
Failing that you can sometimes hire endoscopes/inspection cameras from survey supply companies (try Central Drawing Office supplies in Armley - they used to rent out survey equipment), which would allow you to lift a tile, drill a small hole into whatever void is underneath and have a quick look, without going into major invasive work.
The geophysical survey equipment beloved of Time Team on the telly would work, but its pretty specialised and expensive kit.
Failing that you can sometimes hire endoscopes/inspection cameras from survey supply companies (try Central Drawing Office supplies in Armley - they used to rent out survey equipment), which would allow you to lift a tile, drill a small hole into whatever void is underneath and have a quick look, without going into major invasive work.
The geophysical survey equipment beloved of Time Team on the telly would work, but its pretty specialised and expensive kit.
MonkeyBusiness said:
Flintstone said:
Any way of checking from your neighbours cellars?
I've been down down neighbours cellars and they are pretty small but useable. I did think to ask if I could drill a hole through to my house but the walls are very, very thick.Normally you would be also be able to tell from an outside coal shoot but the previous owners put up a very nice decking area which from my limited dismantling exercise didn't show up anything.
I would'nt be able to sleep. Spooky
If the 5 other houses in your terrace have cellars chances are yours will have one too. It will more than likely be in the same position as the others in your terrace. If you think the useful space gained outweighs the work and costs involved then get digging.
Remember however that it will always be a damp and cold hole under your kitchen floor unless you are prepared to have it properly tanked and insulated.
There will be a lot of spoil in that hole and chances are it won't be nice soft easy to dig soil. If I was filling in a cellar I would use the space to get rid of all manner of crap.
Remember however that it will always be a damp and cold hole under your kitchen floor unless you are prepared to have it properly tanked and insulated.
There will be a lot of spoil in that hole and chances are it won't be nice soft easy to dig soil. If I was filling in a cellar I would use the space to get rid of all manner of crap.
B17NNS said:
If the 5 other houses in your terrace have cellars chances are yours will have one too. It will more than likely be in the same position as the others in your terrace. If you think the useful space gained outweighs the work and costs involved then get digging.
Remember however that it will always be a damp and cold hole under your kitchen floor unless you are prepared to have it properly tanked and insulated.
There will be a lot of spoil in that hole and chances are it won't be nice soft easy to dig soil. If I was filling in a cellar I would use the space to get rid of all manner of crap.
Exactly what I am thinking. This cellar thing has been bugging me for ages. I don't expect it to be pretty down there.Remember however that it will always be a damp and cold hole under your kitchen floor unless you are prepared to have it properly tanked and insulated.
There will be a lot of spoil in that hole and chances are it won't be nice soft easy to dig soil. If I was filling in a cellar I would use the space to get rid of all manner of crap.
Sam68 - Cheers I'll look that company up.
Another thing to perhaps consider is what is the floor above the cellar (or more importantly your neighbours cellars). Is it timber (joists and floor boards)? If where they have floorboards you have a solid concrete floor you won't just need to dig it out you will need to build a new floor.
henrycrun said:
BTW there is a chance that if you visit the council in person, they may have to show you the plans, but you will not be allowed to photocopy them
IIRC, Councils are only obliged to keep documentation from Planning Applications and Building Regulations for 10 or 15 years time. If it's a traditional mid-terrace in Leeds, it will be pre-WWII and the chances of them having the draiwngs are pretty slim.As it happens, I briefly worked for Leeds City Council Planning Department (a long, long time ago!) and was once tasked with throwing out all the information from out-of-date files from their Wetherby office. There was stuff dating back to pre-WW1, which was historically quite fascinating. I did what I could to save the more interesting stuff and passed it to th local historical society, but ultimately I was working against the clock and the majority of it just went in the skip.
Sam_68 said:
IIRC, Councils are only obliged to keep documentation from Planning Applications and Building Regulations for 10 or 15 years time. If it's a traditional mid-terrace in Leeds, it will be pre-WWII and the chances of them having the draiwngs are pretty slim.
I've been told they have no drawings. House was built circa 1890.B17NNS made a good point about the ceiling. Its a none starter if its concrete.
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