So our house renovation is nearing the end and before we get it plastered and painted we want to sort the small cellar out. The stone flags are damp so we had them up this morning and discovered the previous owner had laid a thin bed of chippings on top of the original stone flags and then new stone flags on top of those. Needless to say this achieved nothing.

I have now lifted al the flags up and started digging the clay out beneath. My plan is to take it all down 12″ and lay a bed of stone chippings all over it and dig a pit to put a sump pump in to pump the ground water out of the cellar. It’s not a wet cellar, its just the floor is slightly damp and thats stopping it been a useable space.

Has anyone got any other ideas or have I missed anything out?.

Tanking it out?

With tanking slurry? TBH the walls are pretty dry, its just the floor thats posing a problem at the minute.

12″ down?

I can’t comment on necessity nor alternative options, but that sounds quite the job with a shovel for a whole cellar!

Or maybe I’m shit at digging. The only substantial thing I’ve ever dug is a grave for my dog and that was hard as heck. But it was in Norfolk where there’s an abundance of flint.

If budget allows I would always specify 2 sump pumps, so if you get a failure your cellar isn’t knackered.

APF

If water isn’t a problem why not just bath tub it out with some DPM?