CASE STUDIES

Renovating a Devon Cottage

Limecrete Hybrid floor with modern concrete heated floor in centre

Introduction Hybrid limecrete floors are floors that use both breathable materials and impervious materials, this type of floor has a central area with a PIR insulation and DPM (Damp proof membrane) underneath it as required by the Building Regulations. Whilst it prevents breathability in the centre of the floor, the edges are limecrete with an insulating clay aggregate sub base as with the standard Limecrete floor. Case Study - Renovating a Devon Cottage The initial requirement for the new floor was to add insulation and underfloor heating to the lounge of a Devon cottage. Before the project began there was a determination to maintain the breathability of the floor in some way, this was emphasised when it was found that the soil beneath the floor had a high level of moisture within it. If a standard floor slab had been laid then that moisture would have been forced into the walls causing rising damp and the issues associated with it. The moisture level was not the only concern, due to the natural of traditional buildings there was a potential to undermine the shallow foundations, so the perimeter of the room where the limecrete was to be laid was not dug down as deep as the central area. It was decided to use a hybrid limecrete floor comprised of a central highly insulated concrete slab with underfloor heating surrounded by an area of fully breathable limecrete.

Groundwork To do this the existing floor had to be removed and the soil underneath it had to be dug out to the required depth (Picture 1 & 2). The next stage was to gauge the correct levels and then install shuttering to contain the concrete slab (Picture 3), then it was decided that because of the high levels of moisture within the underlying soil a layer of geotextile membrane and coated clay insulation needed to be laid (Picture 4 & 5). The introduction of the geotextile & Insulated clay aggregate is designed to reduce the amount of moisture rising up underneath the concrete slab, if the moisture had risen directly up to a Damp Proof Membrane (DPM) underneath the slab then the moisture would condensate beneath it cooling the slab and giving the moisture an easy route to the walls (Picture 7). Laying the slab As with a standard concrete slab it was laid onto the DPM and floated up (Picture 8 & 9), once the slab had gone off the PIR insulation was installed. The insulation supplier recommended that another layer of DPM was laid before laying the underfloor heating pipes, to help seperate the concrete screed from the insulation (Picture 10) . Once the pipes had been put in place and secured the screed was laid and floated to a finish (Picture 11), normally with the installation of underfloor heating the suppliers recommend adding fibres to the screed to strengthen it against thermal expansion. When doing a purely limecrete floor these do not need to be added as lime can cope with thermal expansion and contraction.

The Limecrete Perimeter

With the concrete slab & screed complete work commenced on the limecrete perimeter, the first job was to level out the base of the trench around the new slab. Once this was done the shuttering was removed and a layer of geotextile membrane & coated Leca was laid, as was done under the concrete slab (Picture 12). As this area needs to be breathable no DPM was used, instead another layer of geotextile membrane was laid to seperate the limecrete from the coated clay insulation loosefill.
The insulation aggregate used within the slab was uncoated type and it was graded between 0-20mm, this meant that you did not need to add any sand to the mix. The limecrete was mixed at a 3:1 ratio (Leca : NHL5), which gives the slab enough strength and maintains a good level of breathability, in addition to the benefits of breathability the use of Leca within the slab gives it insulative properties. The limecrete is mixed relatively dry compared with the concrete used for a standard floor slab, if the mix was too wet then it will not bind as well and you will produce a weaker slab. Once the mix is in place you will need to gently tamp it into place, when tamped the limecrete mix is reduce by approx 10% (Picture 15 &16). The whole area is going to be finished with a 2:1 NHL screed with slate tiles bedded into it, when the floor is complete a finished photo will be up loaded.

The existing floor was laid directly onto soil

Once the tiles were removed the ground level had to be lowered to accomodate the new layer of insulation & floor slab.

When the floor had been dug to the correct depth shuttering was installed to contain the concrete slab

A layer of geotextile membrane was laid onto the subsoil, this was to reduce the capillary action & stop the insulation loosefill mixing into the soil.

A layer of coated insulation was loose laid under the concrete area this will reduce condensation forming underneath the DPM

Double checking the depths, measure twice pour once?

DPM was laid over the coated clay insulation

The floor slab being laid

Finished base floor Slab

A 100mm layer of PIR insulation was laid onto the slab, then another layer of DPM was put down before the underfloor heating pipes were installed.

The screed was laid over the underfloor heating pipes and then the shuttering was removed. Once this was complete the edges were prepared for the limecrete

The limecrete section begins. A layer of geotextile membrane was laid onto the soil base, the coated clay insulation was used as the base as with

the main concrete

Another layer of geotextile membrane was laid to seperate the clay aggregate from the Limecrete

Limecrete being poured around the slab

Tamping down the Limecrete, it normally reduces by approx 10%

Before & After tamping the limecrete section

Finished limecrete slab, waiting for the screed

The limecrete Hybrid Floor Slab

Close up of the finished limecrete floor slab before the final finish is laid.