250 year old york stone flag floor - help??

[Rainy]

About 5 years ago we dug up the asphalt and concrete in our cottage to discover the original flag floor in all its glory - complete with the worn down patches that many a clog probably walked over.

My problem is that the flags are dull and powdery in places and, being laid directly on the earth, get damp if anything is put on them that doesnt 'breathe'.

Does anyone know how I can 'polish' them up? varnish of course just flakes off because of the damp and wax just seems to soak in and disappear. When the flags are wet they look amazing - how can I get them to look like that all the time?

[mybarnconversion]

I've treated slate floors with a stone-shield formula and finished with a stone-finish, that gives that great 'wet look' and should work for your flags. Have a look at this document from fired earth:

http://www.firedearth.com/SiteImages/Si ... Tiling.pdf

[Muddypause]

Google for something like 'natural stone sealer'.

But this won't solve any damp problems, and I would guess that in your situation, you need the stone to remain vapour permeable, so that any damp that affects the floor can evaporate - unless you have issues with rising damp, this is probably the best approach, So read the spec. of what you use carefully, to make sure it is suitable for this.

[Rainy]

We used the stuff from fired earth soon after we uncovered the floor - it wasnt cheap either

It looked fab when it was wet but then seemed to disappear afterwards and the floor looked no different.

Rising damp is not a problem - the walls are all dry. Problems only occur if we leave something on the floor - i.e. rugs just get damp, all our furtniture is on legs.

Also much of the original grout / mortar has worked loose so I would like to remortar with lime. Would this allow damp to evaporate too or should I use something else?

The option of lifting the floor to install a damp proof membrane is out of the question - a] because we'd lose its lovely undulations b] the chimney breasts have been built on top of the flags !

[Muddypause]

I would like to remortar with lime. Would this allow damp to evaporate too or should I use something else?

Lime mortar is very good for where you need vapour permeability, unlike cement mortar.

[Thomzo]

I had a lovely stone floor in my old house. It is amazing how different it looks when it rains. I didn't bother doing anything to it when I was there but I know the people who live there now just keep on waxing it.

I don't think you will get that always-wet look, though. Best to just get used to a floor that changes colour with the weather.

It is vital to allow it to breath so the lime morter is probably your best bet.

Zoe

[Rainy]

I know I should be happy with it.
yesterday someone knocked at our door asking for directions - she ended up calling her huband from the car to come into my house to look at the floor!!!
They made us feel like we lived in a palace [we dont] so I guess the floor doesnt look so bad.
For all its problems I wouldnt change it for anything. Theres nothing better than not having to worry too much about taking your boots off when I come in from the chickens and veg plot

[red]

lime is the way forward.. and its really easy to use.

period propertyhas a forum you can ask this question on

[Rainy]

Thanks red - that sight looks like its gonna be really useful.

[Thomzo]

Theres nothing better than not having to worry too much about taking your boots off when I come in from the chickens and veg plot

Or being able to bring the firewood in using the wheelbarrow right the way from the bottom of the garden to the stove.

Zoe

[Rainy]

I think my husband would gag on that one! Im a bit of a stranger to housework so I wouldnt care!
My husband says we have to invite guests regularly otherwise there would be no housework done at all!

We sometimes still have visitors who ask what we plan to do with the floor - Ive given up being offended. and my mother in law kept saying it was no kind of floor to have with young children !! I think its the best kind - how free can my children be when the floor is pretty much indestructible.

[Thomzo]

My floor was in what used to be a dairy so the floor sloped down towards the middle where there was a kind of gully. It wasn't a steep slope, you hardly noticed it, but it was enough that you could just swish the mop around and all the mud and muck would run into the center.

Originally there would have been a drain at one end but that was built over before we moved in.

It was still a great floor. The only problem was that if you dropped a plate or something on it, it would shatter, not only the plate but the floor as well.

Zoe

[Jarmara]

if you brush linseed oil on 24 hours before polishing you will find that the flags dont suck up so much of the polish but saying that i dont polish my flags at all the get moppped clean 3-4 times a week and that keeps them tip top i just wish they weren't so cold on the old tootsies in winter :)