Don't get too excited by flagstone floors.

Imagine this: a cosy little cottage nestled by the riverside, complete with a crackling fire and an old pooch snoozing on the flagstone floors. That's the picturesque scene we had in mind when we eagerly tore away the worn, damp carpet, revealing the treasure beneath. It felt like hitting the jackpot!

With a bit of elbow grease, some polish, and voila! We had ourselves a stunning, free lounge floor. It's moments like these that make the effort of renovating old cottages totally worth it.

Little did we know, though, the hurdles and especially the time it would take to set things right.

When we snagged Riverbank Cottage, we were well aware of its damp issues. We even had a damp report detailing the trouble spots: rising damp at the front, around the windows, and especially in the kitchen.

Initially, we figured it was just seeping through the front wall, given the lower level of the lounge floor compared to the road. In a typical scenario, tanking the front wall and digging a trench along the exterior to channel water away would have done the trick. But alas, our charming cottage had other plans.

Here's where the warning signs started waving:

1. First off, the soggy, mouldy carpet wasn't just damp from a leaky roof.
   

2. Then, as we peeled away the carpet, we noticed soil nestled between the flagstones, prompting us to lift one up.

3. Lo and behold, there was soil—lots of it!

4. And to top it off, damp soil at that—perfect for planting veggies, but not so great for our floors
   

Turns out, those flagstones were laid right on top of soil—seems that was the norm back in the day. We sought advice from the pros, who recommended laying a concrete floor with insulation and a damp-proof membrane. Not exactly in our original budget, but the builder assured us, "It's a piece of cake, you can handle it!"

So, armed with shovels and determination, we dove right in.

Couldn't squeeze a mini digger through the front door thanks to its pint-sized stature, so we rolled up our sleeves and got to digging. With a little help from friends and family, we dug and dug and dug some more until it felt like we'd been at it for an eternity. But finally, after removing what seemed like a mountain of soil, we hit our target depth of 2 feet!

Out came 10 tonnes of soil, and in went 8 tonnes of sub-base. We laid down the damp-proof membrane, added insulation, another layer of membrane, and finally, the concrete was ready to pour. Et voilà! A brand spanking new floor throughout.

Any hidden treasures, you ask? Nope, just a couple of hefty rocks for our future rock garden (but that's a story for another blog) and an old coal bunker hiding out in the bathroom.

Sure, we may be a bit behind schedule, but our muscles are certainly stronger for it. Uncover one beautiful feature, and you're bound to stumble upon a whole host of challenges—the magic of old cottages, right?