Cement hearth

[dotto]

Good morning. The chimney in my diner was removed many years ago and now there is only an opening where we have put some books and so has its hearth where now there is only a small cement slab. In the rest of the diner there is an old carpet that we want to remove and replace with some tong and groove floating floor. Under the carpet there are timber planks. Basically, I would like to remove the carpet, put some sort of dpm on the little slab of cement, which seems to be flush with the timber planks, cover the slab and the timber planks with insulation before laying the floating floor all over. Would it work? Thank you for your time.

 

[ree]

OP,
Why not consider removing the concrete hearth, the fender wall and infill soil completely? Then replacing with a little joisting?
By doing that you will eliminate a possible source of damp, & maybe discover some rotting timber?
What does "under the carpet there are timber planks" mean?
Pics will help but your plan should work anyway?

 

[Deluks]

It may not be damp. My hearth is in the centre of the house, on a party wall, digging down there I found it to be drier than Ghandi's sandals.

I'd just go with a moisture resistant underlay, or tape down some dpm over the concrete.

 

[Nige F]

What does "under the carpet there are timber planks" mean?

floorboards

 

[ree]

Poster #3,
One swallow does not make a summer - hard cases make poor laws etc.
My experience with this kind of issue is to replace the lot.

However, I suggested the OP "consider" removing the hearth etc.
Merely a suggestion ref. "possible" damp.

 

[dotto]

Thanks for your replies.