Hi,
I'm looking to lay pamments in my dining room fireplace to create a hearth for a woodburner. The current base to the fireplace (flush with the floorboards) is the original concrete. I assume it's laid directly on to the bare earth below the house (I'm in a typical Edwardian terrace) Current regs and the bad condition of the concrete mean laying something on top, so I've gone for local clay pamments.
A few weeks ago I cut the pamments to fit, and simply laid them in place on top of the concrete (not secured in any way, just sat loose on top). Tonight I picked one up and noticed that the concrete below is covered in mould, and it smells damp. (See photos)
I'm guessing this is because the concrete needed to breathe in some way, rather than anything that might have come in on the pamments? (The place I bought them from stored them outside). I also had them covered in an old nylon shower curtain to protect them from falling soot - could that have been the cause?
So will I be okay securing the pamments with a cement / sand mix, or will I need to put down some sort of damp proof membrane first? Or is there anything I can paint on to the concrete to seal it? I don't want to finish the whole hearth and then discover I've created a damp issue.
Secondly, I'd like to seal the pamments to protect them from stains, and also to take some of the roughness of them away. Can I use something like terracotta floor wax, or will it need to be breathable to prevent damp forming underneath? Can anyone recommend anything quite thick (and safe for use on a hearth) that'll help smooth the surface?
Any help appreciated - I'm a little mystified as to what to do next...
I'm looking to lay pamments in my dining room fireplace to create a hearth for a woodburner. The current base to the fireplace (flush with the floorboards) is the original concrete. I assume it's laid directly on to the bare earth below the house (I'm in a typical Edwardian terrace) Current regs and the bad condition of the concrete mean laying something on top, so I've gone for local clay pamments.
A few weeks ago I cut the pamments to fit, and simply laid them in place on top of the concrete (not secured in any way, just sat loose on top). Tonight I picked one up and noticed that the concrete below is covered in mould, and it smells damp. (See photos)
I'm guessing this is because the concrete needed to breathe in some way, rather than anything that might have come in on the pamments? (The place I bought them from stored them outside). I also had them covered in an old nylon shower curtain to protect them from falling soot - could that have been the cause?
So will I be okay securing the pamments with a cement / sand mix, or will I need to put down some sort of damp proof membrane first? Or is there anything I can paint on to the concrete to seal it? I don't want to finish the whole hearth and then discover I've created a damp issue.
Secondly, I'd like to seal the pamments to protect them from stains, and also to take some of the roughness of them away. Can I use something like terracotta floor wax, or will it need to be breathable to prevent damp forming underneath? Can anyone recommend anything quite thick (and safe for use on a hearth) that'll help smooth the surface?
Any help appreciated - I'm a little mystified as to what to do next...
