Cellar tanking

[watchuswreckthemic]

Hi all
I live in at 1850ish cottage with a cellar that is barely used owing to damp and spiders.
I have a vision of storage and making a utility room or something useful.
Any advice? I'm eager for the storage as I don't have an attic as such.

We've had our cellar tanked very recently (house was built in about 1780). It cost about £25k in total. It has a proper window and escape step.

I absolutely love it, but it's cold down there!

We are about to have fitted cupboards out down there to provide lots of storage.

Oh wow that's really helpful. Mine is tiny so was hoping for a lot less then what you paid ha ha. Cupboards sound like a great idea!

I have an 1829 terraced cottage with damp problems. Turns out I have a cellar, but it's been filled in, hence the damp.

Tanking will work and last about 10yrs.

Our cellar is about 4m x 4m and just less than 2m high (I’m not confident about the height measurement).

I didn't think about how long it may last. I think I'll be here approximately 10-12 years more so I definitely need to factor that into my thinking, thank you

Ours was done by the previous owner. It only lasts about ten years, and it’s pretty expensive. It’s also pretty cold down there! I work down there sometimes if there’s no alternative; and have to wrap up warm and take a portable heater. We do have a decent radiator down there but it doesn’t seem to hold heat well.

I’d have gone for a much bigger window; given the choice, it’s very dark down there.

With a house that age tanking will (slowly) destroy the stonework as the moisture will be trapped in the stone and start to undermine it. Proper ventilation and breathability is the key.

Or it will go next door and annoy your neighbours.

That has happened to several people in the village I live in. We have left our cellar untanked. I use it as a massive pantry for anything not susceptible to damp. It stays cool year round

Do not tank. You will cause damp.

As others have said, do not tank a cellar (or indeed any walls anywhere) in a house of that age. You will cause potentially irreparable harm to the fabric of your building. Have you looked at SPAB's resources?

Thank you for the flurry of don't do it replies. Interestingly my neighbour next to me on one side doesn't have a cellar and the otherwise is built more into the hill we live on.
Might put this on the back burner without going any further. Appreciate the insight all, thank you

You CAN use it but you may need to fit a sump pump and definitely a decent ventilation system.

With regard to tanking causing damage to the fabric of a building, I was under the impression that tanking slurry was breathable such that masonry can potentially dry out. Am I wrong about this?