Hello!
We live in a small (7x10m) house with a wooden frame built in '42, with a basement. We are now going to renovate this (not the basement floor). The house has settled somewhat, and the floor slopes slightly in most rooms. Our idea has been to tear up the floor, remove all the insulation, and then install new beams against the old ones to level the floor. A builder instead suggested we leave the floor as it is and use a self-leveling compound over the entire area, which would automatically level the floor. In this, we would then lay underfloor heating. Without having fully calculated it, the builder said this would break even since we already have waterborne heating in the house.
Underfloor heating sounds wonderful, but I have two concerns:
1. By using a self-leveling compound, aren't we exposing the floor to a significant moisture risk since it is relatively unsealed against the walls, etc.?
2. Since the house is old, it is also naturally unsealed, especially between the basement wall and the wooden construction. Isn't there a great risk that we will suffer significant energy losses this way? It seems natural to continue having radiators under the windows so as not to interfere too much with the construction.
These are a layman's thoughts and could be completely wrong.
