Big concrete in wooden floor - not fireplace

We have a 1920s/30s house in the UK We had to fix a creaking floorboard so we pulled up the old Lino and somewhat to our surprise found a 6ft long by 3ft wide slab of concrete back onto the internal wall. Everywhere else in the kitchen is original pine floorboard When we pulled the floorboards up we found a low brick wall running under the floor the length of the kitchen, and then a second one about a ft or so running parallel to it about 30cm from the internal wall (so essentially 3 walls if you Include in the internal wall, side by side with a gap between each) And then another low brick wall perpendicular to them - this perpendicular wall starts where the concrete slab begins It doesn’t look like the slab is actually resting on the brick walls - there is a wooden lintel above the brick wall, then a load of hardcore, and then the concrete Also the walls extend well beyond where the concrete slab ends Does anyone have any idea why this is like this? Is this common in 20s/30s houses? The concrete section is too big to have been a former fire place and it’s in the wrong position, the walls are solid they don’t have ventilation holes, and it’s not really clear that the walls are actually supporting the floor at all because there are joists to do that Does any one have any explanation for what it could be? Thanks! submitted by /u/Serious-Shop-2040 [link] [comments]

Apr 26, 2025 - 23:15

We have a 1920s/30s house in the UK

We had to fix a creaking floorboard so we pulled up the old Lino and somewhat to our surprise found a 6ft long by 3ft wide slab of concrete back onto the internal wall. Everywhere else in the kitchen is original pine floorboard

When we pulled the floorboards up we found a low brick wall running under the floor the length of the kitchen, and then a second one about a ft or so running parallel to it about 30cm from the internal wall (so essentially 3 walls if you Include in the internal wall, side by side with a gap between each)

And then another low brick wall perpendicular to them - this perpendicular wall starts where the concrete slab begins

It doesn’t look like the slab is actually resting on the brick walls - there is a wooden lintel above the brick wall, then a load of hardcore, and then the concrete

Also the walls extend well beyond where the concrete slab ends

Does anyone have any idea why this is like this?

Is this common in 20s/30s houses?

The concrete section is too big to have been a former fire place and it’s in the wrong position, the walls are solid they don’t have ventilation holes, and it’s not really clear that the walls are actually supporting the floor at all because there are joists to do that

Does any one have any explanation for what it could be?

Thanks!

submitted by /u/Serious-Shop-2040
[link] [comments]