A barrel vault floor is also called an arched floor. These beautiful, authentic floors are only found in older homes. They were used in homes around 1900. This means they are primarily found in older homes and historic buildings. Do you have such a home in mind? Then it's advisable to have the barrel vault floor professionally inspected.
Homekeur conducts building inspections. We can also inspect various types of flooring, such as manta and NeHoBo flooring. Are you considering buying a home with an artistic barrel vault floor? We can also professionally inspect it for you. It's important that the flooring is of good quality. A poorly maintained or severely damaged floor can lead to significant additional costs, which is certainly not something you want. Buying a house is expensive enough as it is. By having a building inspection carried out by Homekeur, you can be sure you won't encounter any unpleasant surprises.
A barrel vault floor is a floor construction that was widely used in homes over a century ago. It features a slightly curved vault and was primarily used in basements and other spaces with relatively small spans. The first barrel vault floors consisted of two wooden beams supporting a masonry arch. The pressure on the wooden beams was transferred by the arch's action. Later, the vaults were constructed with steel beams. These are also known as INPs. In most cases, the steel beams are embedded in a masonry foundation.
Trough vault floors are authentic. There's no doubt about that. These floors have their charm. Unfortunately, there are also drawbacks. The masonry foundations often allow moisture to pass through, and the basement and/or crawl space often experience a damp climate. This can easily trigger a corrosion process, which corrodes the metal. Small rust spots are a sign that this process has begun.
Ultimately, the steel thickness gradually decreases, leading to cracks and other problems. A barrel vault floor can eventually fail if action is not taken in time to stop the corrosion process.
Old houses and historic buildings with barrel vault floors always require a structural inspection . This doesn't just include the floor itself, of course. Homekeur is happy to perform a full structural inspection for you. This way, you can avoid unnecessary additional costs after purchasing the property. Interested? You can schedule an appointment online. Of course, you can also contact us for more information or advice.
The cost of a building inspection (up to 250 m²) is only €489 including VAT. We'll conduct a comprehensive building inspection and you'll receive a building report. Do you have any questions? We're happy to help and can schedule an appointment with an expert inspector right away if you wish!
