Mud/sand/insulation in cavity wall

[dmdm272]

Hi,

I'm installing some airbrick's at the moment to help ventilate my subfloor. When I took out a brick I found that the cavity below the DPM is filled with damp mud, sand, bits of bricks and pellets of old cavity wall insulation.

Does anyone know why this would be? It would seem to be intentional and I guess was done at the time of construction as how else would you get so muck sand/mud packed in there?

The DPM does not span the cavity.

Above DPM level there is rockwool type cavity wall insulation.

Puzzling but may explain my cold, damp walls!

Many thanks for any ideas of why it is there and if it needs to be removed ( and if so how!)

 

[stuart45]

Hi,Does anyone know why this would be? It would seem to be intentional and I guess was done at the time of construction as how else would you get so muck sand/mud packed in there?

Usually gets dropped in during construction of the walls.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Are there also empty B&H packets, Ginsters wrappers, old copies of The Sun etc?

 

[JohnD]

it is possible, but very wearisome, to rake it out by removing a brick. I had some success with the hose of a wet-and-dry vac, which was flexible enough to snake along the bottom of the cavity, and powerful enough to suck out the smaller snots and sand. larger bats stuck to the nozzle so I could pull them out.

Builders are very careless, inconsiderate people.

After the Ronan Point collapse, investigations of other blocks found many joints to be filled with rubbish instead of concrete.

 

[gregers]

use a small pry bar or ads to clear out the cavities,you will have to take out a few bricks every meter or so.

 

[dmdm272]

It seems to be a lot packed in there rather than odds and ends which made me think that it may be there for a reason?

If not I hope it's not all around the house! If so time to get the pro's in I guess...

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Good luck!


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[JohnD]

eeh, that takes me back.