Neighbour raised ground level

purple_909 · 5 Aug 2008

Hi,

My neighbour has recently knocked down a detached garage that was built right next to mine and has built a patio in its place. As we live on a hill my neighbours property is slighty higher than mine and as a result the new patio level is about 30cm higher than the base of my garage. I am concered this new level will cause me damp problems along this garage wall. My neighbour informs me that because the patio is built using compacted hardcore and covered in gravel the water will simply drain though to the ground and not cause me any damp. Im not sure if this is correct or not. Can anyone advise?

I have spoken to Building Control and they said they cannot help as they don't cover this area.

* NOTE my gagarge was coverted into an outdoor office a few years ago*

Thanks

^woody^ · 5 Aug 2008

Any material built up against a wall has the potential to cause damp problems.

Hardcore may help drainage, but does not quarantee free drainage.

As a matter of good practice and curteousy, he should have put a sheet of thick polyphene up against your wall first to form a physical DPC.

Even if you get no penetrating damp, then there is increased risk of condensation dampness now that there is a cold area of wall where this ground is.

You need to keep your eye on it.

purple_909 · 5 Aug 2008

Thanks I thought it would be a problem.

I guess I will have to get a surveyor out to have a look and write me a report as the neighbour doen't see it as a problem and isn't prepared to take any action. Then I will have to see where I stand legally. It all sounds very expensive

DonJenzus · 5 Aug 2008

Hi

Just to be sure. How close is the patio to your wall?
where were the gutterwaters led earlier?

^woody^ · 5 Aug 2008

He may be committing a trespass in having his soil touch your wall at a height above normal ground level, and in respect of any water entering the wall and your property.

Will he respond to a surveyors report as opposed to you just asking him to install a barrier?

Otherwise, its a civil matter via the courts and potentially expensive - but he will lose in any claim.

The alternative, which may be possible, is to contact your councils' environmental health dept and see if they can take action under their remit - allege that it is a Statutory Nuisance under the EPA 1990. However you must be suffering damage or nuisance first though - ie damp or mould

purple_909 · 5 Aug 2008

Hi,

The patio goes right up to my wall so is touching it. I have no idea what was there before as the garages were about an inch apart and both were there when we bought our house. We already seem to have some damp along that wall inside the garage so I suspect this problem exsisted before he removed his exsisting garage.

rssteve · 6 Aug 2008

does his patio drain away from your wall? or to it by any chance.

purple_909 · 7 Aug 2008

He has just created a flat raised level using hardcore and then covered it in gravel so I'm not sure which way it would drain

steveb1964 · 8 Aug 2008

if it's above your DPC then you could very well have a problem in the future. Like someone said he should have put a sheet of thick polyphene up against your wall

DonJenzus · 8 Aug 2008

Hi

You could go and talk with your neighbour. Ask him about the way the patio was made. Tell him that you are worried about the possible damp

If his willing to listen to you and is interested about your consern , it´s a good start

after that maybe you could just see if any problems come up

If he´s not interested, then you should report the possible problem to someone, to whom... I don´t know. You´ll come up something

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Neighbour raised ground level

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