Collapsing porch

[23vc]

Bit concerned by this at my lad’s place. I’ll get more photos from further back, but it’s a small porch added to the house at some point. Worst bit is in the photo, where the lower courses seem to be sinking, and separating from the upper bit which is presumably fairly well tied in to the house wall. Further up there’s no cracks to the porch to house abutment.

No idea how long it’s been like this, as he bought it a year ago and both the survey and me totally missed it.

I’m going to pack some slate in the gaps and keep an eye, see if it stays tight.

The downpipe looks a likely culprit, but it’s only taking water from the fairly small porch flat roof.

Reckon it’s worth me switching the downpipe to the other side and diverting it further from the house?

Guessing this may end up as a rebuild job? Or reckon it could be propped and pad footing redone? Right against neighbours drive too which is a pain

Cheers

 

[Wayners]

Has that gully filled with crud? Any drain under it?

 

[23vc]

There is no gulley. I’ll divert that pipe elsewhere. Drive slopes down away from house towards street.

The full brick in the centre of the pic can readily be lifted out

 

[Wayners]

That soil/grit against wall looks like a gully that's filled with crud.
Just wondered if there is a drain under it?
Why would someone fit a drainpipe to nowhere?

Can you fit aco drain to carry water away?

 

[23vc]

Theres nothing there, its all tarmac. can see what you mean though in the pic. You tend to see downpipes without gullies a lot. Don’t really need an aco, can just route it further away and will run off down drive. I suspect that downpipe alone isn’t responsible, but will do it to be safe.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Or could just as well be lack of adequate foundation.

 

[23vc]

Or could just as well be lack of adequate foundation.

That’s what I’m pretty sure it is.
Reckon it’s proppable and repairable keeping most of it in situ?
Looks like it’s a timber suspended floor, which I guess I could lift and see if it sheds more light before breaking up the tarmac…

 

[^woody^]

Wedge with slate or just point with mortar. Expect some initial hairline cracking, but monitor over the summer as the ground dries, and see if any cracking widens.

Turn that shoe 90º if that will divert water over the drive and slightly away from the porch

 

[martygturner]

seen that a few times , always on the bottom two or three courses on door fixed to a small return. Check where the door fixing goes in, normally they are not in the brick centre and are either on or close to the mortar line or are in a half brick. As the door closes the fixing does its job and holds the frame but the shock radiates out and causes the mortar to fail, water gets in and the mortar erodes away to the lowest point.

Redress the bricks that cab be wriggled out and re point the rest, refix the door into a whole solid brick

 

[23vc]

Cheers. I had assumed this was a full on dig, prop and underpin job but if there’s a chance it’s not then that’s a big bonus !
I’ll have a better look when I go over and slate pack it and move the pipe

picture doesn’t really show it, but the lower bricks are really pushing out / tipping which is a bit odd. I’ll get more pics

 

[catlad]

It all looks a bit odd, who has blocked up the air brick?

 

[23vc]

It all looks a bit odd, who has blocked up the air brick?

No idea, done long before he bought it
It does look odd. The step is in a pretty bad shape along with that bit of wall

I’m gonna point it up (even tho the lower courses are definitely dropping) can at least get an idea of how fast it’s moving or if it’s stopped

 

[Dereekoo]

Wedge with slate or just point with mortar. Expect some initial hairline cracking, but monitor over the summer as the ground dries, and see if any cracking widens.

Turn that shoe 90º if that will divert water over the drive and slightly away from the porch

That's the neighbours drive so may not be best pleased especially if it freezes in winter and causes icing/slipping issues, then again neighbour may be quite neighbourly but you never know

 

[23vc]

Yeah, I’ll divert it elsewhere. Neighbours drive might suffer in any case if things get worse

 

[noseall]

No idea, done long before he bought it
It does look odd. The step is in a pretty bad shape along with that bit of wall

I’m gonna point it up (even tho the lower courses are definitely dropping) can at least get an idea of how fast it’s moving or if it’s stopped

It looks to me like something has been done there retrospectively, given the differing types/ages of mortar present. Almost like they took some of the wall down and fitted the air brick or some such....?