We live in an old cottage, built around 1860, so made up of local stone. It was unfortunately rendered at some point. I've had to do some digging recently to open up a drain that had been cleverly cemented over by someone and noticed that the render goes down way beyond current ground levels, down to 150 -200mm (the area around the house is concrete slab) and just stops, and not in a straight line either. There's no DPC.
I was wondering whether this was the correct way of doing things at the time, or whether the render should have stopped at ground levels, so that water would have run off the walls, down to ground level and run off away from the house, instead of going straight down into the ground. Am I correct in thinking this is a means of water getting into the stonework from below? It can't be good surely?
Presumably the concrete slab around the house is much newer than the house, and ground levels would have been lower back then. It also means our current ground levels outside are a concrete slab-depth higher than indoor ground level.
Any thoughts, advice much appreciated.
I was wondering whether this was the correct way of doing things at the time, or whether the render should have stopped at ground levels, so that water would have run off the walls, down to ground level and run off away from the house, instead of going straight down into the ground. Am I correct in thinking this is a means of water getting into the stonework from below? It can't be good surely?
Presumably the concrete slab around the house is much newer than the house, and ground levels would have been lower back then. It also means our current ground levels outside are a concrete slab-depth higher than indoor ground level.
Any thoughts, advice much appreciated.
