Hello all,
Looking for advice on repair of an outside wall below ground level on a Victorian house, circa 1860.
The wall is the outside of an old single level kitchen addition to the house, outside the wall is part exposed to the weather and part inside the old outside toilet building. No DPC visible.
The small courtyard area adjacent to the wall has been built up in level over the years. Original blue brick floor was once concreted over and after that at some point slabbed over with slabs on a bed of sand. So the level is quite high, higher than the internal floor. I want to resurface the yard and will remove the slabs. Removing the concrete would be a big job, its 5 to 6 inches thick so that may stay.
To the immediate ussue:
In the process I need to attend to a potential damp and water ingress issue on this kitchen wall. I have dug down to the footing along the toilet block and past the door into the courtyard. Inside the outside toilet block the wall below ground was bare and outside it was covered in welsh slate against the brick and then plastic sheet over the slate.
Behind the slate it looks like water has got in, see photos, the slates/wall was wet on the left side of my dug out area on the yard side.
First picture top: After removing the slabs, now down to concrete level.
Picture two: Showing the slate/plastic and dark wet area to left.
Picture Three: Slate and plastic gone.
Picture Four: Other side of the door, inside the outside toilet - No slate or plastic there, just dirt and hardcore against bricks.
I'll re-point the brick with lime mortar where necessary. After that is where I need some help, how do I finish the below ground wall? What's the best thing to do with the below ground bricks?
Thanks, Steve
Looking for advice on repair of an outside wall below ground level on a Victorian house, circa 1860.
The wall is the outside of an old single level kitchen addition to the house, outside the wall is part exposed to the weather and part inside the old outside toilet building. No DPC visible.
The small courtyard area adjacent to the wall has been built up in level over the years. Original blue brick floor was once concreted over and after that at some point slabbed over with slabs on a bed of sand. So the level is quite high, higher than the internal floor. I want to resurface the yard and will remove the slabs. Removing the concrete would be a big job, its 5 to 6 inches thick so that may stay.
To the immediate ussue:
In the process I need to attend to a potential damp and water ingress issue on this kitchen wall. I have dug down to the footing along the toilet block and past the door into the courtyard. Inside the outside toilet block the wall below ground was bare and outside it was covered in welsh slate against the brick and then plastic sheet over the slate.
Behind the slate it looks like water has got in, see photos, the slates/wall was wet on the left side of my dug out area on the yard side.
First picture top: After removing the slabs, now down to concrete level.
Picture two: Showing the slate/plastic and dark wet area to left.
Picture Three: Slate and plastic gone.
Picture Four: Other side of the door, inside the outside toilet - No slate or plastic there, just dirt and hardcore against bricks.
I'll re-point the brick with lime mortar where necessary. After that is where I need some help, how do I finish the below ground wall? What's the best thing to do with the below ground bricks?
- New slate and membrane?
- Some sort of tanking slurry? KA tanking slurry?
- Other methods?
Thanks, Steve
