Driveway too high

[m0t]

The driveway outside our house is crazy paved and too high so bridges the dpc resulting in a damp room.

I can't afford to get the whole lot replaced so my plan was to rent an angle grinder and cut a channel about 6 inches from the wall, break up the paving and then fill with gravel.

Does this sound sensible? Do I need to line the channel with anything or paint the brickwork? I have an SDS chisel drill, would this be any good for breaking up the paving once the cut has been made or will I need something more heavy duty?

Untitled

• m0t
• 12 Mar 2014
• 2

Untitled

• m0t
• 12 Mar 2014
• 2

 

[ree]

It appears to be a pathway, not a driveway.

What you propose is fine as far as it goes. But read below and see why it may not work.

The render seems to have failed due to circumstances unconnected with the high path. Perhaps pics showing more area of the rendered elevations would provide better information.

To the left of pic 1 you can see a plinth topped with a sand and cement fillet. That render, fillet and plinth should have been removed to a line 150mm above the finished surface or ground level, and/or at least just above any existing DPC.

Pics of the interior damage would also help. Any interior damp could be due to the faulty render and the high path. Or other circumstances.

The window frame in pic 1 has been installed flush with the render surface - it should have been set back at least 75mm.

The RWP doesn't appear to have any visible clips.

Whatever, no painting or bitumen is necessary, and the disc cut paving can be cracked with a hammer. Nicking the paving with the disc to a depth of say 6-8mm and then one hammer blow should split it off.

 

[m0t]

The render is in a terrible state but when I asked in the plastering forum they suggested fixing the drive level before re-rendering.

It's definitely a drive - it goes to the garage.

The windows have all been installed in the existing timber frames (I am not sure why these weren't taken out) but I assume that's why they are all flushed rather than recessed.

 

[theprinceofdarkness]

I would not think that crazy paving would support the weight of a car without cracking, so I think the crazy paving was laid over a broken concrete drive, to pretty it up. So it might be thicker then at first apparent.
Eventually when you cut out the strip, you will have a narrow strip of soil which will grow weeds. I think for minimum maintenance, line it with a permeable liner and fill with 20mm pebble.
Frank

 

[m0t]

I would not think that crazy paving would support the weight of a car without cracking, so I think the crazy paving was laid over a broken concrete drive, to pretty it up. So it might be thicker then at first apparent.
Eventually when you cut out the strip, you will have a narrow strip of soil which will grow weeds. I think for minimum maintenance, line it with a permeable liner and fill with 20mm pebble.
Frank

Cut the channel today and it was as you thought, 2" slabs on what appeared to be a concrete drive levelled with sand.

It looks like the original concrete drive was fairly close to the level of damp proofing. Got to clean out the remainder of the sand and will then put a membrane down with pebble.

I am a little concerned about the drainage though, the drive seems to slope in a V rather than towards any drains. Anything I can do about this?

 

[ree]

Perhaps post pics of what you've done so far?