Excavating close to neighbour's house

[Leofric]

What, you mean like a first floor being 2.5m above the ground?

No, in that situation there is a void between ground and first floor. If you filled the whole ground floor with soil though it would be similar to the original poster's situation if you removed 2m depth of soil from one side of the wall. i.e. you would be making the existing wall a retaining wall about 2m high.

 

[Al@n]

Tomorrow I'm going to dig further down by 0.5 metres which will take me down to ground level. I hope I do not hit the concrete foundations!

If all is well, would this be confirmation that i can dig down to ground level and level it all out?

 

[Leofric]

Tomorrow I'm going to dig further down by 0.5 metres which will take me down to ground level. I hope I do not hit the concrete foundations!

If all is well, would this be confirmation that i can dig down to ground level and level it all out?

I don't understand, what do you mean dig down to ground level I thought the existing ground level is about 2m above the foundations of the neighbour's building Whilst writing, do you know why these foundations are 2m deep, there isn't a basement cellar on the other side is there

 

[Al@n]

I don't understand, what do you mean dig down to ground level I thought the existing ground level is about 2m above the foundations of the neighbour's building Whilst writing, do you know why these foundations are 2m deep, there isn't a basement cellar on the other side is there

Where you see the wall, that is the side wall of the neighbouring property, that is where my garden ends.

At the end of the garden the soil is approx 1.5 metres high, at the start of the garden it is flat but gradually rises to its peak to the back of that wall.

So the test hole i dug close to the wall was to determine if I'll hit the foundations, so far I've dug down to 1 metre and have 0.5 metres to dig further which will take me to ground level.

So I'm hoping by digging down further to get to ground level providing i don't hit the foundations, then i am okay to proceed ahead and clear all the excess soil against the wall and level my whole garden out to ground level, i want it all nice and flat

 

[IT Minion]

This thread needs diagrams

 

[Al@n]

This thread needs diagrams

I've provided pictures, happy to provide more if it helps...

 

[Leofric]

So you propose removing soil to level off your garden down to the lower level abutting your house.
Can you draw a simple vertical section through the external wall of your neighbour's house showing their ground floor level in relation to their foundations and the proposed level of your garden abutting their house

 

[Al@n]

So you propose removing soil to level off your garden down to the lower level abutting your house.
Can you draw a simple vertical section through the external wall of your neighbour's house showing their ground floor level in relation to their foundations and the proposed level of your garden abutting their house

When i enter the garden it starts off flat but gradually increases in height, effectively im walking up a hill where it eventually levels off but at an increased height of 1.5 metres at the end of my garden this is where there is the neighbours side wall of their property where the soil is up against their wall.

The below pic shows the view i see from the back door of my house, the wall in front is the neighbours at the end of my garden

https://www.diynot.com/diy/media/img_20190902_113844.103228/

https://www.diynot.com/diy/media/img_20190902_113818.103232/

 

[Leofric]

When i enter the garden it starts off flat but gradually increases in height, effectively im walking up a hill where it eventually levels off but at an increased height of 1.5 metres at the end of my garden this is where there is the neighbours side wall of their property where the soil is up against their wall.

The below pic shows the view i see from the back door of my house, the wall in front is the neighbours at the end of my garden

https://www.diynot.com/diy/media/img_20190902_113844.103228/

https://www.diynot.com/diy/media/img_20190902_113818.103232/

yes, I understand that but what is the relationship between your neighbour's finished ground floor level , the level of their foundations and the proposed ground level in your garden

 

[Leofric]

Where backfill is placed and compacted in one side of the foundation trench before the other side is backfilled the wall will be acting as a temporary retaining wall and should either be designed by an Engineer, or in accordance with Chapter 5.1.---
exert from NHBC Standards - the sort of situation that would be created if lowering ground level as proposed here.

 

[^woody^]

I still can't fathom ( ) how you are going to dig down as much as you say you need to against the neighbour's wall without that ending up way below the bottom of the fence and wall up the side of the garden.

 

[Al@n]

I still can't fathom ( ) how you are going to dig down as much as you say you need to against the neighbour's wall without that ending up way below the bottom of the fence and wall up the side of the garden.

Good point, the wall on the right hand side will be demolished and the fence on the left hand side, I'll be installing gravel boards to increase the height

 

[Al@n]

yes, I understand that but what is the relationship between your neighbour's finished ground floor level , the level of their foundations and the proposed ground level in your garden

How can i determine what the neighbours ground floor level is? without actually me requesting them to inspect the inside of their house

I haven't hit the foundations yet in the test hole I've dug, all i am seeing at the minute is brick...

I'm guessing where the air bricks are just above this could be a suspended floor?

 

[Leofric]

How can i determine what the neighbours ground floor level is? without actually me requesting them to inspect the inside of their house

you need to find out

, I don't want to sound dramatic but I think you could end up in trouble with this if you aren't careful. Would it be possible to go back to your engineer and ask him to explain the situation again.

I haven't hit the foundations yet in the test hole I've dug, all i am seeing at the minute is brick..

so how far have you dug down so far ?

I'm guessing where the air bricks are just above this could be a suspended floor?

yes, possibly but unless there is a basement cellar you would still be leaving a considerable depth of material to be retained by the wall if you dig out earth on your side of the wall as you propose.

Good point, the wall on the right hand side will be demolished and the fence on the left hand side, I'll be installing gravel boards to increase the height

but aren't you intending removing earth to a depth of about 1.5m gravel boards as a retaining wall and the wall on the other side Please, ask your engineer to explain the principle of retaining walls where ground is higher on one side of a wall than the other.

​

 

[Al@n]

you need to find out

, I don't want to sound dramatic but I think you could end up in trouble with this if you aren't careful. Would it be possible to go back to your engineer and ask him to explain the situation again.
so how far have you dug down so far ?

yes, possibly but unless there is a basement cellar you would still be leaving a considerable depth of material to be retained by the wall if you dig out earth on your side of the wall as you propose.
but aren't you intending removing earth to a depth of about 1.5m gravel boards as a retaining wall and the wall on the other side Please, ask your engineer to explain the principle of retaining walls where ground is higher on one side of a wall than the other.

​

There is definitely no basement below the floor, my house is similar to that of the neighbours house

The gravel boards was for the fence not to support the soil

If it ends up that i cannot remove all the soil against the wall then i could build a retaining wall with sleepers

I have dug down so far approx 1 meter and not hit the foundations or footings i can still see the standard bricks below the soil