How to fill area between house and patio, taking into consideration potential damp issues

[PatioAdvice]

Hi all,

I’m trying to work out how I can fill this gap between my house and our patio, so that it is level with the patio. The gap is 50cm from the house, 5’ deep in the center, and 3.5’ either side.

Yesterday, I cleared out some slate chippings that filled the area, that were sat on top of dirt. I’m hesitant to just fill this back up with dirt as I am conscious that it would be up against the house wall and could cause damp issues in the future.

It looks as though the area may have been designed in a way so that rainwater drains down the middle, under the patio. I only purchased this house within the last year so have never seen the area cleared out, until now. As it was filled with slate chippings and dirt, I assumed it was just soil/earth underneath. It looks a little concerning also that it seems to have potential to go under the house - is that something that needs covering ASAP?

We were thinking perhaps a damp proof membrane lined along the house wall, and then some gravel? On top of that, then purchasing some ‘click’ decking tiles to cover and level? Would that provide sufficient drainage if it rained?

Apologies in advance if this is a really straightforward fix, new to all this and don’t want to cause damp issues for myself down the line.

(Side note - new to the forum, sorry if have asked in wrong place).

Thanks in advance!

 

[Deleted member 323070]

I would think about removing the raised area, rather than raising the lower area.
It would be worth identifying where the DPC is.

 

[blup]

It looks like it was a makeshift drainage arrangement with the chippings used as a decorative finish. Does it drain satisfactory as it is now after heavy rain? If so, Establish where the dpc is and re fill with gravel but keep below dpc level, ideally 150mm but Keep under review. If still a problem consider a French drain

 

[Odds]

You might want to consider raising the area above the level of the patio. Any rain would run-off away from the house.

 

[PatioAdvice]

It looks like it was a makeshift drainage arrangement with the chippings used as a decorative finish. Does it drain satisfactory as it is now after heavy rain? If so, Establish where the dpc is and re fill with gravel but keep below dpc level, ideally 150mm but Keep under review. If still a problem consider a French drain

Thanks for your feedback. How do I establish where the DPC is in an older house like this? All examples online tend to be for houses which are either much more recently built or have exposed brick outside. TIA

 

[PatioAdvice]

I would think about removing the raised area, rather than raising the lower area.
It would be worth identifying where the DPC is.

The raised area is a fairly large patio. While probably ideal, totally out of budget right now for what was supposed to be a tidy up of the area. Agree regarding DPC, trying to figure out how to find it now.

 

[blup]

Thanks for your feedback. How do I establish where the DPC is in an older house like this? All examples online tend to be for houses which are either much more recently built or have exposed brick outside. TIA

Below dpc level is generally much damper but if the dpc has been bridged the damp will show above as well. Looking at the pics dpc may be where the slabs meet the wall. The level of the floor inside is usually above the dpc. You say it is an older property but the wall seems to be blockwork so maybe a more recent addition