My house might collapse?! Urgent advice needed.

[BigBoi86]

Hi, this is my first post. I decided to renovate my kitchen by installing new cabinets, doing some minor plumbing and electric works and installing a cooker extractor fan.

A couple of days ago, I started to drill using a 152mm core drill, to create a vent outlet for the cooker hood. The first 5-6cm's was easy and after that the drill seemed to struggle. I did manage to go 20cm deep and that was it. Upon closer inspection, I realised that I was cutting through "stoned" concrete with steel reinforced bars?

over 3/4 of that has been removed and behind it there seems to be a large length of timber, just under the level of the joists. I am worried that I may have done something really stupid. I have attached photos, please kindly let me know if what I have done will effect the structural integrity of my house and if so what needs to be done to correct it?

I am unable to sleep as a friend seems to think my house is in danger of falling down!

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[Blagard]

It does not seem that you have so far cut very deep into the concrete. Can you confirm the depths you have cut to ? The cm quoted in your post look more like mm!

You are right to stop because you may be going through a concrete lintel. The lower line of the concrete seems to line up with an opening to the far right.

If it is a concrete lintel, it needs examining to find out what it is doing. I have to say it isn't clear to me what the function of the concrete is from the photo's

On first impression of the photo's I would not be worried at all.

What is the outside of the wall made of and how thick is the wall altogether?

What is the dark material immediately below the concrete (in the bottom of the hole)?

Is it possible there was once a wide opening that was partially blocked up leaving a smaller one ?

 

[Nige F]

Hi, this is my first post.
I am unable to sleep as a friend seems to think my house is in danger of falling down!

some friend are they a qualified builder or structural engineer

 

[big-all]

looks to me that there use to be a window or door there
pull away the plaster between the hole and window to the right and just make shure its bricked in and supporting the lintle there and the same the other side
then your lintle then turns into a long brick with metal reinforcement in the area you are cutting

 

[BigBoi86]

It does not seem that you have so far cut very deep into the concrete. Can you confirm the depths you have cut to ? The cm quoted in your post look more like mm!

You are right to stop because you may be going through a concrete lintel. The lower line of the concrete seems to line up with an opening to the far right.

If it is a concrete lintel, it needs examining to find out what it is doing. I have to say it isn't clear to me what the function of the concrete is from the photo's

On first impression of the photo's I would not be worried at all.

What is the outside of the wall made of and how thick is the wall altogether?

What is the dark material immediately below the concrete (in the bottom of the hole)?

Is it possible there was once a wide opening that was partially blocked up leaving a smaller one ?

The outside wall is made from bricks, the wall is 30cm thick total. The dark material is behind the concrete, it is a membrane of some sort? There was never an opening, the wall always had that 1 window. All the houses on my row are identical.

I drilled to a depth of 10cm, first 3cm is plaster. Roughly 3cm depth is what remains of the concrete and behind it I see a joist like timber, about 5-6cm thick.

 

[BigBoi86]

looks to me that there use to be a window or door there
pull away the plaster between the hole and window to the right and just make shure its bricked in and supporting the lintle there and the same the other side
then your lintle then turns into a long brick with metal reinforcement in the area you are cutting

I am 100% sure that there was not an opening there before, only that 1 window. All the houses in my row are identical. So are you saying if that lintel is bricked on both sides of the window, it would be okay to cut through it where I made the hole?

 

[BigBoi86]

I am so paranoid now, I wake up a few times at night just to check!!!!

 

[big-all]

as i say iff the lintel if fully supported by brick it then becomes a long brick with metal in it
but you must be shure the bricks are tranfering the load to the foundations
you will have to investigate further and satisfy yourself

 

[Blagard]

The outside wall is made from bricks, the wall is 30cm thick total. The dark material is behind the concrete, it is a membrane of some sort? There was never an opening, the wall always had that 1 window. All the houses on my row are identical.

I drilled to a depth of 10cm, first 3cm is plaster. Roughly 3cm depth is what remains of the concrete and behind it I see a joist like timber, about 5-6cm thick.

Edit (a few times!):
So about 3cm plaster 10cm Concrete 6cm timber and 11cm outside brick?
What was the material under the concrete at the bottom of your hole?
Can you see what is above the concrete (behind the floor joist)?

Can you do a photo of the wall from the outside where the hole will be and showing the edge of the same window we can see in your photo?
When was the house built (approximately)?

 

[BigBoi86]

Edit (a few times!):
So about 3cm plaster 10cm Concrete 6cm timber and 11cm outside brick?
What was the material under the concrete at the bottom of your hole?
Can you see what is above the concrete (behind the floor joist)?

Can you do a photo of the wall from the outside where the hole will be and showing the edge of the same window we can see in your photo?
When was the house built (approximately)?

Hi Blagard,
upon closer inspection today, I have found that there is no "joist" behind the concrete! It is the concrete itself, the surface finish made it look like timber. So the thickness of the concrete is 15cm and the height is 23cm.

The black material behind the concrete is a membrane, which lines the brick wall. From the outside, I can only see 1 layer of brick which is 7cm thick. I am not sure if there is another layer of bricks behind the outer wall? There is a cavity between the outer and inner wall.

I used a torch to have a good look and it looks like the upstairs living room wall sits on it. I have added the photos to the album and also found out from my neighbour that the house were built around 1981.


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[BigBoi86]

as i say iff the lintel if fully supported by brick it then becomes a long brick with metal in it
but you must be shure the bricks are tranfering the load to the foundations
you will have to investigate further and satisfy yourself

Hi Big-all,
I have removed the plaster and it looks like there are bricks supporting the concrete. I have uploaded the photos in the album. What would you suggest I should do now? Shall I drill all the way through or repair that area?

Thanks.

 

[big-all]

I am 100% sure that there was not an opening there before, only that 1 window. All the houses in my row are identical. So are you saying if that lintel is bricked on both sides of the window, it would be okay to cut through it where I made the hole?

you wouldnt make a very good detective then
i would suggest there was a larder with a small window hence the elongated lintle and odd bricks in the old flue area

i would say carry on as everythiing is well supported

 

[Blagard]

From those photo's it seems that there was once a large square balanced flue going though the wall and because the inner leaf is load bearing, a lintel was used across the top that butts up to a steel lintel used over the window. The size of the lintel seems overkill to say the least! Perhaps just to match the height of the adjacent window lintel or because it is the "boot" variety with a cavity tray draped over it (the membrane you can see) The old flue hole looks to be bricked up OK albeit a messy job outside! Your new flue looks like it's a fan assisted balanced flue

I would bet big-all has seen this type of thing more than me. However I really see no danger in continuing to cut the hole through. I would suggest you cut the outer brick leaf from the outside using the cenre hole for setting out the cut. You may also find that you finish cutting the concrete at the top of the hole before you finish at the bottom due to the profile of a concrete boot lintel

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Exposing a little more to the left of the hole to see the lintel is sitting on the orginal brickwork should wrap this up.

Have a good nights sleep!

 

[RedHerring2]

I don't want to throw a spanner in the works, but are we sure this isn't a concrete framed building with masonry infill panels?
In the pictures with the paster removed can I see a vertical concrete 'pillar'?

I don't know if concrete sectional buildings is/was in vogue in this country for houses.

 

[Blagard]

I don't want to throw a spanner in the works, but are we sure this isn't a concrete framed building with masonry infill panels?
In the pictures with the paster removed can I see a vertical concrete 'pillar'?

I think you will find that it is just some plaster still stuck to the lintel creating that effect. I was asking about when it was built because I suspected it may have been some system built house as you suggest. The 1981 date pretty much ruled that out with all the later information OP provided.