outside steps and damp garage

[larold]

Untitled

• larold
• 9 Apr 2009
• 1

I live in a flood zone so there are steps leading up to my house. I found it difficult getting a pushchair / lawnmower etc up and down the steps so a few months ago I removed them, lengthened one side, and build a ramp the other side. See pic. Below the ramp is a mixture of hardcore, old slabs and concrete. They are all very sturdy and look fine. The ramp surface is concrete slabs with mortar in between the joints. The brick wall you see next to the ramp is the garage on the front of the house. Since I finished it, there has been a damp diagonal patch on the other side of the wall inside the garage. Presumably the water is getting in somewhere around the ramp and soaking the attached bricks. Does this matter? I must admit I never gave any thought to waterproofing etc when I did this. What is the best thing to do to correct this? Would I have to rip it all out again?

 

[stuart45]

Are the slabs sloping slightly towards the wall, rather than away from it?

 

[larold]

No, they are dead level. I spent a lot of time with a spirit level to ensure this.

 

[noseall]

You may need to install a stepped lead flashing at the ramp/wall abutment, similar to what you see on a roof.