Reducing external ground level - shallow foundations?

[goldeagle]

I have recently moved in to an end-terrace Victorian house which has some minor damp issues internally. I am getting the entire 'detached' side of the house repointed as it is not in great condition and what to ensure there is no penetrating damp.

I also want to reduce the ground level as currently it seems a bit high and is level with the DPC. I also need to reduce the ground level to ensure there is access for repointing at low level - most of the mortar has fallen away at ground level.

I started to reduce the ground level where a flower bed had been built up against the house. I had planned to only go down a couple of inches but ended up digging down 2 courses of bricks. I was suprised when it seemed that there did not seem to be any more bricks below this!

My question - is it normal to only have two course of bricks below the DPC? Or is this perhaps a sign that there is a problem with the foundations?

The house has been standing for over 100 years so hopefully there is nothing to worry about, but I am thinking now maybe I should just leave the ground level as it is and put up with a bit of damp, rather than risk affecting the structure. Could reducing the ground level adversley affect the foundations?

Does anyone have any views on this?

The picture below shows the area before digging up.

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• goldeagle
• 12 Nov 2012
• 1

The picture below show after digging up.

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• goldeagle
• 12 Nov 2012
• 1

The picture below shows the two courses and the hole with no bricks below!

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• goldeagle
• 12 Nov 2012
• 1

 

[Joe Malone]

Hi, it would be unusual but not impossible. Even those properties built directly onto rammed earth tend to excavate down to solid ground. I'm not convinced from the pictures that there is nothing under the bottom two courses shown. Are you sure this isn't just a stepped plinth and if you excavate underneath you'll see more brickwork? Be also useful to see a picture of the whole property to help establish the build type.

 

[TheVictorian]

Have you got a cellar under another part of the house by any chance?

 

[goldeagle]

No cellar under the house - or atleast as far as I'm aware! Not sure I will know without pulling up floorboards. The photo below shows the back of the house - all of the red bricks are below internal floor level but the external ground level is lower at the back, hence more bricks.

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• goldeagle
• 12 Nov 2012
• 1

The photo below shows the house from the outside - the area I have been digging is hidden by the car i.e. to the left of the bay window.

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• goldeagle
• 12 Nov 2012
• 1

There may be more brickwork below, I could try digging a bit more and finding out. But certainly in the area I dug down to I could stick my screwdriver in several places without hitting anything solid where I would expect brickwork to be