Victorian bay footings

[Trunkie]

I want to level my front garden so the current paving is at the same height as the path - at the moment it's around 6" higher.
There is currently a concrete slab abutting the bay window. I've excavated around this a little and it seems to be an inch or so of concrete on a course of 2 bricks. Is this the footing for the bay? If I slide a breaker bar under the bricks it feels like I'm hitting brick of the actual bay. My house and the neighbour to the right are the only ones on the street that have this built up section in front of the bay. All the others are much lower - see the pic of the neighbours garden.

 

[kp00110]

I would suspect the concrete is more modern over pouring - but maybe the bricks you are finding is original step foundation beneath the concrete topping, which is the original bay foundation? I would break concrete from the top down to expose bricks rather than undermining it like you have

 

[ree]

Trunkie,
1. Can you mark on the plinth the positions of your DPC and the interior FFL.
2. You have a solid wall (ref the bonding) and there are faint signs that maybe an injected DPC was previously installed. S&C re-pointing has also been done.
3. I presume you have suspended floors but you only have one small air brick - you need three large air bricks in the 3-sided bay.
4. Have you examined the joist tails in the bay & front elevation? Look for rot. Would you post pics of the inside of the bay?
5. The bricks under the concrete might only be hardcore for when the concrete was poured?
6. Why not break out the concrete & bricks in a corner by the fence - Use an SDS drill with a chisel or just smash down on a small patch but beware that the original bricks of the bay might be buried in reasonable good nick - then pic and post on here.

7. Your neighbour has had "The Dutch System" a so called DPC installed - utterly useless waste of money devices. They disfigure property, and create further problems.

 

[Trunkie]

Ok so measuring the sun floor level and it’s level with the concrete outside so I guess this is the footings? Really weird how mine and my neighbour to the right are the only houses in the street with this level.
Or am I missing something?

 

[mattylad]

Digging under the footings for your bay may further encourage it to fall forwards a little, causing cracks and leaks.
Be careful how you precede.

 

[ree]

Above, I asked you a couple of questions including a pic of the inside of the bay ie. the skirting panel below the window boards - perhaps you will reply?
Have you acted on item # 6?

 

[Trunkie]

Trunkie,
1. Can you mark on the plinth the positions of your DPC and the interior FFL.

See photo. I measured a little incorrectly this morning and the sub floor level is a little lower than the top of the concrete.

2. You have a solid wall (ref the bonding) and there are faint signs that maybe an injected DPC was previously installed. S&C re-pointing has also been done.

Correct

3. I presume you have suspended floors but you only have one small air brick - you need three large air bricks in the 3-sided bay.

Correct. All houses in the street only have 1 air brick.

4. Have you examined the joist tails in the bay & front elevation? Look for rot. Would you post pics of the inside of the bay?

When I had the floor up 4/5 years ago all was fine. Pic attached.

5. The bricks under the concrete might only be hardcore for when the concrete was poured?
6. Why not break out the concrete & bricks in a corner by the fence - Use an SDS drill with a chisel or just smash down on a small patch but beware that the original bricks of the bay might be buried in reasonable good nick - then pic and post on here.

I haven't done this yet. I have dug under the corner by the fence a little so I could move the trunking for a telecomms cable and the concrete appears to be newer. I'm wondering if the original maybe followed the angles of the bay and the corners have been filled in more recently. I'll dig closer to the wall and post back.