Morning, I am worried about the state of the wall at the rear of my house (please see attached). There appears to be a lot of damp on the surface below the damp course and at the worst point; its almost taken half the brick face out. There is no evidence of damp (at least i can see anyway) on the inside of the house. I know there is a 225mm sewer running at the back of the house for the storm drains. Should i contact the water board to see if they are prepared to check them, or call my insurer? Another thing is next door are having a 3,4 metre single storey extension in the next two months - would the water board have checked them out then? Are the water board responsible for storm and foul sewers? Many thanks, (worried) Fats
that doesn't look so bad, nothing glaringly wrong other than the need to keep them clean of moss as that'll help keep them moist and not allow water the drain off quickly do you know the exact location and depth of that sewer - will you have to make an accommodation for it when you put the founds down ?
Hi Sean, Thanks for posting (and providing some relief too!) I don't know the exact location/information about the sewer; the reason i know its there is because Welsh Water came out when next door (not us, although that may happen at a later date!) were going through their plans to extend. Perhaps i should give them a call with my concerns? Are they responsible for it? If i give the wall a good hose down with a stiff brush and some washing up liquid, once dry, would you put some kind of protection on the bricks? Thanks for your continued help. Fats
WW should have route and depth plans for the sewer - perhaps they had to slightly re-route to allow for next doors extension ? - there's a very good chance that your next door neighbours will be a good source of info on this - perhaps WW came out to check their own plans, as a few foot of inaccuracy makes a lot of difference when Mr Minidigger is doing what he does best good stiff brushing and maybe some bleach to clean the faces and discourage it from growing back - nothing overly abrasive or you'll damage the faces - I wouldn't bother treating them afterwards
Thanks Sean. I'll give them a good bleaching with a stiff brush. I will hopefully be able to speak with my neighbour later on but i've just got Welsh Water up on live chat. They said they have created a job and will call me with a date and time they can attend. Cheers Fats
i try! the operator didn't advise of any cost. I have to say of all the utility companies Welsh Water seem the most helpful. Interestingly, the operator said the plans said its "a combined sewer". When the guys come out i am going to ask them if its combined, can i connect a gulley pot and put my sink waste down there instead of the current run which looks like something from the Barclaycard advert (although works perfectly well!): Edit: Assuming all is well - will it be OK to paint these to keep the bricks the same colour all the way around the house? If so, any recommendations?
Hi Fats. Where's your DPC - is it where the brick layer meets the render, or somewhere further down in that brick layer? Damp below DPC is obviously not an issue - it's almost to be expected, especially on North-facing walls. For that reason, I'd agree with Sean - don't coat these bricks with anything other than masonry paint as any sealer might be inclined to keep any rising damp locked in. That's my logic anyways, tho' I just don't know if it's right... Are there 'sealers' that will still allow walls to breathe? Ie: keep external water oot, but still allow trapped damp oot? It does look a bit weird, tho', to have what looks like such a localised rising damp area.
Hi DA, Thanks for posting, mate. The DPC is where the brick meets the render mate. It appears to be of a felt like material. The wall is 100 degrees-ish East so i guess that would have a bearing on matters? It is a bit odd isn't it. If the water board check and say there are no issues with the sewer - would swopping a few bricks for air bricks help? And then a good clean and paint? Also, do you think the ground/position of house (we are half way down a hill) was the reason the rear of the house is a metre from the floor? Thanks for all your help. Fats
Fats, as above mate, there's nothing to worry about re: brick blowing, if any bricks are really bad you could if inclined, cut out the badly damaged ones and replace them. Re: the sewer pipe WW, will probably allow your neighbour to build over it, but depending on it's location and depth they may have to use RSJs to bridge it, this is what I had to do on my extension.
Hi Phil, Thanks for posting mate, i appreciate all the help and did fear the worst when i saw it yesterday clearing the garden out. Could i replace some of the worst effected ones with some air-bricks, or just normal ones? Either way, a good clean-up and paint sounds like the way forward with this. Cheers for all your continued support. Fats
I take it by the fact they are no airbricks already fitted, that you have concrete floors, if this is the case I doubt that the wall is a cavity wall below two courses from the DPC, so it is solid enough to take the pressure from the infill on the other side.
yes, it is concrete floors mate. So if the wall is solid (at the point of damp); no point in the air bricks then. Assuming WW say all is well (they are due here this afternoon) i might cut out the worst and replace with - what engineering bricks from Selco (with view to eventually painting all the same colour)? If not, what would you suggest? Thanks Fats
excellent, thanks Phil Edit: to drill-stitch some of the crappy ones out, shall i clean up the neighbouring bricks, give all the side faces a lick of SBR, put a bed of cement on, place the brick in and then use something like this for the top and sides? Thanks, as always. Fats
Me being a bricklayer, I would place a bed into the wall, put a perp joint in on one side, then on the brick to be fitted do the other perp joint and top, slide the brick into place, some of the muck will fall off the brick but most will go into the joints and then I would be pushing the rest of the muck in with a pointing iron working off a trowel, this is a skill that's takes a bit of time to master Without making a mess all over the face of the bricks, but is now second nature to me.
Thanks Phil, unfortunately, i don't have that skill and as you say would make a mess of it so think i'll stick to the mortar gun! WW have just left. Their pipe actually runs at a 45 degree angle to the rear of our house and more in the middle of the garden than near the wall. It was the same guy who came out to my next door neighbours when they were going through the plans for their extension and remembered it. Perhaps its just a case of the old, ****, bowed guttering and some of the **** we had near to the wall all contributing to the wall staying wet. Looks like another weekends work for the Fathands! Thanks for everyone's help, appreciated! Best Fats
You do know Fats, the reason it's damp there is because of solid ground there and splash-up, runs straight down and stays wet for ages? Mr. HandyAndy - Really
Hi Andy, Thanks for posting mate. I guess its the only logical explanation; if it were coming from below I guess it might be in more than the one spot in the photo? When you say solid ground - I thought that would at least allow the water to drain away compared to turf which would retain water? Thanks Fats
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