Ground level high outside

[Jblakes]

Afternoon all,

I hope you are all well. I'm trying to figured out to solve this problem, whereby we are getting mould in our kitchen and I'm 100% sure it's the ground level outside.

Our house is a sort of L shape (see my tecnhcial drawings attached). Our house steps down about two foot so the stairs and kitchen have lands against the wall to a hight of 2foot ish.

It's technically our land so I can't see an issue with digging, but my question is, can I just deep a foot wide trench in the concrete and fill with stones, will that solve it our do I need to do full technical on it? If so how?

Kind regards
Jamea

 

[Lacan07]

Its always a bad sign when you step 'down' into a house rather than step 'up'.

High external ground is usually a key factor when it comes to damp walls in old houses. A quick fix is to dig a trench, 10" wide perhaps and as deep as you need, a course or 2 beneath the air brick is preferable. Personally I wouldn't fill it with stones and just leave it bare

 

[malcolm]

It's a good plan to have exterior ground levels a couple of bricks lower than interior floor levels.

If you dig a trench the house will be very happy. Then if you fill it in again the house will be sad. It doesn't much matter what you fill the trench with - while gravel will drain surface water it won't allow evaporation so if you dig down an inch the gravel and wall will be wet. Search Zebcolm trench on here - normally a better solution to exterior ground levels that are too high.

 

[Jblakes]

Cheers for replies. I'm not actually sure I will be able to leave it bare , I think it will cause the rest of the concrete to fall in (because everything about the house is bodge it Dave). But I will give it a go

 

[Jblakes]

Oh I've just looked at a zebcolm and you basically build a retaining wall, that might work.

 

[Lacan07]

Oh I've just looked at a zebcolm and you basically build a retaining wall, that might work.

or just hire a skip and dig all of it out as it would have been originally.

 

[Jblakes]

We are attached to next door that's at the level the concrete is currently at or I would.

I don't think they would like to step up 2 foot to get in there front door , but they bit is our land and we get on with them so can't see it being an issue as long as safe

 

[Lacan07]

We are attached to next door that's at the level the concrete is currently at or I would.

I don't think they would like to step up 2 foot to get in there front door , but they bit is our land and we get on with them so can't see it being an issue as long as safe

I'd love to step 2 foot up to get in my front door.

 

[Itchinfilth]

Currently on the same project as you and just done a similar post! I've dug through earth though, not concrete. Fingers crossed for us both!

 

[Jblakes]

Yes looks like we are doing very similar. I'm still working out how to do it tbh.