CarolineTheChemist
Member
- Messages
- 53
Hi Everyone,
We’re struggling to find a sensible answer to our footings questions, so I’m hoping I might find some suggestions or even consensus from you guys.
We have a 17th century timber framed house that had a brick front put on it in during the 18th century, and a post war brick extension. The ground levels outside are varied, with the soil being highest in front of the 18th C brick front and where there are very old rose beds either side of the front door. We have some damp floor issues in the back rooms of the old section where the ground level is lower inside than out. We’re keen to rectify the ground levels and put in some land/French drains to help.
The issue we’re having is understanding what actually is the correct ground level!
At the front, it looks as though there may have been a brick plinth, as the bricks at the bottom of the wall stick out slightly. My first assumption was that we need to take the soil away to show these two courses of brick.
The front wall and front door continue to the left of this photo. On the other side of the front door there are two old disintegrated air bricks that are a course above the plinth.
However, then I wondered if actually those are the footings and it might be a mistake to expose them. So we dug a trial hole and found that after three courses, it turns to stone and rubble. This is the hole freshly dug, and next is the hole after being washed by rain
From that it looks like the brick plinth is possibly footings for the wall….
To complicate things further, if I follow the height around the side of the house, the top brick in the front “plinth” is about 5 bricks above the soil level - about 2/3metres from the corner, if I dig down about 5cm, I can see the start of brick footings just peeking through the soil.
It’s possible that the side wall was built at a later date l, but that would be strange as the bricks match on both walls.
I’ve also added a photo of the ground levels inside and outside the front door. They’re pretty much the same, which makes me think the ground is too high. Once inside you step down slightly from the hall quarries to an old brick floor laid on bare earth. Pretty sure this is below the soil level outside.
The concrete slab that forms our front doorstep outside is at the same height as the top brick of the “plinth”.
My question to you guys is whether we should reduce the soil height at the front and if so by how much?? We’ve had a variety of heritage builders and a structural engineer look at it and none of them seem to be willing to give a solid opinion. Some of them have literally shrugged at the question!
A couple more photos and rubbish diagram that might be helpful to get the idea.
Thanks!!!
We’re struggling to find a sensible answer to our footings questions, so I’m hoping I might find some suggestions or even consensus from you guys.
We have a 17th century timber framed house that had a brick front put on it in during the 18th century, and a post war brick extension. The ground levels outside are varied, with the soil being highest in front of the 18th C brick front and where there are very old rose beds either side of the front door. We have some damp floor issues in the back rooms of the old section where the ground level is lower inside than out. We’re keen to rectify the ground levels and put in some land/French drains to help.
The issue we’re having is understanding what actually is the correct ground level!
At the front, it looks as though there may have been a brick plinth, as the bricks at the bottom of the wall stick out slightly. My first assumption was that we need to take the soil away to show these two courses of brick.
The front wall and front door continue to the left of this photo. On the other side of the front door there are two old disintegrated air bricks that are a course above the plinth.
However, then I wondered if actually those are the footings and it might be a mistake to expose them. So we dug a trial hole and found that after three courses, it turns to stone and rubble. This is the hole freshly dug, and next is the hole after being washed by rain
From that it looks like the brick plinth is possibly footings for the wall….
To complicate things further, if I follow the height around the side of the house, the top brick in the front “plinth” is about 5 bricks above the soil level - about 2/3metres from the corner, if I dig down about 5cm, I can see the start of brick footings just peeking through the soil.
It’s possible that the side wall was built at a later date l, but that would be strange as the bricks match on both walls.
I’ve also added a photo of the ground levels inside and outside the front door. They’re pretty much the same, which makes me think the ground is too high. Once inside you step down slightly from the hall quarries to an old brick floor laid on bare earth. Pretty sure this is below the soil level outside.
The concrete slab that forms our front doorstep outside is at the same height as the top brick of the “plinth”.
My question to you guys is whether we should reduce the soil height at the front and if so by how much?? We’ve had a variety of heritage builders and a structural engineer look at it and none of them seem to be willing to give a solid opinion. Some of them have literally shrugged at the question!
A couple more photos and rubbish diagram that might be helpful to get the idea.
Thanks!!!
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