Good morning all, I'm hoping for some advice and opinions from all the knowledgeable people on here!
Yesterday we began excavating the earth from the front of the house in order to lower the ground levels against the southern wall. The earth here had built up to about 10 inches above the internal floor level with significant penetrating damp in the wall. The intention is to lower the outside below the internal level, creating an evaporation zone, wide enough to catch the run of from the thatch, then infill with clean drainage stone and a terram geotextile lining, with a perforated drainage pipe about 20 inches from the wall to both intercept any ground water flow and transport the thatch run off away.
Everything seemed very straightforward however there is also a small plinth at the base of the wall, capped in cement, which was cracking and allowing water to penetrate between the plinth and the hamstone wall. We had assumed this was brick as a small area of cement had fallen away to reveal brick below. The intention was to remove the plinth as part of the process and this was agreed by the CO. Having dug a 70cm wide trench away from the wall to a depth of about a foot it became obvious that the plinth was actually tiles on end capped in cement.
As in the pictures below, which aren't very clear but the tiles are standing on edge running up the wall. (The poor quality, tooled cement pointing will also need to be removed in due course).
One tile had broken and behind it, covered in sand and earth was very eroded hamstone, partly filed with cement suggesting that, rather than being brick the 'plinth' is actually the protruding foundation stones which at some stage in the past have been 'protected' by these tiles as a form of damp proofing, was this a common thing to do? The internal floor is lower than the top of this plinth, but being well weathered hamstone and lias flagstones, the floor appears historic and not a modern lowered floor. We are some way short of excavating to the base of these stones so will not undermine the wall. Obviously this area must have been excavated lower to insert the tiles in the past.
The question now is what to do with the plinth.
The broken tile appeared relatively modern, but was stamped Barden, who were one of the famous tile companies from Bridgwater, but closed in 1968, so the 'damp proofing' may be of some age and the tiles themselves of historic value (The roof of our forge is covered in such tiles).
However, given the amount of earth behind the tiles, and the failed cement capping, leaving the plinth intact may negate the value of the new french drain and trap moisture against the wall, although the overhanging thatch provides some cover to this area. The tiles have no mortar holding them in place, only the cement capping and there are significant gaps between some into which you can push your hand and feel behind.
It seems we have 3 options:
i. Leave the tile plinth intact and fill the trench with stone
ii. Remove the cement and tiles and reveal the stone then fill the trench with stone
iii. Preserve the tiles and recap them with new capping mortar - maybe an eminently hydraulic lime mix.
Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated!
Yesterday we began excavating the earth from the front of the house in order to lower the ground levels against the southern wall. The earth here had built up to about 10 inches above the internal floor level with significant penetrating damp in the wall. The intention is to lower the outside below the internal level, creating an evaporation zone, wide enough to catch the run of from the thatch, then infill with clean drainage stone and a terram geotextile lining, with a perforated drainage pipe about 20 inches from the wall to both intercept any ground water flow and transport the thatch run off away.
Everything seemed very straightforward however there is also a small plinth at the base of the wall, capped in cement, which was cracking and allowing water to penetrate between the plinth and the hamstone wall. We had assumed this was brick as a small area of cement had fallen away to reveal brick below. The intention was to remove the plinth as part of the process and this was agreed by the CO. Having dug a 70cm wide trench away from the wall to a depth of about a foot it became obvious that the plinth was actually tiles on end capped in cement.
As in the pictures below, which aren't very clear but the tiles are standing on edge running up the wall. (The poor quality, tooled cement pointing will also need to be removed in due course).
One tile had broken and behind it, covered in sand and earth was very eroded hamstone, partly filed with cement suggesting that, rather than being brick the 'plinth' is actually the protruding foundation stones which at some stage in the past have been 'protected' by these tiles as a form of damp proofing, was this a common thing to do? The internal floor is lower than the top of this plinth, but being well weathered hamstone and lias flagstones, the floor appears historic and not a modern lowered floor. We are some way short of excavating to the base of these stones so will not undermine the wall. Obviously this area must have been excavated lower to insert the tiles in the past.
The question now is what to do with the plinth.
The broken tile appeared relatively modern, but was stamped Barden, who were one of the famous tile companies from Bridgwater, but closed in 1968, so the 'damp proofing' may be of some age and the tiles themselves of historic value (The roof of our forge is covered in such tiles).
However, given the amount of earth behind the tiles, and the failed cement capping, leaving the plinth intact may negate the value of the new french drain and trap moisture against the wall, although the overhanging thatch provides some cover to this area. The tiles have no mortar holding them in place, only the cement capping and there are significant gaps between some into which you can push your hand and feel behind.
It seems we have 3 options:
i. Leave the tile plinth intact and fill the trench with stone
ii. Remove the cement and tiles and reveal the stone then fill the trench with stone
iii. Preserve the tiles and recap them with new capping mortar - maybe an eminently hydraulic lime mix.
Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated!
