Victorian Cornish cottage renovation

[Cornishcottage_]

Hi
We have just bought a Cornish cottage in need of major renovation. The RICS survey was a joke! Starting externally. Have damp issues, no surprise.

First job remove render. one wall is recent cement render. I think the rest is peddle dash. Very thin with stones. My elderly neighbour can’t remember the house without it. Picked some of at the corner it comes off easily and bricks in good condition. Very thin render.

I think the corners are brick and the walls stone.

Major issue is the levels are gradually getting higher towards back of house. Ground external level at least one foot higher than internal floor.

I noted today the main drain is at the rear at the same higher level.

How easy will that make it to lower the external level to internal level?

The photograph with the drain next to the back door gives you an idea of heightened levels.
Any recommendations will really help.
Many thanks

 

[Feltwell]

Welcome!

What makes you think the drains are at a high level? Lift that mainhole cover and have a look at what the invert of the drain is, that will give you a guide.

Someone has put Aco channel along the bottom of some of those walls, and it's completely clogged up in your pictures - first job would be to clear that out, easy job, just needs an old screwdriver to pry the covers up then a gardening hand trowel to clear them out and check they are connected to something!

If external level is higher than internal though, highly likely the Aco isn't enough and the ground level needs to be lowered.

 

[Cornishcottage_]

Hi Feltwell

Thanks for response. Since we took the photo we lifted cover to find pea gravel that runs along back of house

The internal floor is a ft lower approx. I lifted cover on main access drain. Victorian drains but couldn’t see any modern height additions. The path is modern cement slabs that run flush to it.

The drain by the back door in the photograph at the other end of the path has the original stank about a ft lower too. You can see the path has been heightened over the years.

The main access drain just confuses me. I am not at the property to take further pictures

 

[Cornishcottage_]

 

[Lacan07]

Hi
We have just bought a Cornish cottage in need of major renovation. The RICS survey was a joke! Starting externally. Have damp issues, no surprise.

First job remove render. one wall is recent cement render. I think the rest is peddle dash. Very thin with stones. My elderly neighbour can’t remember the house without it. Picked some of at the corner it comes off easily and bricks in good condition. Very thin render.

I think the corners are brick and the walls stone.

Major issue is the levels are gradually getting higher towards back of house. Ground external level at least one foot higher than internal floor.

I noted today the main drain is at the rear at the same higher level.

How easy will that make it to lower the external level to internal level?

The photograph with the drain next to the back door gives you an idea of heightened levels.
Any recommendations will really help.
Many thanks

Hi, a drain shouldn't hinder any attempt to lower the surrounding ground, just lower the ground and leave the drain proud. You can dress it up later if it looks unsightly, or have it altered when money allows.

 

[Cornishcottage_]

Hi, a drain shouldn't hinder any attempt to lower the surrounding ground, just lower the ground and leave the drain proud. You can dress it up later if it looks unsightly, or have it altered when money allows.

Thank you

 

[paulc]

You may well find it is just the slabs holding the manhole cover frame in place. Be very careful when lifting those slabs as the cast iron frame can be quite fragile, and there is a risk of it cracking if you are too heavy handed with a hammer. That said, it might be a steel frame which is less likely to crack...
Depending on the internal depth of the inspection chamber, it shouldn't be too difficult to remove a few courses of bricks to reduce the height.

 

[Cubist]

As usual, I'm puzzled. This house looks to have been built 'on, and at its rear, into' the side of a hill. Is that correct? Also, given the nature of the Cornish landscape, how much of that hillside is rock?

 

[Cornishcottage_]

Hi Cubist

We literally bought the house on Saturday. We need to explore more. We were planning to dig a channel at the rear of the property and see how far we can get down. See if the levels have been raised over time.

We are hoping it is rock behind and next job is to dig again and see what we hit.

It’s exciting and frightening all at the same time!

 

[Cubist]

We would frequently rent a harbour-side house in Padstow that is built into the hill-side above the town. Beautiful place but the gardening and maintenance needs were/are better suited to a mountain goat than yours truly. The elevation difference between street and rear of back-garden boundary was/is circa 50 feet and barring for a thin layer of top soil all solid rock according to the owners. You may need a few sticks of dynamite to clear the drains I think - may be a better idea to try the Doom Bar, you'll feel better for it.