Will removing the concrete outside lead to 'heave'?

[Lime]

A couple of observations re- the manhole.
1. From what I can see it would be possible to remove two courses of bricks to lower the cover.
Obviously the removal of the bricks must not damage the internal structure.

2. The two pipes in the picture, one orange one grey, have been added to the system.
I presume the orange pipe serves a drain with a water seal trap?
The grey pipe appears it may be a rainwater pipe and I doubt that it has a water seal.
This will allow foul air to escape from the drain in and around the house.
Perhaps more important, the brickwork that surrounds these two pipes has not been finished off properly.
If the sewer becomes blocked or floods, the hole around the pipes will allow sewage to escape into the surrounding soil and add to your problems of damp.

Also both pipes do not connect to the manhole correctly.
They should be designed to enter the lower channel in the line of flow without splash and turbulance.

It is possible that cracks may be evident in the lower area (out of shot) and sewage could leaking into the surroundings all the time.
If the lower channel (where the sewage flows through) is not plastic there is a high probability that the earthenware pipes are cracked (because they are so shallow in the ground) and leaking particularly where each pipe joins another.

 

[Flyfisher]

The photographs of the barn guttering look... er... characterful! If the part of your house that's damp is anywhere near that guttering, I would certainly get the problem rectified (so that the guttering is doing its job) and then wait to see whether the dampness seems to be drying out. It looks a very likely suspect.

I entirely agree. Even if the guttering was in good condition, it's so far from the hopper that some water must surely miss. Also, it's not entirely clear what's happening below the corrugated sheet that adjoins the main roof but it looks as if the guttering is missing completely, or even some sheeting to the lower part of the roof valley. I would guess that a lot of rainwater will simply drain off that section of roof onto, presumably, the wall and corner behind the shed. The plant life up there also suggests a ready source of water! And that very damp corner won't be doing the shed any favours either.

All that water will find its way onto the concrete 'collar' and may pool against the house walls. Fixing that roof and valley and properly discharging all the water into that hopper would, I'm sure, make a huge difference to the amount of water swilling around the concrete.

 

[christinawoodward]

This forum is a great source of advice. Thank you.
I've repositioned the guttering so it catches the hopper and also sits out further, rather than being tucked under the roof. Also lengthened it so it covers the full width of the barn roof. I added a patch made from a cut up black flower pot and wired in place to close the gap between the barn roof and mine. I tested it by sending over plenty of watering cans. The guttering on the shed roof had no end stop, water just gushed out, so I cut a plastic container in half and the base of it makes an end stop which works perfectly. Very satisfying.

Good idea about removing a course of bricks to lower the level of the inspection pit, when I get to that stage.

How do I finish the internal brickwork properly? You say it's not finished properly.

The orange pipe is a very rusty iron pipe that heads off in the direction of the farm yard next door. The grey plastic pipe carries away the rain water from the guttering mention earlier.

How do I give the grey pipe a waterseal? There's a smell pipe elsewhere, coming out of the bathroom roof.

I could direct the additional pipes into the lower gully with plastic elbows.

The lower level gully in the inspection pit looks very watertight, it has a smooth concrete coating. How do I find out if the ceramic waste pipes are leaking further along?

 

[worms]

Perhaps its not relevant, but what's going on with that straight edged remnant of whitewash around the door? If there was a previous porch/lean-to or something, could the concrete around the door have been the floor of that structure?

 

[christinawoodward]

I thought everyone was stuck on the genital warts thread. There was a previous porch and the whitewash outlines it. If it hadn't been pulled down before I got here I would've salvaged it. I think concrete has been laid above the old porch level as there's a half buried boot scraper that would've been inside the porch. The ground does rise a bit towards the back door. I got quotes for having a new porch built.. £6000 odd! So I built my own, indoors. Much cheaper. Got the door out of a skip. I put batons into the walls and packed 10m of loft insulation inbetween the inner and outer boards. Great fun working out the odd angles and cutting to fit the bowed walls. Very proud of it. I'm wondering whether to put a small canopy over the back door.

 

[worms]

I think concrete has been laid above the old porch level as there's a half buried boot scraper that would've been inside the porch...

Scraper looks at the right height to my eye! And does that mean the door of the porch opened parallel to the wall - otherwise the scraper would have been at the back of the porch, which seems strange!

If I've got the layout right, the hole in the concrete (with the weeds) is directly below the bend in the flue pipe. Is it possible that some other sort of downpipe/drain pipe/vent pipe was in that position before, going on down into the ground and then linking into your sewer or to a soakaway?

All this is academic, of course! The advice above of one change at a time (starting with the cheapest) and giving each time to work, sounds good to me!

 

[robgil]

Its pretty obvious where the water is coming from , the green moss type stuff on the roof and bottom of the door is a dead giveaway.
You need to sort your guttering and downpipes out.
Damp doesnt simply appear from nowhere. Make sure all your rainwater drains are working and my guess is the damp will disappear.
A little hole in the concrete , unless water pools around or runs into it shouldn't really be a problem.
Use a gharden hose to see where the water goes, use it on the roof to check your guttering but more importantly use it on the concrete to see if the water flows to or from the house.
Your thatch doesnt have much of an overhang so if the water flows away from the house over the concrete id leave it be, it would probably be working in your favour.

 

[Penners]

works perfectly. Very satisfying.

Well done, Christina. The only thing I would add is - although you've tested your patch-up job with watering cans - make sure that you watch it carefully during the first heavy rain. It's astonishing just how much water can pour off a roof in heavy rain, and you need to be sure that your repaired guttering will handle it.

How do I finish the internal brickwork properly? You say it's not finished properly.

You just need to make sure that all of the pointing between the bricks is sound and well finished, and that the pipes coming into/out of the pit are well mortared in. Use cement, not lime (well I would anyway!).

How do I give the grey pipe a waterseal?

The normal way of providing a water trap for rainwater downpipes is to put a trap at the bottom, where the pipe enters the ground. If it the pipe empties into an open gulley, then the gulley should incorporate a trap. If it goes into the ground, then it should go into a back inlet gulley with a rodding eye (for psuhing rods through if it gets blocked). But if the grey pipe is only handing surface water, then I wouldn't worry too much about the urgency of this unless you're getting foul drain smells backing up through the system. You've got more important things to think about right now.

 

[robgil]

Those unsealed rainwater pipes could also be acting as a vent, although not the best way to vent a sewer. If it aint broke dont fix it.

 

[christinawoodward]

In the post today I received some photographs from an old man who's aunt used to live here. One day last summer I'd gone out to the front of the house and he was just standing there smiling and nodding at me, like the Benny Hill character. It was very interesting to hear him reminisce and I'll keep in touch.
In the photographs the porch is still up. It was a flimsy transparent plastic canopy that would've thrown the rain from the thatch further away. It had guttering round it. Looked awful but would've helped I'm sure.
The old photos are a good source for things like what the window frames were like before and many other details.
I'm still pondering on how to proceed with the concrete. I think I need to drill holes through the brick planters. Not sure it takes me much further but seems like the right thing.

 

[Lime]

Can I just mention:
if drilling holes in the path make sure you know where supply pipes and cables enter the house first.

 

[Penners]

I think I need to drill holes through the brick planters.

Yes, but do make sure that the resulting drained water flows away from the house.