I am thinking of removing a 300mm (2 ft) deep flower bed from beneath my
front bay window - because I have been told it may be causing dampness and
damaging the brickwork.
The thing is, what is the best way to remove the soil and to what depth ?
also how do I prepare the ground - i.e. DPM ?
or stone etc ?
And do I then concrete with a DPM butted up to the brickwork or what ?

Any help/guidance gratefully accepted !


Jim


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"Jimbo" wrote in message
...
I am thinking of removing a 300mm (2 ft) deep flower bed from beneath my

300mm is 1ft

front bay window - because I have been told it may be causing dampness and
damaging the brickwork.
The thing is, what is the best way to remove the soil and to what depth ?

You should be fine as long as you're 150mm ( 2 courses of bricks ) below the
damp proof course. ( You can usually see it poking through the pointing
somewhere round the house. )

also how do I prepare the ground - i.e. DPM ?
or stone etc ?
And do I then concrete with a DPM butted up to the brickwork or what ?

Not completely sure but I think as long as you're below the damp proof
course and the concrete slopes away from the house then there's nothing else
necessary. The 150mm is important because otherwise rain splashes up above
the DPC and causes the damp. You may be having problems if there are big
plants under the window which shed water onto the wall. Possibly ripping
them out and replacing with low-growing plants would be an easier and
cheaper option.

Martin

Before you put concrete right up to the house wall consider how dry it will
become under the foundations. If it's clay under your house, drying out
could cause problems. Using 14mm gravel chippings where you might have
thought of using concrete will allow moisture to reach the clay and I reckon
chippings will prevent loss of moisture as well.

Regards

Ron

P.S. Prospective burglars walking on chippings will make a noise which you
might hear and that's a bonus.

"Jimbo" wrote in message
...
I am thinking of removing a 300mm (2 ft)

300 mm is 1 ft
[snip]

Franz

"Martin Sykes" wrote in message
...
"Jimbo" wrote in message
...
I am thinking of removing a 300mm (2 ft) deep flower bed from beneath my

300mm is 1ft

front bay window - because I have been told it may be causing dampness
and
damaging the brickwork.
The thing is, what is the best way to remove the soil and to what depth
?

You should be fine as long as you're 150mm ( 2 courses of bricks ) below
the
damp proof course. ( You can usually see it poking through the pointing
somewhere round the house. )

also how do I prepare the ground - i.e. DPM ?
or stone etc ?
And do I then concrete with a DPM butted up to the brickwork or what ?

Not completely sure but I think as long as you're below the damp proof
course and the concrete slopes away from the house then there's nothing
else
necessary. The 150mm is important because otherwise rain splashes up
above
the DPC and causes the damp.

I don't get this splashing lark.. What about the rain which quite normally
falls on the brickwork above the damp proof course?

[snip]

Franz

"Jimbo" wrote in message
...
I am thinking of removing a 300mm (2 ft)

300 mm is 1 ft
[snip]

Franz

"Martin Sykes" wrote in message
...
"Jimbo" wrote in message
...
I am thinking of removing a 300mm (2 ft) deep flower bed from beneath my

300mm is 1ft

front bay window - because I have been told it may be causing dampness
and
damaging the brickwork.
The thing is, what is the best way to remove the soil and to what depth
?

You should be fine as long as you're 150mm ( 2 courses of bricks ) below
the
damp proof course. ( You can usually see it poking through the pointing
somewhere round the house. )

also how do I prepare the ground - i.e. DPM ?
or stone etc ?
And do I then concrete with a DPM butted up to the brickwork or what ?

Not completely sure but I think as long as you're below the damp proof
course and the concrete slopes away from the house then there's nothing
else
necessary. The 150mm is important because otherwise rain splashes up
above
the DPC and causes the damp.

I don't get this splashing lark.. What about the rain which quite normally
falls on the brickwork above the damp proof course?

[snip]

Franz

Franz Heymann wrote in message ...

"Martin Sykes" wrote in message
...
"Jimbo" wrote in message
...
I am thinking of removing a 300mm (2 ft) deep flower bed from
beneath my

300mm is 1ft

front bay window - because I have been told it may be causing
dampness
and
damaging the brickwork.
The thing is, what is the best way to remove the soil and to what
depth
?

You should be fine as long as you're 150mm ( 2 courses of bricks )
below
the
damp proof course. ( You can usually see it poking through the
pointing
somewhere round the house. )

also how do I prepare the ground - i.e. DPM ?
or stone etc ?
And do I then concrete with a DPM butted up to the brickwork or
what ?

Not completely sure but I think as long as you're below the damp
proof
course and the concrete slopes away from the house then there's
nothing
else
necessary. The 150mm is important because otherwise rain splashes up
above
the DPC and causes the damp.

I don't get this splashing lark.. What about the rain which quite
normally
falls on the brickwork above the damp proof course?

Splashes are no problem it is only a problem if something causes
bridging from below the DPC to above it so water can constantly wick up
into the wall. My house had a damp problem when I moved in, but that was
because some SOB had rendered the outside wall right down to the ground,
including over the engineers bricks that the house is built on. An early
job was removing that rendering, and repairing the plaster work indoors,
result, no damp problem.

Mike
www.british-naturism.org.uk

Franz Heymann wrote in message ...

"Martin Sykes" wrote in message
...
"Jimbo" wrote in message
...
I am thinking of removing a 300mm (2 ft) deep flower bed from
beneath my

300mm is 1ft

front bay window - because I have been told it may be causing
dampness
and
damaging the brickwork.
The thing is, what is the best way to remove the soil and to what
depth
?

You should be fine as long as you're 150mm ( 2 courses of bricks )
below
the
damp proof course. ( You can usually see it poking through the
pointing
somewhere round the house. )

also how do I prepare the ground - i.e. DPM ?
or stone etc ?
And do I then concrete with a DPM butted up to the brickwork or
what ?

Not completely sure but I think as long as you're below the damp
proof
course and the concrete slopes away from the house then there's
nothing
else
necessary. The 150mm is important because otherwise rain splashes up
above
the DPC and causes the damp.

I don't get this splashing lark.. What about the rain which quite
normally
falls on the brickwork above the damp proof course?

Splashes are no problem it is only a problem if something causes
bridging from below the DPC to above it so water can constantly wick up
into the wall. My house had a damp problem when I moved in, but that was
because some SOB had rendered the outside wall right down to the ground,
including over the engineers bricks that the house is built on. An early
job was removing that rendering, and repairing the plaster work indoors,
result, no damp problem.

Mike
www.british-naturism.org.uk

"Michael Berridge" wrote in message
...

Franz Heymann wrote in message ...

"Martin Sykes" wrote in message
...
"Jimbo" wrote in message
...
I am thinking of removing a 300mm (2 ft) deep flower bed from
beneath my

300mm is 1ft

front bay window - because I have been told it may be causing
dampness
and
damaging the brickwork.
The thing is, what is the best way to remove the soil and to what
depth
?

You should be fine as long as you're 150mm ( 2 courses of bricks )
below
the
damp proof course. ( You can usually see it poking through the
pointing
somewhere round the house. )

also how do I prepare the ground - i.e. DPM ?
or stone etc ?
And do I then concrete with a DPM butted up to the brickwork or
what ?

Not completely sure but I think as long as you're below the damp
proof
course and the concrete slopes away from the house then there's
nothing
else
necessary. The 150mm is important because otherwise rain splashes up
above
the DPC and causes the damp.

I don't get this splashing lark.. What about the rain which quite
normally
falls on the brickwork above the damp proof course?

Splashes are no problem it is only a problem if something causes
bridging from below the DPC to above it so water can constantly wick up
into the wall.

That I understand, and have experienced.

My house had a damp problem when I moved in, but that was
because some SOB had rendered the outside wall right down to the ground,
including over the engineers bricks that the house is built on. An early
job was removing that rendering, and repairing the plaster work indoors,
result, no damp problem.

There are some idiots around, particularly in DIY circles.

Franz