We had to dig up a trench along the outside wall to replace an old lead water main and found that the Victorian foundations are not that deep. See sketch and photos.
Foundations close up.
Side path showing trench and foundations.
Inside ground level.
New suspended floor - door on left wall opening onto side path.
Path from front showing downpipe and 'dry area' to house wall!
Close up of dry area to front of house. The DPC is three courses down from the angled bricks.
We're replacing the floor indoors with a new suspended wooden one. We can see that the ground level indoors is lower and damp near the outside wall and showing some water pooling in the lower spots during heavy rain. Probably to do with us having no surface to the path outside at the moment but the high ground level outside will be helping to keep the indoor under floor area damp won't it?
To compound this the old ground level (crazy paving) was laid to the height of the DPC and above this a cement render skirt has been applied to the walls, we presume to aid waterproofing. We'll remove the crazy paving and reduce the ground level but not sure what we can do about the need to amke this 150mm below the DPC as it hits the splayed brick foundations at this point.
The nearest drainage point of surface water is the rainwater down pipe from the roof half way down the path and another one at the front of the house where there is what looks like a drainage channel full of soil (something like the dry area arrangement on the DPC page).
Should I dig up all of the old side path and whack in a load of type 1 or 3 hardcore with a brick paver path on top (or gravel?), lain to fall away from house towards party wall with an ACO drainage channel at the party wall side of the path. Am thinking that the hardcore would be laid down to below the level of the ground indoors.
Hopefully all clear from the photos but all Qs and suggestions welcome.
All a bit low quality and I'm in need of ideas on how to make this good.
Cheers.