Soakaways (drainage) - dpc issues for old house - How to reconstruct / renew a soakaway

[DeamonD]

Hello,

I’m new to forums but wonder if anyone may be able to help.

I have just bought a house and one requirement is to reconstruct / renew the soakaway around the house as one part of alleviating the rising damp.

The house is quite old circa 1890 and has a slate DPC. The soakaway itself is a 10 cm width ditch around the peremiter of the house filled with pea gravel. Currently the ‘ditch/system’ is 1 inch gravel, 1 inch very weak hard core (there is paving around house presume it is the foundations for this), and then the rest mud and large stones.

I’ve been told by two people that the system needs to be lowered by 12 inches and 6 inches below the DPC. What I’m worried about is if I go to the depth of 12 inches will I destabilise the house. So what I need to know is what depth is true?.

Also do I need to cordon in the gravel with a treated wood or will a ditch filled with gravel be sufficient?

many many thanks in advance to who ever can help

D

[seanandruby]

150 below for finished ground level. where does it run to? it sounds like its silted up. the large stones are probably rejects often used in soak aways. i wouldnt think lowering it would pose a problem as its the foundation that hold up the building. cut a few try holes about every metre to see if the footings are sound first. you may need to dig a soakaway to run to.