Thinking about doing some guttering and drainage improvements around my house
- Thread starter danlightbulb
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Ok so over the last few days Ive also been removing more of the patio slabs. They are bedded on sharp sand to 20-40mm depth on top of this old concrete slab. Im keeping the sand, its generally in good condition apart from a bit dirty where the edges of the slabs are and dirt has got in, but the rest of it is almost perfectly clean sharp sand. I have 1/3 of a builders bag full so far and have only lifted a portion of the patio slabs.
I need to decide what to do with the rendered part of the wall near the french doors. Do I try to get the paint off (only a concrete grinding disc seems to be getting through it), or do I just break it all off. As you can see the render has been taken down to near the ground level so will be bridging the DPC. But its such a small area, its hardly worth rendering - except the bricks underneath may be deteriorated which I won't know unless I break it off.
I need to decide what to do with the rendered part of the wall near the french doors. Do I try to get the paint off (only a concrete grinding disc seems to be getting through it), or do I just break it all off. As you can see the render has been taken down to near the ground level so will be bridging the DPC. But its such a small area, its hardly worth rendering - except the bricks underneath may be deteriorated which I won't know unless I break it off.
I wouldn’t take off any more than you need to. It may be just ugly blocks behind it. If there is no obvious DPC bridging, I would leave it as it is. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
As for the slabs, I wouldn’t put anything else down without getting rid of the concrete. Looking at the floor level, it’s as as high as you realistically want it without the slabs.
As for the slabs, I wouldn’t put anything else down without getting rid of the concrete. Looking at the floor level, it’s as as high as you realistically want it without the slabs.
Where are the weep holes?
Solid walls, they are not a thing.
Pointing is labour intensive, and therefore can be pricey, I've had a couple of houses partially pointed
Not read the hole thread just skimmed through it.
Your air bricks need to either be raised or the ground/pavement lowered the pics on the 1st page show them level with the ground.
Also how old is the property? Looks like the pointing might require to be done as lime mortar.
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Yeah I need to get the paint off it too then. The grinding disc is working but slowly, and leaving marks in the render. I might be able to smooth it out after the paint is off with a sander maybe.
It should be bricks underneath though, that bay is original and the neighbour's french doors haven't been rendered and are brick.
Yes the plan is to replace all ground level airbricks with single plastic ones.
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Anyone used Stormdry or similar breathable waterproofing creme? It's expensive but seems to get very good feedback from a range of professionals. I'm thinking of using it on my low level brickwork where the gap to the dpc is insufficient, to help things.
I've not used stormdry but I have used Thompson's water seal and it worked a treat
Had a parapet wall that caused damp issues, this worked as an interim to me getting it sorted properly by having a new roof and parapet capping.
Once the parapet was capped the wall still beaded (like a waxed car) when raining for years later, I moved 5 years ago so not sure what it's like now, but I was there for 5 years and had the roof done the 1st year I moved in, so it lasted at least 4 years. I did do 2 coats
Water Seal for Waterproofing | | Thompson's Weatherpoofing
Our renowned Water Seal has a reputation for providing long lasting waterproof protection and can be used on brick, concrete and stone. Find out more here.
thompsonsweatherproofing.co.uk
Note: both products are breathable, there might be comments on here from people that have limited knowledge, and spread misinformation there is a post on this very forum from 2022 that has this misinformation. Stormdry has a 25 year garuntee, but at 4x the price is it worth it, and the chances of being able to make a meaningful claim against the garuntee is very slim.
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What was underneath the render? Yep you guessed it, more painted bricks. Red this time.
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Once cleaned up and repointed I think it will end up looking loads better than that render
What was underneath the render? Yep you guessed it, more painted bricks. Red this time.
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Yeah I hope so. Render had to come off, it wasn't right to leave it.
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Different paint this one, probably proper masonry paint as it's sunk more into the brick. I've got it off though using a grinder with 40 grit flap disc.
There's some pretty poor bricks here under the window and door sills. Why did they just not re- bed or repair the brickwork when they replaced the window for this french door. All they had to do was re-bed the top course before fitting. No instead they bodge with mortar lumps then render over it.
I don't know if I can repair them with the doors in place.
Also the mortar is like sand, so clearly the render was keeping it damp.
There's some pretty poor bricks here under the window and door sills. Why did they just not re- bed or repair the brickwork when they replaced the window for this french door. All they had to do was re-bed the top course before fitting. No instead they bodge with mortar lumps then render over it.
I don't know if I can repair them with the doors in place.
Also the mortar is like sand, so clearly the render was keeping it damp.
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You should be able to reseat/replace those bricks without removing the door and side windows.
A long drill bit,care and patience should be all that's required.
You can make an icing bag so you can squeeze the mortar into the gaps and get it right in there.
Removing the door and windows will likely give you lots more work if the mortar is as bad as you say, necessitating rebuilding of walls.
A long drill bit,care and patience should be all that's required.
You can make an icing bag so you can squeeze the mortar into the gaps and get it right in there.
Removing the door and windows will likely give you lots more work if the mortar is as bad as you say, necessitating rebuilding of walls.
They also make a tool for that:
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Yeah no chance I'm going to attempt taking the doors and windows out. Whenever they are replaced would be the time to do it properly, probably won't be during my ownership.
I'm hoping to replace a couple of the worst bricks tomorrow, and repoint the rest. Also swapping two airbricks. I have to leave the one in the middle as there is a central heating drain sticking out of it.
Eventually I will build a step in front of the french doors so I wonder if I can ditch that middle airbrick? Surely two on that section of wall is enough?
2x should be sufficient, but you could still put a step in front of it and have an air brick in the step. They don't have to look ugly these days like they used to, and you can get ducting for air bricks these days aswell so should make it an easy(ISH) task.
I have tried the tool, and couldn't get on with it, kept clogging and spent far to long trying different mortar mixes.