Removal of concrete patio against neighbours extension?

[Trifid]

Hi,

To the rear of my house is a concrete patio with decking sat on top of it. The decking is tired and rotting away and needs replacing and I am not a fan of the raised position in relation to the surrounding ground (nearly 2ft). My preferred solution is to replace the decking with a tiled patio at ground level.

Now the extension (built by a previous inhabitant of next doors house) appears to adjoin the concrete patio. I get on well with the neighbours and don't wish to jeopardise this relationship. And I don't wish to cause damage to their property. So, before I speak to them, I need to know what to expect...

Presumably I am within my right to have the concrete patio removed.
I would expect the concrete would be taken back to their brick and that I would need to reinstate the finish with a concrete style plinth to the existing rendering. Is there anything I need to check with regards to this?
Does the party wall act come into force? Do I need to know anything in particular, and to check with the builder/landscaper doing the work?
What do I need to check to ensure the person doing the work is suitably skilled to undertake it?
What happens if the worst happens? What would I be liable for, and what insurances do I need to check are in place? I can see short term risks (damage to the building structure) and longer term risks (damp)

Thanks.

 

[NoobCannon]

Picture????

 

[Trifid]

Can't get a picture of the concrete, but it extends a little further then their extension.

 

[_tucker_]

Hi,

To the rear of my house is a concrete patio with decking sat on top of it. The decking is tired and rotting away and needs replacing and I am not a fan of the raised position in relation to the surrounding ground (nearly 2ft). My preferred solution is to replace the decking with a tiled patio at ground level.

Now the extension (built by a previous inhabitant of next doors house) appears to adjoin the concrete patio. I get on well with the neighbours and don't wish to jeopardise this relationship. And I don't wish to cause damage to their property. So, before I speak to them, I need to know what to expect...

Presumably I am within my right to have the concrete patio removed.
I would expect the concrete would be taken back to their brick and that I would need to reinstate the finish with a concrete style plinth to the existing rendering. Is there anything I need to check with regards to this?
Does the party wall act come into force? Do I need to know anything in particular, and to check with the builder/landscaper doing the work?
What do I need to check to ensure the person doing the work is suitably skilled to undertake it?
What happens if the worst happens? What would I be liable for, and what insurances do I need to check are in place? I can see short term risks (damage to the building structure) and longer term risks (damp)

Thanks.

Is the neighbours extension inside your boundary? If not just cut the concrete at boundary as to not disturb their property and you won’t have any issues legal wise. If your friendly then just give them the courtesy that your undertaking the work. The people you employ should be skilled enough to take on the work and would know the legal limits involved so when getting quotes just ask them a few questions and see what they say.
To be honest I think your over thinking it tho generally it will cause no harm what so ever to the property as long as care is taken when removing the concrete. Best way is to just cut a line at the boundary in the concrete.
Don’t slope the patio towards their property just slope it toward your garden or towards your house unless you are using a soak away gully or similar at the boundary edge.

Easiest way to spot a rogue trader is to ask to see lots of pictures of previous work undertaken. A proud tradesmen always takes many pictures of there work to show off to new customers and friends!!
Well at least I do anyway haha

 

[a1ex2001]

Just chop it out and tidy up the render if necessary party wall act would only come into it if you were doing something to the wall or digging down next to it to a depth below the foundation.

 

[_tucker_]

Judging by that picture if that extension next to the decking is theirs then they’ve already extended to far. The boundary law states that no structure can be past the boundary of the property and that also includes foundations, so unless they have built the brick wall at the very edge of the foundation then it’s most certainly inside your property so any issues caused with the work would make them liable anyway

 

[Trifid]

Is the neighbours extension inside your boundary?

People seem to take a slightly casual approach to boundaries here. I'd argue the rendering is inside my property.

so any issues caused with the work would make them liable anyway

I'm not interested in going down that route. I prefer happy neighbourly relations.

Just chop it out and tidy up the render if necessary party wall act would only come into it if you were doing something to the wall or digging down next to it to a depth below the foundation.

Is this possible? It is at least 40cm to the ground at this point and I expect it will need to be cut down further then this. I'd want it cut out within 1cm of the wall to match my concrete rendered plinth (the black part of my house).

 

[NoobCannon]

That white wall is their extension? Thats taking the pee

 

[_tucker_]

I’d advise you just let them know what your planning then and as stated just take the concrete out to the brick and then patch in the render just make sure you render under the damp course of the extension properly to stop any damp rising in their extension. If you friendly with them then they should have no reason to question the work at all.

 

[Trifid]

Just chop it out and tidy up the render if necessary party wall act would only come into it if you were doing something to the wall or digging down next to it to a depth below the foundation.

Just thinking, the concrete was there first, so presumably it would just crumble away from their wall when it is being demolished as it won't be attached? And so should be a little less painful on vibrations coming through?

 

[j.col]

the foundations should be lower than your concrete, so whoever built the extension would have already cut back the concrete to pour the foundations.
So it should be a simple job to break out the concrete starting from the furthest edge away from extension working back to the extension.
Vibrations will be all right, we regulary break out concrete, thats been poured tight between 2 houses, and never had a problem

 

[jpaul]

in relation to the surrounding ground (nearly 2ft)

where is the 2ft, does the land drop away at decking edge furthest from house ? otherwise the door will be well above the ground if the decking is removed ?
if the decking 'foundation' is really that low, then maybe you do need to take care not to undermine the neighbours extension, depending on what the land heights really are.

 

[Trifid]

where is the 2ft, does the land drop away at decking edge furthest from house ? otherwise the door will be well above the ground if the decking is removed ?
if the decking 'foundation' is really that low, then maybe you do need to take care not to undermine the neighbours extension, depending on what the land heights really are.

It's more due to our houses being on a slope, not sure how far down the concrete goes. Anyway, I saw them today and they seemed happy to hear the decking will be removed and weren't bothered by the noise of the work. Hopefully it wouldn't be too bad as they are retired and likely to be in at the time whereas at least I will escape to work during the day.

 

[Lord-Jaffa]

Looks like they have totally taken the **** from the photo.