Don
Not even advertise, contact friends, family, workmates and find a recommended builder rather than canvasing random outfits.
Then get them to come out and quote.
You can do some of the "less urgent" and easier jobs yourself - have faith
Thinking about doing some guttering and drainage improvements around my house
- Thread starter danlightbulb
- Start date
Then get them to come out and quote.
You can do some of the "less urgent" and easier jobs yourself - have faith
Anyone know what the arrangement might be here please?
This is the drain gulley.
There is quite a wide opening at the top which it appears the sink waste has been put into (the grey pipe surrounded by concrete).
I can't see any other outlets though but there must be because the water level doesn't rise when water is added.
I also wonder if that large opening at the top was meant to take sone further guttering drainage from the front of the house at one point.
This is the drain gulley.
There is quite a wide opening at the top which it appears the sink waste has been put into (the grey pipe surrounded by concrete).
I can't see any other outlets though but there must be because the water level doesn't rise when water is added.
I also wonder if that large opening at the top was meant to take sone further guttering drainage from the front of the house at one point.
Ok I've broke it out completely. Here is what I have. It doesn't go to the front of the house.
Don
So which way does the gulley run? Presumably away from the big black pipe?
If so then personally I'd move the big black one over a bit and then extend the grey pipe so it falls into the trap
If so then personally I'd move the big black one over a bit and then extend the grey pipe so it falls into the trap
I think what I have is something like this
Underground Terracotta Drainage Pipe Fitting Gulley Double Grid Coupler | eBay
<p>Underground Terracotta Drainage Pipe Fitting Gulley Double Grid Coupler. </p><br /><p>Check photos to be sure what you’re purchasing I am not a plumber, might be useful for someone to use as a planter or go back in the ground as it’s intended.</p><br /><p>07974730604</p>
www.ebay.co.uk
But I can't see where the outlet hole is, it's not vertically downwards like that item.
There is water in the trap so somehow there is a u bend somewhere, possibly underground further.
What's the right substance to use to fill a gap between wall and door when fitted before finishing off with trim?
Here they filled the entire gap with caulk, 1cm wide all the way down, packed with caulk.
Here they filled the entire gap with caulk, 1cm wide all the way down, packed with caulk.
Don
Expanding foam between frame and wall, then trim, and then normally coloured frame sealant
Update on the quote situation.
The first quote I got was a couple weeks back for £1k. I hadn't stripped the paint off at that point. This was for brickwork repair in various places especially the corner, repointing (unspecified total area) and bricking up the window. I was advised that I was being mugged with this.
So I put an advert on mybuilder app.
Two people visited the house to see the job, and I did a video call with another.
This time I specified that about 10m2 of repointing was required, plus the brickwork repair and bricking up the window.
The two quotes are £2250 as I posted yesterday, and £1290 received today.
I video called the third guy this afternoon. This time I abandoned the window brick up and focussed on the brickwork repairs near the base of the wall plus a smaller section of repointing (about 4sqm of the most critical area). He has quoted me £550. Also has very good reviews on mybuilder app.
He is available Tuesday so I've gone ahead with it.
We shall see.
The first quote I got was a couple weeks back for £1k. I hadn't stripped the paint off at that point. This was for brickwork repair in various places especially the corner, repointing (unspecified total area) and bricking up the window. I was advised that I was being mugged with this.
So I put an advert on mybuilder app.
Two people visited the house to see the job, and I did a video call with another.
This time I specified that about 10m2 of repointing was required, plus the brickwork repair and bricking up the window.
The two quotes are £2250 as I posted yesterday, and £1290 received today.
I video called the third guy this afternoon. This time I abandoned the window brick up and focussed on the brickwork repairs near the base of the wall plus a smaller section of repointing (about 4sqm of the most critical area). He has quoted me £550. Also has very good reviews on mybuilder app.
He is available Tuesday so I've gone ahead with it.
We shall see.
Hi all,
So Ive had the work done. Photos below.
About 10 bricks removed and replaced. Couldn't get a close match on the bricks but knew that in advance. About 5m2 of repointing done.
Only took him a day. So yes, it is expensive I acknowledge that. I got 4 quotes and went with the cheapest quote and had to reduce the scope to get the cost down as well. But I wouldn't have been comfortable taking out bricks and it would have taken me a lot longer, and I wanted this done asap because it was causing me some worry.
Overall he's done a good job of it. Wall was never going to look brand new or even close, on a 90 year old house. So I think whilst it was expensive for a day's work, at least its done now and I don't have to worry about it.
Now I need to tackle the drainage in this spot. The clay soil is just not letting water drain away that collects here at all, as was evident yesterday when it started raining. The levels on the existing gully don't allow me to back feed water into it so I need a new drain of some sort. Another post to follow shortly because there are a few potential options here that I can think of.
So Ive had the work done. Photos below.
About 10 bricks removed and replaced. Couldn't get a close match on the bricks but knew that in advance. About 5m2 of repointing done.
Only took him a day. So yes, it is expensive I acknowledge that. I got 4 quotes and went with the cheapest quote and had to reduce the scope to get the cost down as well. But I wouldn't have been comfortable taking out bricks and it would have taken me a lot longer, and I wanted this done asap because it was causing me some worry.
Overall he's done a good job of it. Wall was never going to look brand new or even close, on a 90 year old house. So I think whilst it was expensive for a day's work, at least its done now and I don't have to worry about it.
Now I need to tackle the drainage in this spot. The clay soil is just not letting water drain away that collects here at all, as was evident yesterday when it started raining. The levels on the existing gully don't allow me to back feed water into it so I need a new drain of some sort. Another post to follow shortly because there are a few potential options here that I can think of.
Don
Looks like a decent job, and if it was £550, I think that's a fair price.
And that's all that matters - getting the "worry" parts sorted that you aren't comfortable at doing, but at a decent price.
Ok so here is my back gate area in top down view.
Water pools in the area shown in blue. The existing gulley, shown in red, is too high to drain surface water into.
So I either need to get water into the existing gully and therefore into the proper drainage system, shown in diagram as option 1, which would be the better option. But this would require me to expose the existing drains and fit a new gully trap and then a second patio drain trap in the blue area which links into the drainage system.
Or option B is I fit something like a channel drain or a patio drain and send the water away down the side of the outhouse and down into the garden area.
Or perhaps a third option is doing something with the ground levels to stop water pooling there at all. For example building a step so that section is higher and water can't pool there.
Water pools in the area shown in blue. The existing gulley, shown in red, is too high to drain surface water into.
So I either need to get water into the existing gully and therefore into the proper drainage system, shown in diagram as option 1, which would be the better option. But this would require me to expose the existing drains and fit a new gully trap and then a second patio drain trap in the blue area which links into the drainage system.
Or option B is I fit something like a channel drain or a patio drain and send the water away down the side of the outhouse and down into the garden area.
Or perhaps a third option is doing something with the ground levels to stop water pooling there at all. For example building a step so that section is higher and water can't pool there.
Outhouse guttering renewed. Now won't leak onto the area by the gate where water sits.
Still need to do downpipe, deciding on whether to put a water butt there or not bother.
Moved on to the next painted wall.
Slow going but it's coming off. Messy horrible stuff. Will be repointing this one myself.
Slow going but it's coming off. Messy horrible stuff. Will be repointing this one myself.
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Wall 2 stripped. So messy job.
Next one is smaller.
Tomorrow if it's dry.
This is above my backdoor. Looks like no lintel so am thinking to get one put in. Worth doing sooner or just wait until I replace the back door and have it done together?
Next one is smaller.
Tomorrow if it's dry.
This is above my backdoor. Looks like no lintel so am thinking to get one put in. Worth doing sooner or just wait until I replace the back door and have it done together?
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Are you sure there is not a metal lintel which is hidden under the mortar or trim?
There are no cracks or viable sagging so it’s probably fine.
P.S. that wonky brickwork is triggering me but in terms of whether you need to do anything, probably not.
There are no cracks or viable sagging so it’s probably fine.
P.S. that wonky brickwork is triggering me but in terms of whether you need to do anything, probably not.
I'm reasonably sure there isn't one.
Yeah the saggy bricks are a result of the wall on the RHS sinking a bit in the past.
If I got a thick concrete or stone lintel put in (not a hidden metal one) it would remove say 2-3 courses of brick and look nicer.
The bricks don’t look saggy in the picture, although it isn’t really wide enough to tell and it’s not clear how that corner is constructed.
They’ve been cut and installed on the wonk, you can see the mortar is a different thickness from left to right. It’s hard to tell what’s straight and that isn’t, it might be the wall, it might be the door. Put a spirit/laser level on it and see.
Installing a thick lintel there is not a simple job (aka expensive) as it will have to go into the joint.
Note sure exposed lintels look nice but that of your choice, and may be more I keeping with the property. Personally, I’d always choose hidden.
They’ve been cut and installed on the wonk, you can see the mortar is a different thickness from left to right. It’s hard to tell what’s straight and that isn’t, it might be the wall, it might be the door. Put a spirit/laser level on it and see.
Installing a thick lintel there is not a simple job (aka expensive) as it will have to go into the joint.
Note sure exposed lintels look nice but that of your choice, and may be more I keeping with the property. Personally, I’d always choose hidden.
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Yes they aren't saggy in the middle but as you say they aren't level. The wall on the RHS of the door is a bit lower brick for brick than the wall of the left of the door, hence the brickwork seems to slope from left to right above the door for several courses. Perhaps hard to see this in the picture but visible in real life.
Maybe I wait till I get the new back door then and have it done then.