Pea shingle between garden path and house?

Runders

Hi all,

Wondering if anyone may be able to offer any advice. I have recently bought a house, and the concrete path/yard out the back is a bit of a mess. It's all cracked, and at the lower end it is at the same level as the kitchen floor, so damp is coming in under the door. I have had a couple of quotes to have it taken up and slate or sandstone put down. Prices are similar, however one suggested I should have a small area of pea shingle between the path and the house walls to help with damp, and the other chap didn't mention this at all. Any thoughts on the pea shingle?

Thanks for any help

Furts

A typical detail is to have the path at 150mm below your damp course level.

On a typical house built 1960-2000 the damp course would be underneath your kitchen door cill.

A margin of pea shingle, or 10mm size pipe bedding, would be good practice - it helps with drainage and keeps the rain and wet away from your walls.

In recent years there is a requirement for considering flush access for disabled people - for example ramped paths and a platform area. I sugest you keep things simple, unless you are confident with levels, dpc courses and surface water drainage.

Runders

Hi Furts,

Thank you very much for your help. I probably should have mentioned that it is a Victorian terrace house circa 1900, and as such it has no DPC.

Lots of things to think about as a new home owner!

Thanks Again

DRP

Are you sure it has no dpc? Our 1901 house has a bituminous dpc that was covered by a (modern) block drive.

I would investigate as Perhaps a similar situation at your place?

Runders

That's interesting DRP, I will double check.

Thanks

zaax

there is no reason why you can put slabs down on top of the cracked concrete using mortar to correctly level them, and french drains by the house.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f0/FrenchDrain-02.jpg

Furts

zaax wrote: »

there is no reason why you can put slabs down on top of the cracked concrete using mortar to correctly level them, and french drains by the house.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f0/FrenchDrain-02.jpg

In general cracked concrete would suggest the concrete may have been too thin. But people generally put down a minimum of 50mm, and more often 75mm or more. Hence, the likely cause will be movement of the ground, poor sub base, or insufficient compaction of the sub base.

I would not be laying slabs over badly cracked concrete.

Gordon_Hose

Runders wrote: »

Hi Furts,

Thank you very much for your help. I probably should have mentioned that it is a Victorian terrace house circa 1900, and as such it has no DPC.

Lots of things to think about as a new home owner!

Thanks Again

My c.1896 house has a slate DPC.