Timber Garage renovation, focusing on walls now - Need some advice please..

sujsuj

Apodemus said:

If the soil level at the back is above the bricks, then you need to dig that away and either leave a void exposed to the air or fill with gravel to form a "French drain".

How/what exactly will happen if I fill this area (marked red) in with gravel.

My understanding is gravel will not absorb water. Through Gravel layer water with reach bottom soil level. What I am going to get by filling gravel here..?

Are you suggesting other option is to widen that space and leave empty..? I am sure in goof rain it will become a puddle pool...

I am confused..

Apodemus

Quite simply, if you dig it out to below slab level, you increase the chances of the water draining away and also allow it all to dry out between rain showers.  

Doozergirl

sujsuj said:

Apodemus said:

If the soil level at the back is above the bricks, then you need to dig that away and either leave a void exposed to the air or fill with gravel to form a "French drain".

How/what exactly will happen if I fill this area (marked red) in with gravel.

My understanding is gravel will not absorb water. Through Gravel layer water with reach bottom soil level. What I am going to get by filling gravel here..?

Are you suggesting other option is to widen that space and leave empty..? I am sure in goof rain it will become a puddle pool...

I am confused..

I'm cringing here.   It's all very well asking for a bit of help on a forum but you need to have some idea of how buildings are built and why they are done that way rather than setting an intention to bodge it all Heath Robinson style with a pot of bitumen, hope for the best and question people who do this stuff for a living on how something that falls under one of the most basic criteria of the building regulations keeps a building dry.  

The damp proof course (or floor level) of any structure built should be 150mm above ground level (or gravel level).  It prevents water seeping in and also water splashing up and soaking the wall. If you dig deeper than that new ground level, you can put gravel into the trench because it is less dense than earth and will hold more water in the trench and give it plenty of time to drain away 

In your case, you have timber which is even more susceptible to water ingress and rot than masonry is.   You need to reduce the ground level so that water can't simply run into the building as it can do now, or splash up and continually soak it.  

You won't get a puddle, but IF it did form a puddle outside the building, as you're expecting, it would be a puddle outside that started 150mm lower than the timber frame and thus protected it and the interior from the contents of that puddle!  

sujsuj

Doozergirl said:

sujsuj said:

Apodemus said:

If the soil level at the back is above the bricks, then you need to dig that away and either leave a void exposed to the air or fill with gravel to form a "French drain".

How/what exactly will happen if I fill this area (marked red) in with gravel.

My understanding is gravel will not absorb water. Through Gravel layer water with reach bottom soil level. What I am going to get by filling gravel here..?

Are you suggesting other option is to widen that space and leave empty..? I am sure in goof rain it will become a puddle pool...

I am confused..

I'm cringing here.   It's all very well asking for a bit of help on a forum but you need to have some idea of how buildings are built and why they are done that way rather than setting an intention to bodge it all Heath Robinson style with a pot of bitumen, hope for the best and question people who do this stuff for a living on how something that falls under one of the most basic criteria of the building regulations keeps a building dry.  

The damp proof course (or floor level) of any structure built should be 150mm above ground level (or gravel level).  It prevents water seeping in and also water splashing up and soaking the wall. If you dig deeper than that new ground level, you can put gravel into the trench because it is less dense than earth and will hold more water in the trench and give it plenty of time to drain away 

In your case, you have timber which is even more susceptible to water ingress and rot than masonry is.   You need to reduce the ground level so that water can't simply run into the building as it can do now, or splash up and continually soak it.  

You won't get a puddle, but IF it did form a puddle outside the building, as you're expecting, it would be a puddle outside that started 150mm lower than the timber frame and thus protected it and the interior from the contents of that puddle!  

Thanks very much

sujsuj

Apodemus said:

Quite simply, if you dig it out to below slab level, you increase the chances of the water draining away and also allow it all to dry out between rain showers.  

Thanks very much

sujsuj

Thanks for the inputs.

After digging & putting gravel, any of other measures listed  will have any impact? Thanks

(1) remove current brick layer and lay them again..? even getting new bricks from shop?
(2) have a a second brick row outside current one with some dpc layer between 2 brick rows..?
(3) plastering over outer brick layer
(4) Finally bitumen paint over over the outer brick row

Doozergirl

If they need repointing, repoint them, otherwise no.  Leave them.  

Doozergirl

Does the building have drainage? What's the rainwater situation? 

plumb1_2

Dead horse and flog spring to mind

Section62

sujsuj said:

Thanks for the inputs.

After digging & putting gravel, any of other measures listed  will have any impact? Thanks

(1) remove current brick layer and lay them again..? even getting new bricks from shop?
(2) have a a second brick row outside current one with some dpc layer between 2 brick rows..?
(3) plastering over outer brick layer
(4) Finally bitumen paint over over the outer brick row

It is really the wrong time of year to be attempting this kind of work.  Treating damp problems in the spring/summer is a much better idea as it gives the materials an opportunity to dry out. You also avoid potential problems with frost affecting concrete and mortar.  The damage is largely done already, it won't get significantly worse over the next 4 to 6 months or so.

Then get a professional to sort the walls out for you.  DIYing is great for moneysaving, but attempting the DIY approach on unsuitable projects typically ends up costing more.  The complications in your garage situation need professional involvement.