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

sujsuj

Section62 said:

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.

Agree with timing issues, but unfortunately I need to pick this work now as  I got another 4 weeks of holidays to do jobs like this!!. I agree Professionals could do much better job, but I am looking to a cheaper solution. More than money savings tI don't think you will get same satisfaction if you get it done by paying to someone. Every day when I see the work I will be feeling that joy despite it could be slightly imperfect job. Thanks

sujsuj

plumb1_2 said:

Dead horse and flog spring to mind

I am sure it will not be

sujsuj

Doozergirl said:

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

Gutter is not yet fitted back. Drainage ..I will be starting a new thread soon. Drainage is there but its not in a great shape now. I will taking up that work next

sujsuj

I did some more work today. Also I bought this from ScrewFix
https://www.screwfix.com/p/capital-valley-plastics-ltd-damp-proof-course-black-30m-x-300mm/94278

As you can see I am moving mud around garage. I can confirm whoever did work on this previously was aware of using gravel as when I dig out I could be good mix of gravel & soil.

Left side of garage is already cemented area, so I am removing rotten wood and then planned put new timber . At the moment I put some felt to protect it from rain.

Right side of garage is grass, so planned to dig as you can see in the image. My plan is to use damp proof material then put some gravel also planned to replace rotten timber . Same planned to do the back of garage as well. I noticed when it rains water gets inside garage, so moved some gravel to get bit depth thier. My next project is to sort out Drainage pipes only.

MoreProbs

sujsuj said:

Is any of the water in that first photograph coming in through the bricks or even under it - between it and the floor slab? Or is it all coming in over the bricks?

sujsuj

MoreProbs said:

sujsuj said:

Is any of the water in that first photograph coming in through the bricks or even under it - between it and the floor slab? Or is it all coming in over the bricks?

I think its coming through brick or under brick or mortar between  bricks. Outer side of this is cemented area. Thats why I was thinking to put new bricks and cement if that is helpful?. Hoping Damp proof material also put there.I am even considering plastering those exposed bricks.

Any inputs..?

MoreProbs

You existing timber shiplap cladding - does it go down beyond the brick row, by around half? Or does it stop at the top of the bricks?

I don't know what the best product to use would be, but I would be looking to waterproof that row of bricks, and also sealing it on to the concrete base. Not sure what the best product to use would be, but surely tanking slurry would do this job successfully - it's what it's designed for? Keep clearing away the soil around there as you are doing, until the concrete base is sitting comfortably above the surrounding ground level. Wait for dry weather (and mild enough) so that it's all dry, and thoroughly wire-brush ALL the visible rim and sides of the concrete base and the outside face of the bricks, brushing away any loose dust and mortar.

Might be tempted to first coat all that exposed part with SBR, working it right in, before then applying tanking slurry. Or perhaps a fibrous roofing repair product like Cromapol? Or possibly your own made-up slurry of a cement/SBR mix brushed on (needs research to see if this would work). But I can't see any reason at all why that exposed bit of slab, along with the row of bricks, cannot be 100% water-proofed without too much effort.

The next thing would be to bring whatever outside cladding you are using down far enough to overhang that row of bricks, perhaps stopping short from the concrete slab by an inch. You want all the rain to run off and go to ground, and not get to land on the tops of the bricks.

Square-box corrugated metal sheeting would be ideal - easy to screw right on, fully watertight, and easy to position so it ends an inch above slab level. First spray the existing timber cladding with timber preservative to stop any rot.

And keep sorting that surrounding drainage.

(I'd probably also slurry the inside/tops of the bricks, and a good 6" on to the concrete slab inside. Again after a thorough wire-brushing.)

Doozergirl

Well done for making the start on moving the earth - that's exactly what you need to do until 150mm down, in fact it should probably be 225mm down from outside because your FFL is below that course of bricks.  

If you are worried about seepage then that is genuinely going to sort the issue. 

You only need a line of DPC directly under your new sole plate on those bricks.  Don't let it trail anywhere.

Just the distance from ground level is going to help you.  I genuinely don't think you need to be painting anything with anything.     

People doing things like rendering can actually breach the gap between floor and above DPC because it just traps moisture behind it and prevents evaporation.     Unless you have a continuous DPM under the slab, you're better off letting things breathe as you cannot physically create a DPM after the event.   

Leave it alone for now.  If the weather was warmer after you dig away and install some decent drainage, you'd be able to watch it dry and see that water isn't getting in anymore when it rains.  
 

MoreProbs

My suggestion to tank was based on sujsuj's suspicion that the water is coming through the mortar lines or even under the bricks - both are very possible. Rainwater running down the walls and landing on the outer face of the bricks and on that rim of slab before draining away, would likely continue to 'capillary' in unless it's sealed on the outside. 
(Mind you, it does also look as tho' water is coming in on the TOPS of the bricks too.)

Just 'tanking' is all I'm suggesting, sujsuj - a thin layer that doesn't extend the outer brick face out any further; I wouldn't add another line of bricks outside, for example, as that would just provide a new ledge of brick tops for the rain to land on - bad news.
The idea is to have a raised plinth on the concrete base - in your case it's made up from a row of bricks - which should be fully watertight against the slab. The outer skin of the shed should now overlap this plinth so that any rain runs over its outside and not land on its top.
It's hard to tell from the outside photo, but does the cladding come down OVER the outside face of the brick? Or does the cladding just land on, or level with, its top? Looking at the inside photos, the timber baseplate along the top of the brick plinth looks to be sopping wet, so that suggests that the wall is also allowing in water at or above the brick layer's top - that is far too wet for 'rising', I think.
So, double approach - waterproof the raised plinth, and bring the outer wall skin over it, stopping an inch from the ground so as to allow an air gap.
And SOAK that baseplate timber in wood preserver.
The roll of DPC you bought, where were you hoping to fit this?

Doozergirl

We can see what's wrong with it. 

If you just rebuild the thing properly bearing in mind what you'd do for regs - most of everything else it is you're saying @MoreProbs - distance to ground, breather membrane, batons, overhang, drainage etc it isn't going to get in and up though the bricks anymore.  

We're just trying to get the OP away from the idea of slapping waterproofing all over stuff.  

If that was a house, we'd be telling them to clear the earth away.  We'd not suggest any additional waterproofing.  Quite the opposite.