Can someone help me make sense of neighbour's adjacent demolition and my ?exposed foundation?

Drtkd

Can someone please help me with this because I don't even know who to ask or where to ask for advice.

My house has a rear extension that was built 10+ years ago. It was built on the boundary wall, and the neighbours had an old brick store at the wall too (2 inches gap in between).

Fast forward to now, and the neighbours have now demolished that bunker. This has exposed what looks to me as unrendered breeze block for our extension, the brick layer and no idea what (concrete foundation/floor?).

Their plan is to build a patio in its place, but I dont know if we need to do anything?

• do we need to protect our concrete foundation / brick wall / do something before they build their patio?
  
• do we need to render / protect our external breeze block wall? (got a £500 quote for this!)
• did we need to be informed / is party wall agreement required because its right next to our foundations? 

It might all be okay fine left alone, but would appreciate advice!

Slinky

Their patio level looks like it is planned to be above your damp proof course.

Drtkd

Slinky said:

Their patio level looks like it is planned to be above your damp proof course.

They say their patio level will not touch our wall so there will be a gap (roughly 2 inches I think) - is this okay or still an issue?

Slinky

Drtkd said:

Slinky said:

Their patio level looks like it is planned to be above your damp proof course.

They say their patio level will not touch our wall so there will be a gap (roughly 2 inches I think) - is this okay or still an issue?

Well I wouldn't be happy about it if it were my property. Could create a channel where water collects. At very least its going to create a space where leaves and dirt will collect and that is always going to encourage damp.

Why is the intended patio so high?

maman

Are you on good terms with your neighbour? 🤔 If it was me I'd want my own extension to be rendered rather than leaving it with the exposed block work which is also ugly from the neighbour's side.

Are they doing a DIY job? If they're having a builder to do it then maybe you could work together to get both jobs done properly. 

daveyjp

I assume from that photo and desctription the Party Wall Act has not been discussed at all.

kimwp

Slinky said:

Drtkd said:

Slinky said:

Their patio level looks like it is planned to be above your damp proof course.

They say their patio level will not touch our wall so there will be a gap (roughly 2 inches I think) - is this okay or still an issue?

Well I wouldn't be happy about it if it were my property. Could create a channel where water collects. At very least its going to create a space where leaves and dirt will collect and that is always going to encourage damp.

Why is the intended patio so high?

There could be water ingress if there's a day of heavy rain splashing off the patio, too. Two inch gap might be enough though, I don't know.

Drtkd

daveyjp said:

I assume from that photo and desctription the Party Wall Act has not been discussed at all.

No, not at all. They've said they start works in about a month, but nothing written at all. 

I'm worried that we need one here, but they're trying to get away without one.

maman said:

Are you on good terms with your neighbour? 🤔 If it was me I'd want my own extension to be rendered rather than leaving it with the exposed block work which is also ugly from the neighbour's side.

Are they doing a DIY job? If they're having a builder to do it then maybe you could work together to get both jobs done properly. 

Okay terms, just don't see them much at all! 

Yeah it's been a DIY job demolishing that brick shed. Builders are involved with making the patio though and they have planning permission for it. Slinky said:

Drtkd said:

Slinky said:

Their patio level looks like it is planned to be above your damp proof course.

They say their patio level will not touch our wall so there will be a gap (roughly 2 inches I think) - is this okay or still an issue?

Well I wouldn't be happy about it if it were my property. Could create a channel where water collects. At very least its going to create a space where leaves and dirt will collect and that is always going to encourage damp.

Why is the intended patio so high?

I don't know... our house is on a steep-ish hill so maybe that's why?

Thanks everyone for the input - this is so helpful! Who do I need to involve to get advice on this? A builder? A surveyor? Call building control?

My worry is they just crack on, do their patio, cause unintended damage and then suddenly nothing we can do because they've got the patio built!

maman

I'm no expert but, having just had an extension built, if they've had to get planning permission then Building Control would be involved. I'd think it's certainly worth talking to them.

Although, I'd talk to your neighbour about your concerns. It definitely helped us when, for example, we had to put scaffolding up on his side of the boundary. 

FreeBear

kimwp said:

Slinky said:

Drtkd said:

Slinky said:

Their patio level looks like it is planned to be above your damp proof course.

They say their patio level will not touch our wall so there will be a gap (roughly 2 inches I think) - is this okay or still an issue?

Well I wouldn't be happy about it if it were my property. Could create a channel where water collects. At very least its going to create a space where leaves and dirt will collect and that is always going to encourage damp.

Why is the intended patio so high?

There could be water ingress if there's a day of heavy rain splashing off the patio, too. Two inch gap might be enough though, I don't know.

A 50mm gap is not enough. It wants to be 150mm at a minimum to allow for debris to be removed from time to time. Ideally, the finished level of this patio wants to be 150mm below the DPC, and then you could get away with a 50mm gap.

stuart45

Is it going to be decking?