JacL
Member
- Messages
- 3
- Location
- Northamptonshire
Hi, I bought this 1895 terraced house 6 years ago - the first period property I've ever owned and a near vertical learning curve.
1) The guys who remodelled the garden for me, very 'helpfully' applied blackjack to the kitchen wall from the foundations to a foot or so above ground level; this is largely flaking off below ground level, so easy to remove, but what can I use to remove it above ground level - I've read that WD40 works and there are plenty of other products available but I don't want to use anything that will damage the bricks or a product that needs lots of washing off (I've already got a damp problem on this wall) . (My apologies - I'm sure that this question has been asked before and I tried searching, but couldn't pull up any answers.)
2) The back garden slopes down to the back of the house, as do several streets that back onto me, so the ground at the back of the kitchen was pretty damp. The same guys that did the garden filled a trench from the foundations to floor level with a combination of gravel, sand and MOT, despite me asking them not to; predictably, this is all pretty wet.
I've removed everything from the trench down to the foundations, exposing the (blackjack coated) bricks which had spalled before the blackjack was applied.
My intention is to fill this trench with large cobbles (approx 80mm) so that rainwater just runs down to the base and air can get to the bricks (and hopefully they'll dry out a bit) - I've seen this method used extensively in Germany.
The ground on the other side of the trench will be held back with galvanised metal edging, 1) to stop the MOT etc migrating into the cobbles and 2) so that rainwater etc that ends up here will, again, be directed downwards.
Is there any reason why I shouldn't do this?
1) The guys who remodelled the garden for me, very 'helpfully' applied blackjack to the kitchen wall from the foundations to a foot or so above ground level; this is largely flaking off below ground level, so easy to remove, but what can I use to remove it above ground level - I've read that WD40 works and there are plenty of other products available but I don't want to use anything that will damage the bricks or a product that needs lots of washing off (I've already got a damp problem on this wall) . (My apologies - I'm sure that this question has been asked before and I tried searching, but couldn't pull up any answers.)
2) The back garden slopes down to the back of the house, as do several streets that back onto me, so the ground at the back of the kitchen was pretty damp. The same guys that did the garden filled a trench from the foundations to floor level with a combination of gravel, sand and MOT, despite me asking them not to; predictably, this is all pretty wet.
I've removed everything from the trench down to the foundations, exposing the (blackjack coated) bricks which had spalled before the blackjack was applied.
My intention is to fill this trench with large cobbles (approx 80mm) so that rainwater just runs down to the base and air can get to the bricks (and hopefully they'll dry out a bit) - I've seen this method used extensively in Germany.
The ground on the other side of the trench will be held back with galvanised metal edging, 1) to stop the MOT etc migrating into the cobbles and 2) so that rainwater etc that ends up here will, again, be directed downwards.
Is there any reason why I shouldn't do this?
