ᐅ Keep soil away from the house using paving slabs or similar materials.
Created on: 13 Nov 2022 14:18
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DerToni
Hello everyone,
I already made a post on this topic elsewhere, but with a different question. I still haven’t found a satisfactory solution, so please forgive me for asking again for opinions on an idea...
Here’s the situation: Our house is already built and fully plastered. For the upcoming garden/landscaping work, it looks like the ground level will be raised in some areas, which means parts of the facade that currently don’t touch the soil will end up in contact with it and therefore haven’t been treated accordingly yet.
There are different ways to waterproof the facade afterwards, but none of them really convince me. So I’m currently wondering if there is a way to prevent the wall from actually coming into contact with the soil at all.
One option would surely be to install L-shaped blocks (crib wall blocks / retaining blocks) with some distance to the wall. But that’s neither cheap nor easy. Also, the load-bearing capacity of these blocks isn’t really needed here, since the house itself can easily support the small amount of soil.
Therefore, I’m thinking about fixing panels on a substructure to the wall (so wall, then a post about 10cm (4 inches) deep, and then the panel) that would keep the wall away from soil and moisture. Wood would obviously be a poor choice, as it would rot.
Do you have any opinions or other suggestions related to this question?
I’d really appreciate your input, this topic is really on my mind ;-)
Best regards
DerToni
I already made a post on this topic elsewhere, but with a different question. I still haven’t found a satisfactory solution, so please forgive me for asking again for opinions on an idea...
Here’s the situation: Our house is already built and fully plastered. For the upcoming garden/landscaping work, it looks like the ground level will be raised in some areas, which means parts of the facade that currently don’t touch the soil will end up in contact with it and therefore haven’t been treated accordingly yet.
There are different ways to waterproof the facade afterwards, but none of them really convince me. So I’m currently wondering if there is a way to prevent the wall from actually coming into contact with the soil at all.
One option would surely be to install L-shaped blocks (crib wall blocks / retaining blocks) with some distance to the wall. But that’s neither cheap nor easy. Also, the load-bearing capacity of these blocks isn’t really needed here, since the house itself can easily support the small amount of soil.
Therefore, I’m thinking about fixing panels on a substructure to the wall (so wall, then a post about 10cm (4 inches) deep, and then the panel) that would keep the wall away from soil and moisture. Wood would obviously be a poor choice, as it would rot.
Do you have any opinions or other suggestions related to this question?
I’d really appreciate your input, this topic is really on my mind ;-)
Best regards
DerToni
I am not an expert, but since there was a mistake with the sealing on the base plaster in my first layer, I am quite certain that you should not apply a sealant on existing plaster if you want to comply with standards.
That means, to be 100% sure, @DerToni the plaster must be removed from 15cm (6 inches) above the desired ground level, then apply the sealing, and finally apply the desired surface.
Any boards without "air space in between" do not work because water could be drawn into the gap through capillary action. So if you do use boards, you would have to create a real trench, which could then be covered. But I doubt whether that would ultimately be more cost-effective.
That means, to be 100% sure, @DerToni the plaster must be removed from 15cm (6 inches) above the desired ground level, then apply the sealing, and finally apply the desired surface.
Any boards without "air space in between" do not work because water could be drawn into the gap through capillary action. So if you do use boards, you would have to create a real trench, which could then be covered. But I doubt whether that would ultimately be more cost-effective.
S
SaniererNRW12314 Nov 2022 13:49DerToni schrieb:
There are various options to waterproof the facade afterward, but none of them really satisfy me. Therefore, I am currently wondering if there is a way to prevent the wall from coming into direct contact with the soil in the first place. From your other thread, it appears that you want to build up to 100cm (40 inches) of fill. In that case, you can
- work with L-shaped retaining walls
- work in terraces using planter blocks
Everything else is not effective.
DerToni schrieb:
Besides, the structural capacity of the L-shaped walls isn’t really needed since there is a house standing that can easily support that amount of soil. 100cm (40 inches) of soil definitely requires proper structural support…
DerToni schrieb:
Therefore, I have considered whether I could screw panels onto a substructure attached to the wall (that is, wall, then a post about 10cm (4 inches) away, and then the panel) to prevent the wall from coming into contact with soil and moisture. Wood would obviously be a poor choice because it decays. Your panels also need to withstand significant stress. However, the main problem, in my view, is that during rain water will easily get behind the structure—either from above, the side (from the raised soil), or possibly even from below. Unfortunately, despite several requests, you have not provided any photos to help assess the situation.
DerToni schrieb:
Are there any opinions or other similar suggestions related to my question? For me, only a bituminous waterproofing membrane (KMB) solution makes sense. Proper sealing and peace of mind.
Thank you to everyone who has responded so far, including the small forum rant (which I probably deserved). I mentioned earlier that I had already posted about this several times; however, I am still making very unsatisfactory progress. I can’t be the only one who hears something different from every “expert” when it comes to a building topic.
I must have missed that several people asked for pictures. I’m not sure if I can provide anything meaningful, though.
Here are two pictures for reference. In the photo with the light wells, L-shaped concrete blocks will still be installed (the steel rods serve as a guide), and the space between the L-shaped blocks and the house will then be backfilled.
In the second photo, the ground is roughly filled up to just below the windowsills.
The white walls in each case are the areas that need to be treated or protected.
I must have missed that several people asked for pictures. I’m not sure if I can provide anything meaningful, though.
Here are two pictures for reference. In the photo with the light wells, L-shaped concrete blocks will still be installed (the steel rods serve as a guide), and the space between the L-shaped blocks and the house will then be backfilled.
In the second photo, the ground is roughly filled up to just below the windowsills.
The white walls in each case are the areas that need to be treated or protected.
I stick to my opinion. The plaster must be removed first, then KMB or a flexible waterproofing slurry applied. After that, the usual options are either insulation plus studded membrane or just the studded membrane alone. Which type of studded membrane to use depends again on the soil and its water behavior.
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SaniererNRW12314 Nov 2022 21:22Tolentino schrieb:
I stick to my opinion. The plaster must be removed and then KMB or a flexible waterproofing slurry applied.I’m not sure if the plaster needs to be removed. Other than that, I agree with you.According to my expert, this must... The plaster cannot withstand constant moisture. If you apply the waterproofing directly onto the plaster now, moisture will still get through from below. It will then absorb the moisture due to capillary action. Just placing a board in front is probably even worse.
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