Do I need a surveyor?

[pedrobedro]

You need to know what's been done and what materials have been used. Dig a sump and put a pump in it to get the water out of there for now.

 

[knighty]

I'd just run more beams in the same direction as the old ones

you can fit in as many as you need - if you're going to be wheel barrowing heavy stuff over it you could do 300 centers

cost of beams is negligible in the grand scheme of things


your upright posts under it, don;t fix them to the beams/noggins, have two joined at the top - shaped a bit like a upside down letter U (I just forgot the name for these)

that way you'll support all of the above beams


when you're done make sure the receipt you give them (and get a copy of) says it's a temporary fix / not load bearing erc. ;-)

 

[mike os]

Get in touch with building control and see what information they have, if any before you do anything..... If they have nothing they will probably require a surveyor report and remedial plan

leave well alone until you know , any changes you make may cause more issues than they solve.

you need to know what is required before you start so you can plan and know how you are going to tackle things

 

[500e]

Why fix anything to existing structure you are building a bridge from 1 concrete plinth to another

 

[wookie]

Why fix anything to existing structure you are building a bridge from 1 concrete plinth to another

Exactly my thoughts, get a couple lengths of RSJ long enough to span the length, first weld on a couple of plates vertically down from the bottom of each of the RSJ's so it locates against the ends of the hole (to stop them moving lengthways then weld some box section every couple of feet to join the 2 RSJ's together and then cover with scaffold planks, plus a scaffold ramp at either end. You only want access to and from the back garden to help clear it, I'd stay well clear of helping with that basement unless you know what you're doing.

 

[Screwdriver]

Luckily, I have no idea what I am doing

So the compromise is, make it safe for me, build it so that whenever anyone starts working in the basement, they'll have to replace it.

I am putting long struts underneath, fixed to the joists. I had another look at the clay wall and it is definitely precarious. So much so you wouldn't want to make any noise under there let alone drill into a nearby wall. The temptation to pick at the huge flakes of clay is overwhelming (almost).

Can't sort out a pump until we have somewhere to pump water to. Currently everything is going into the basement until it trickles out under the clay wall. Need to clear a spot in the garden which is FULL of building detritus, piled high too.

 

[julianf]

If its not your job (the building stuff) I would make no alterations to it at all. The most I'd do is lay scaffold planks over any gaps.

The moment you drill, screw, pump, etc anything, it could be argued that the collapse was trigered by yourself.

Better yet, don't even walk near it without a disclaimer in writing. Really, don't work on it. Whoever does will want danger money, and proper insurance. If you don't have one or both, any "favor" you do could just come back to bite.

If it goes down, its big money, and possibly manslaughter. Both of those will want someone to blame.

 

[julianf]

I'm just wondering - what is keeping up the wall that has been dug under? The one by the walkway.

Its got the grey bit at the base, which I guess houses some beams, but that looks fairly slim to be holding up a house over that span?

I guess not, but it all looks a bit crazy!

 

[ajlelectronics]

Better yet, don't even walk near it without a disclaimer in writing. Really, don't work on it. Whoever does will want danger money, and proper insurance. If you don't have one or both, any "favor" you do could just come back to bite.

What he said! I am not a fan of the Elf 'n Safe Tea culture, nor of Yank style litigation at the drop of a hat; However, you are setting yourself up for a world of pain there. YOU will be the fall guy regardless, so my advice would be to report it to the council as dangerous and leave it alone.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

And don't forget you'll weigh more coming out the way, carrying or barrowing the crap from the rear garden.

 

[Screwdriver]

I'm just wondering - what is keeping up the wall that has been dug under? The one by the walkway.

Its got the grey bit at the base, which I guess houses some beams, but that looks fairly slim to be holding up a house over that span?

I guess not, but it all looks a bit crazy!

Here is a view looking up to where I am working over the gap which was once a side path. The camera is positioned where the clay wall is, under the kitchen floor at the rear of the original property.

The supporting beam is not holding up a wall which has been dug under, a rear extension has been built on the newly constructed basement "box". It is fully boxed in with a sold concrete floor, bit like this. (NB I was too lazy to delete the model of the bridge, so the image contains two views of the same thing)

Red part is the existing property, box is new build and the "lid" is filled but omitted for clarity. It looks pretty sturdy except for the gap which was left for a stairway to be built.

I have told the owner my thoughts (it looked dodgy to me, hence my post) and I am waiting to see what if anything he does. I fully expect he will have a structural engineer come and look at it. I'll be using the side "bridge" to enter the rear garden where I will be working, clearing out a pile of materials which looks like a builders warehouse. Piles of sand, aggregate, timber and rebar, most of which I'll be putting in the skip or taking home (next door but one!).

I don't know him that well yet though being that close it was difficult to miss the noise of the excavation a couple of years ago (and his wife's Aston Martin Vantage). I plan to carry on in the hope he will have the structure signed off and/or made safe but I certainly won't be doing anything that might have any effect on the foundations. So if he asks me to sort out the flooding or drainage I will have to decline unless or until that clay wall has been properly assessed.

 

[wookie]

Piles of sand, aggregate, timber and rebar, most of which I'll be putting in the skip or taking home (next door but one!).

I like a freebie as much as the next person but not if it could come back and bite me.

Is it really worth the hassle let alone the potential for liability and bad feelings among neighbours if it all goes wrong just for a bit of free building material ?
As others have said Run Away Fast!

 

[WorkshopChris]

I may be wrong but i think the picture from below looking at the top of the clay wall makes this look worse than it may be.
That wall of gravel and clay is only the size of a doorway and dry as it is protected by the existing structure.

 

[Screwdriver]

I may be wrong but i think the picture from below looking at the top of the clay wall makes this look worse than it may be.
That wall of gravel and clay is only the size of a doorway and dry as it is protected by the existing structure.

Yes it's not exposed to the elements, it's right under their kitchen, under the main property.

My worry is that all of the drainage runoff finds its way into the tanked basement and can only escape under that clay wall. It's a two inch deep swimming pool currently.

 

[Kevin tph]

Hi just make a contract on paper that your clearing the site for the fee of if any and date it and have it witnessed , take lots of picture before starting it the site needs clearing and making safe before anyone can inspect it, but looking at your pictures the works that's been done is good only that the clay wall needs shoring up, the beam under the house looks very strong but I think someone has the drawings for this site and I think it must have been inspected by building control too,the re bar that's stuck out is to connect other works so it need protecting, sooner rather than later the water needs to be stopped permanently from entering the building.I thing the owner will need any re bar that's left on the site to finish the project.

 

[knighty]

there's nothing to stop you putting a temporary bridge over the gap while you work, just make sure he knows it's temporary

email or text him saying you can fix it temporarily but no one should go over it later on in case they fall through
(email or text, so you have a reply, so you have proof he knows about it)

I'd sort out a sump pump in there too, do it as a favour for a neighbour

are neither of those 110mm pipes sticking up through the floor for drainage ?

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Aston Martin Vantage, eh?

Get the tight beggar to pay for another builder [one with all the necessary insurance/qualifications etc] to come in and put it all right, including the crap in the back yard. Is all this hassle really worth it to you for the sake of some rebar?

 

[Screwdriver]

He's a decent chap and I'm a good neighbour. I genuinely would like to help him and I am going to recommend a professional builder mate of mine (another neighbour) to ask if he can have a look. ASAP!

I take on board the comments regarding scrap/waste etc. I guess I am a bit blinded by the idea of all that free stuff...

 

[pcwizme]

is there another exit route? thru the neighbours garden or out a back alley etc? like others I wouldn't want to take the risk personally...

 

[Pete.]

MY guess is that gap is a former route to/from the basement for materials. Might even have had a conveyor belt in it if the basement was dug out bigger to get rid of the clay spoil.