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Housing - Renovation: Voids under stone wall (no foundations) - can I fill them and with what if so?

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  1.  
    • CommentAuthorgreenfinger
    • CommentTimeSep 18th 2023 edited
     
    Hi

    We had the roughcast render hacked off the stone wall of our house, and the pointing replaced with lime mortar. There are no foundations. At the time, I pulled back the gravel at the footings of the wall, creating a bit of a trench. There's hard compacted soil beneath the bottom stones. But in some places, there's quite a deep void until you get to the soil (a horizontal void). In the "worse" places, I can get my hand and wrist in there to around halfway along my forearm.

    Should I look to fill these horizontal voids before all the gravel gets pushed back into place? Or is it enough to just let the gravel fill them? If I do fill them, what would be best to use? I was thinking NHL lime (3.5?) but also using stones under there to help bind the mortar and to prevent having to use too much of it. But that's a total guess and I'm all ears on what I should use, if indeed anything.

    Aside from doing what's right for the building, it does seem that mice are quite keen to scurry their way into the wall (and house) through these deep voids. I've got them blocked with plastic at the moment to stop that. I'd want to make sure whatever I do stops mice getting in.

    Pics below, showing the deepest and shallowest sections. And just to be clear, when the gravel is put back to how it was, these voids would be below ground level.

    Many thanks
    • CommentAuthorgreenfinger
    • CommentTimeSep 18th 2023 edited
     
    Link to photos to follow. And sorry for all the deleted posts below!
    • CommentAuthorgreenfinger
    • CommentTimeSep 18th 2023 edited
     
    Deleted
    • CommentAuthorgreenfinger
    • CommentTimeSep 18th 2023 edited
     
    Deleted
    • CommentAuthorgreenfinger
    • CommentTimeSep 18th 2023 edited
     
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    • CommentAuthorgreenfinger
    • CommentTimeSep 18th 2023 edited
     
    Deleted
    •  
      CommentAuthordjh
    • CommentTimeSep 18th 2023 edited
     
    limecrete? Plus be sure to use sharp gravel and ideally graded sizes.
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeSep 18th 2023
     
    Limecrete for me too
  9.  
    I would put in the limecrete and then push stones in to displace some of the limecrete then clean off the excess.
  10.  
    OK, thank you very much for the advice.

    By limecrete, are we talking NHL5? Mixed with both sand and gravel? What ratios if so please?

    Thanks again
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeSep 19th 2023
     
    If it was me I would use 1:1:2. Lime:sharp sand: 5mm grit. For wide gaps possible add the odd small handful of angular 10mm stones.
  12.  
    OK, thanks for that tony, very helpful :)

    I've got some fancy sand from Ty Mawr. Should I save that for the pointing I need to do, and just buy bog standard cheaper sharp sand from the builders merch for this job?

    And NHL5?

    Cheers
  13.  
    Standard sharp sand will do.
    Just to add to my previous comment - the stones are pushed in to help prevent the limecrete slumping out before it sets.
  14.  
    Thanks for confirming and explaining.

    OK, so I will part fill the voids with the limecrete. Then push larger stones in which will displace some of the lime and bring it forward, then fill any more spaces at the front with further limcrete.

    Would you do it so that the front of the stones are:

    - Not visible. "Buried" by the limecrete so all you can see is limecrete at the front?
    - Visible when finished, and then point around them? So that they pretty much continue the wall down?
    - Protruding? Use longer larger stones that are partly in the void and partly sticking our beyond the front face of the wall?

    Many thanks
  15.  
    Given that the voids are below ground and will later presumably back filled to ground level (so won't be seen) it is function over form. So part fill the voids with limecrete, push in stones and repeat until you get to the face of the wall. At the face of the wall I would just do a 'best fit' and smooth off the limecrete
  16.  
    Hi

    Been away for a few days, but hoping to do this tomorrow/Friday.

    Just got a couple more questions if you don't mind. Can I just pack the mortar in against the compacted soil? Or do I need to do something to the soil prior to using the mortar?

    And is it best to work when the compacted soil is wet or dry?

    Many thanks
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeSep 27th 2023
     
    Any soil in between the stonework should be brushed out before repointing or packing.

    I would not disturb anything below the bottom most stone
  18.  
    Posted By: tonyAny soil in between the stonework should be brushed out before repointing or packing.

    Lots of stone built walls over here are stone/rubble with earth infill. If yours is this sort of wall caution is needed in removing the internal contents of the wall. Brush out only what is loose and disturb the minimum necessary to effect the repair.

    Posted By: tonyI would not disturb anything below the bottom most stone

    +1

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