Outside Steps

[Duane]

Hi All,

 

Just wondered if someone could give a few pointers please.

 

Have a gap in the side of my outside steps, god knows what was there before.

 

My thinking is to dig out for a bricks width footing and brick up. Also conscious of the fracture present.

 

Thanks

[ProDave]

It looks to me like those steps were build on very thin foundations direct onto the ground, and at some point someone has lowered the ground level somewhat undermining what little foundations it had to start with.  It is  staying put by a wing and a prayer and not doing very well judging by the crack.

 

If you want to keep the ground level that low you need to dig some fresh deeper footings and rebuild the whole wall.

[Duane]

Thanks.

 

Thought I could just chance it by excavating a footing and bricking up the hole.

 

 

[ProDave]

If you can get something under there to support it before it collapses you might get away with it.  But it won't look pretty. You might want to think about rendering the finished wall?

 

Why have you lowered the soil level that much?  you seem to have exposed house wall brick that were never designed to be on show, and is that the top of the house wall footings now on show?