u/Academic-One-3027

Hello fellow DIYers, a new homeowner of a 60s house here... Lots of issues to tackle, it's so much fun! The major one is historical damp downstairs due to a concrete patio that was too high (I have now dug it out to the concrete base some 30cm below). The joist ends are rotten and I'm replacing them but of course I need to ensure the damp cause is addressed. Partly it was a clogged gutter that went under the patio but it wasn't clogged that bad and the damp looks like it was decades in the making to me so I think it's also the high level that the patio was at and potentially also bridging across the cavity (a neighbour said he had to clear out rubble from the cavity in his house many years ago).

Once I removed one of the joists I could see that the cavity behind it is filled with mortar, with a water pipe embedded in it. I think it may have used to run to a radiatior that is no longer there and given everything looks dry now, I don't think there's a leak from the pipe. But I'm not sure the cavity is meant to have this mortar in it. It is the wall under the floor, supporting a patio door and a treshold so perhaps for that reason it needs to be filled? But also the issue is that the external and internal wall DPC are at different levels (the external DPC is just above the joist level, while the internal is a brick below), and the cavity filling goes all the way ABOVE the internal DPC or level with it. To me this seems like it would create a bridging issue, regardless of where the ground level is outside and even if I remove the patio to replace it with wooden one, or install an ACO drain, or whatever (suggestions on that welcome!) I can't just leave it as is as it's too big a drop when exiting through the lounge door)... Please see my best attempt at sketching the situation as best I can see it. The cavity mortar goes all the way to the foundation I imagine. The dashed arrow indicated the way moisture can bridge, as I imagine.

Or is mortar like this meant to be very resistant to moisture and thus effectively would not bridge? Seems idiotic for builders otherwise to do this.

Another issue (not depicted) is that the side wall around the corner has no air bricks but I'm not sure they would help much if the were straight into the side of a joist. To make them lower I would need to break up the concrete patio there too, I think.

Repointing some of the mortar should also help. I can see there was some of that done in the past...

Any thoughts or ideas very welcome! Always happy to supply more info/images/measurements! Cheers!

Hello, I have bought a house, inheriting a pretty large garden that is massively out of control. It was really nice before with a nice mix of shrubs and flowers but was let go over a year or so.

For someone who is not afraid of work but without much experience, could you please recommend a best strategy to tackle this? There's no big rush, I am happy to take it slow and do things over a couple of years, but it will obviously only get more difficult the longer it's allowed to go on like this.

I've trimmed some of the bushes/hedges and cut some massive very thorny brambles (no berries) as a start. I realise I should remove any tree saplings by digging them out. But otherwise knowing what's a weed and what's worth keeping is quite hard. Also there's some type of conifer that seems to have been wrapped by a vine, several meters up the trunk. Would cutting the vine at the base be enough, or do I need to try and remove it all the way up to save the tree?

I've thought about hiring a gardener to get it under control and tell me how to take care of it going forward, but getting a proper one and not just the mindless lawn mower types sounds like it would be neither easy nor cheap... Any suggestions very welcome!

Hello, I have bought a house, inheriting a pretty large garden that is massively out of control. It was really nice before with a nice mix of shrubs and flowers but was let go over a year or so.

For someone who is not afraid of work but without much experience, could you please recommend a best strategy to tackle this? There's no big rush, I am happy to take it slow and do things over a couple of years, but it will obviously only get more difficult the longer it's allowed to go on like this.

I've trimmed some of the bushes/hedges and cut some massive very thorny brambles (no berries) as a start. I realise I should remove any tree saplings by digging them out. But otherwise knowing what's a weed and what's worth keeping is quite hard. Also there's some type of conifer that seems to have been wrapped by a vine, several meters up the trunk. Would cutting the vine at the base be enough, or do I need to try and remove it all the way up to save the tree?

I've thought about hiring a gardener to get it under control and tell me how to take care of it going forward, but getting a proper one and not just the mindless lawn mower types sounds like it would be neither easy nor cheap... Any suggestions very welcome!

Absolute beginner, first week as a homeowner and first time doing any joinery. The house has had damp along the wall for a long time (I think I've addressed the cause which was a blocked drain outside but we shall see). I've pulled up a bunch of the floorboards and it is clear that the joist next to the wall is rotten all the way through, while the others to varying degree rotten in the wall pockets. All the floorboard ends under the skirting are rotten too. It all looks wet rot, no dry rot.

My plan is to replace the wall joist, and replace the ends of the 2-3 joists next to it, up to the first or second sleeper wall, sistering with bolts through the old and/or new bits of joists over the sleeper wall as needed (sometimes replacing the whole joist where easier). And of course replacing the floorboards up to the second joist from the wall with new ones. Somehow the skirting board seems ok but even if rotten under the paint, I really can't be bothered replacing it now.

The new joists only need to last 2-3 years as by then the floor will be coming up again for a rewire + insulation. So my plan is to just clean out and reuse the existing wall pockets, with a bit of DPC underneath each joist, making sure they don't touch the brickwork, etc. The timber I got is C16 "treated" and I was planning to also treat any butts I cut myself, although that's probably overkill.

Now that I got the stage of ripping out that wall joist, I can see the socket (and wall lamp?) elec. supply going underneath, as well as insulated (cold?) and uninsulated (hot?) water pipes. The gas pipe to the fireplace is coming in from the other side and has been capped off some time previously. Besides isolating the electricity, is there anything else I need to take care of, while I'm working right there and pulling out that joist and putting in a new one? Insulating the hot water pipes maybe? Of course, I will clear the soil of debris, even though there's not much. I don't see anything very asbestosy...

I also am thinking of installing a hatch so I can inspect the levels an sources of moisture if it comes back in the winter. But again may be overkill and I probably wouldn't bother to raise the carpet for it until the major renovations down the line.

Any tips or suggestions very much appreciated!