Could this be a chimney breast?

[steggles123]

Morning,

I had to remove a shower room due to cracked soil pipe next door to it.

Digging out quote alot of damp earth the external wall is exposed but there's a second on the left that has what it appears as though a concrete like substance on the wall (parging?) but on the bottom there is a part that has no brick. - on the left.

Above it is rather soft earth / rock rubble.

I tapped in a small rod and it goes it to a depth of 14 inches until it his something solid from the inside brick.

Could this be an old chimney breast ?

Thank you in advance.

 

[Deluks]

Was this room once a kitchen?

Older kitchens had a flue.
We've got remnants of ours in the loft.

 

[steggles123]

Hi there,

I don't think so - possibly decades ago - there was a shower room in there for at-least about twenty years (identified by old newspaper in the walls). The kitchen and chimney are on the other side of the property.

The room is going to be a bathroom again ideally on concrete base.

Assuming that it is Can you suggest a remedy? The wall above seems solid and it has some blueish concrete type substance over it and I am satisfied with leaving it there boarding it over as it has been there for decades.

The aim of this was to remove as much damp earth as possible to dry as much as possible.

On the floor above is another bathroom but it is back to brickwork.

Concerning the hole - is it best filled in with say earth or concrete? or.. left empty and boarded? I don't know how far up the dampish earth has travelled if at all.

Any help would be nice.
Thank you.

 

[ree]

OP,
Use a small mirror & a torch to look up and sideways in the hole to see if it goes further up or sideways?
Whats on the other side of the back wall - & whats on the other side of the wall on the left?

 

[steggles123]

Hi there,
Digging to the right side hits brick.

I have not dug upwards but quite crumbly.

The wall on the left is a brick thickness wall that divided two bathroom. A toilet was on the other side which has all been ripped out at the end of that room is the back external corner of the property.

I've asked a neighbour to take a photo to indicate if there is a chimney breast on the other side. (I cannot access it)

Checking loft no evidence of anything.

Assuming it is a chimney breast is it wise to disturb and dig out old dirt/rocks that's crammed in there or leave it alone and fill the hole with something?

 

[ree]

OP,
You seem to be saying that the "hole" is in a party wall - unless the neighbour brings further news then perhaps the best thing to do is to remove the rubble from the hole, & then build up the brickwork to cover the opening?
As regards pouring a new concrete floor then you will have to first locate the DPC line in the walls, & read up on here about installing internal solid floors.