collapsing patio

[whellpower]

hi guys,

I had a patio built a few years ago which has started to collapse and i a wondering if there is any way to stabilize it before it gets any worse or falls. The guy who did it sunk some fence posts very deep, put in some panels and built up the patio behind it but it seems the fence cant take the weight, is there any way i can prop it up?

[veggiechicken]

Is it stone or wood? Photos would help us see your problem!

[Aberdeenplotter]

sounds as though the backfill wasn't compacted properly before the patio was laid and whatever you do now needs to start with stabilising the whole construction. I personally would never have used timber as a retaining wall unless it was made from something substantial like sleepers properly fixed so there could be no movement. Be interesting to see some photos as suggested above

[Potstubsdustbins]

Like everyone says pics would be very helpful, do your mean concrete posts and gravel boards by any chance?

[whellpower]

photos

Ok guys ill take some photos. the retaining wall is made from concrete posts and sleepers btw. but I will do a gallery and post a link to give you a better idea.

[whellpower]

sorry they aren't sleeper but concrete slabs which may be gravel boards im not sure.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Gravel boards are usually beneath wooden fence panels. They slot down into the fence posts and are 6, 9 or 12 inches high.

[whellpower]

Patio images

Is it stone or wood? Photos would help us see your problem!

Here is a breakdown of the issue guys.
Patio problems - Approved Trader

[whellpower]

Any advice on how i could brace the structure would be appreciated!

[Guest]

Did you see all the stages of the patio being done? It would be nice to know how it was built up and bedded down. The cracks on there own could expansion issues from weather. Also how high has the patio been built up? It looks about a foot high, is there anything beyond that?

[Jungle Jane]

I would phone the man who did the work,ask him if he could have a look if it's definitely moved. Have you tried laying a spirit level on it,to see if it is moving downwards? Who's garden is that the other side & is it always flooded like that? The photo doesn't show the patio underneath area,just the decking? Do the patio slabs have a gap underneath? Im just trying to understand,is the patio floating too & pulling the wall down,or just the floating decking? Or is all that water sinking everything?

[Jungle Jane]

Actually that puddle is a good spirit level. I've just worked out that's all your garden.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Be interesting to see some photos as suggested above

Having now seen the photos, I'm a bit puzzled as to why the structure is needed in the first place. It should be possible to construct a timber deck without a "Backboard" I'd be for getting someone with a stihl type saw and cutting the posts down to deck level.

How are the posts fixed into the ground? How deep are they in and were they concreted in place?

Despite me criticising the "backboard" I appreciate you may like it and may wish to keep it. If a customer of mine asked me to rescue it, subject to knowing the posts were concreted into place, I'd be for making a simple buttress (or three to be precise) behind each of the three posts having made suitable foundations down to the hard using concrete blocks. Not pretty but normally effective.

If the posts are just set into the ground, I'd be for hoiking them out and then digging down to the hard and resetting them with concrete.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Not sure if they still make them but they used to make a concrete bracing post which you set at an angle to the upright and then concreted that in.

[whellpower]

Did you see all the stages of the patio being done? It would be nice to know how it was built up and bedded down. The cracks on there own could expansion issues from weather. Also how high has the patio been built up? It looks about a foot high, is there anything beyond that?

Thanks for your reply

I didnt see all the stages im afraid I was working. But I do know they laid larger stones surrounded by hardcore then sand then laid the slabs on top, I saw it before the slabs were laid and to be fair it seemed sound and compact! The patio is probably more like 3 feet high, the area encompasses what used to be a couple of steps leading up to the patio doors.