"rscho" wrote in message
. ..
I've had to remove a few T&G floorboards near some walls to replace rotten
joists in a cavity brick house. In order to get underneath the boards I
had to dig out about 6-8 inches of rubble (bricks, mortar and clay soil)
making a space of about 1'4" so I could crawl around. Having replaced the
rotten joists (and fixed the drainage problems that caused them) I don't
know whether to return the rubble, replace with a cleaner & easier
draining (and less smelly!) fill like crushed rock or leave it cleared.
The ground level underneath the house is now about 5" lower than that
outside the house.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Spread it out and cover the entire ground area with a sheet of 6mil poly
before you close it back up.