1960's building regs

[Robbox]

I know that building regs were not around in the 60's to insist that concrete subfloors had a DPM fitted. But would a house built in the early 60's be likely to have a DPM in a solid ground floor? Our ground floor has a moisture reading (albeit by a basic two prong meter) of around 8-9% where I have been able to test it.

 

[^woody^]

Our ground floor has a moisture reading (albeit by a basic two prong meter) of around 8-9% where I have been able to test it.

And what were you expecting it to be on the surface where you have put that meter?

 

[Robbox]

I would have thought lower than that. But then if no DPM I would have thought higher....

 

[^woody^]

You do realise that you are reading the moisture on top of the concrete, basically surface condensation, and the meter is calibrated for timber not concrete so is incorrect too. Which leads to that reading not being out of the ordinary.

Properties built in the 60s had DPM's. Whether yours has you wont know unless you dig the floor up to check, or look around the edges somehow.

If there was no DPM or no surface bitumen coating acting as one, then it would have been damp in the 60's right up to now.