Damp Proof Course

[Paul Martin]

I'm living in an old bungalow and we have a problem with damp on the inner walls. I suspect its due to a faulty or non existent DPC.

Is this something that I can easily put right and tackle myself?

Outer ground levels are blow where the DPC would be and the house doesn't have concrete flooring.

 

[masona]

I'm living in an old bungalow and we have a problem with damp on the inner walls. I suspect its due to a faulty or non existent DPC.

It's very rare for dpc to be faulty.

Is this something that I can easily put right and tackle myself?

Make sure the dpc level is at least 150mm above ground level, check all the rain gutter are not leaking or any internal water pipe etc. You may only need more air movement as it always known as condensation air pocket trap or the plaster could be bridging the internal dpc which need to be chop back.

 

[Paul Martin]

The ground level is definitely 6" below where a DPC would be but I can't actually see any evidence of any being present, so i'm assuming it doesn't have any?

 

[masona]

Do you know the year of the property? There are million of homes that don't have any dpc and not have any problem, you may have a bitumen dpc depending on the age of the property

 

[Paul Martin]

The house was built circa 1935.

 

[masona]

Okay, is it facing brickwork or rendering and does it have a mortar plinth on the bottom etc?

 

[Paul Martin]

It's facing brickwork all the way round but yes it does have a mortar plinth on it too and in this mortat plinth, there are a series of air vents around the property

 

[masona]

Right, normally the dpc is just under the plinth and you won't be able to see it.

Another theory when I was a bricklayer is the motar dropping inside the cavity bridging across the inner wall but not if you have solid wall.