DPC Level

[Plextor]

I am aware that the regs say 150mm drop should be established between a DPC and any paving slabs laid below it but if this is not a silly question I would like to know what this is supposed to achieve

For instance our property is in an exposed location and the whole wall is regularly subjected to driving rain in winter Obviously a DPC should be above ground level but I would have thought a few extra splashes that would result from a height of say 100mm (or even less) would be neither here not there

Thanks for any comments

 

[Blagard]

The expression "splash course" helps explain it.

When rain water hits the ground and splashs in all directions, experience has shown that the bottom two courses of brickwork end up getting soaked. The DPC prevents the saturation being drawn upwards as happens in rising damp and so protects the bricks above.

Wet (Soaked) bricks can get damaged by frosts. Blue Engineering bricks soon became a solution because they do not readily absorb moisture. These days a DPC provides a common solution whether you use blues below or not. As you will see in the forum it is not uncommon to find spalled bricks at low level. The spalling is usually (although not always) due to frost damage.

Your exposed property may also have a good brick externally as general spalling in of bricks is another feature of using a brick unsuited to such driving rain conditions.

 

[Plextor]

In my case the bricks both above and below the DPC appear to be the same quality and in good order So if my flags were around 110mm or so below DPC I should not have problems

 

[Blagard]

In my case the bricks both above and below the DPC appear to be the same quality and in good order So if my flags were around 110mm or so below DPC I should not have problems

Probably not. especially not if you have cavity walls.