Identidying the purpose of these bricks?

[liam546]

In my Victorian property I have a continuous row of these "antique air bricks" but they are just below ground level and where the suspended floor is. You can see them clearly in the cellar and they are one or two brick courses below the level of the joists. They are in a continuous row around the perimeter of the house. I want to know what the purpose of these bricks is as they do not show externally as they are below ground. I have the normal air bricks which show above ground already.

Can anyone identify what these a re and their purpose?

Untitled

• liam546
• 10 Sep 2013
• 1

 

[^woody^]

They are a Victorian damp course. The concept is that air dries moisture in between the bricks and so stops damp rising

 

[xr4x4]

It's very common for the ground level to rise over the years and bridge the damp course and causing damp problems.

When was the house built?

We rent a house built in 1860, it has a slate damp course, this has been buried (hidden) by about a foot. Owners won't do anything about it, anyway rent is cheap.

 

[liam546]

I cannot find any slate in the mortor so perhaps these continuous bricks is the DPC, but as you say has been buried over time.

Do you think I should dig all around the perimeter of my house to reveal these bricks on the external walls?

 

[xr4x4]

I would, the outside level is normally quite a bit lower than the inside.

I had to dig down two brick courses to find my house had a dpc!

 

[liam546]

Was your house a Victorian property? Also what was the DPC, bricks with holes like mine or slate?

 

[xr4x4]

1860, slate.

 

[liam546]

I have trawled the Internet for hours but cannot find the use if these air bricks being used as the DPC. I can only ever find references to slate being used as a DPC.

However if this continuos row of bricks is my DPC I shall dig down externally to investigate. Hopefully they are visible on the external wall so if I can bring the ground level below them and clear the holes from dirt / debris then this will return the DPC to how it is meant to be. If indeed this is the DPC

 

[TheVictorian]

I have never seen these before either and would be interested if anyone does manage to find any information out about them.

 

[^woody^]

Here is a picture of them in a 1880 era mansion house in the west mids

Engineers, then the perforated DPC bricks then the face brickwork. You can also see the airbricks to the sub-floor void

vic air brick

• ^woody^
• 11 Sep 2013
• 1

 

[liam546]

Hi Woody,

Thanks for digging this out. The only difference with mine is that the normal air bricks that vent the sub floor sit above this course of slim bricks. So it is the other way around which is why I was doubting whether they were in fact a DPC at all.

So in my house I have this course of rare bricks then about 4 courses up I have the usual familiar air bricks.

 

[^woody^]

The bricks are intended to act as a DPC

As this was a time of differing building methods and standards, then they may have been used at different levels by different builders, but irrespective of that, their intended use was for the same purpose.

Alternatively, they could just have been thrown in the wall to use them up or make up a level

 

[liam546]

Thanks Woody, I can see these bricks in my cellar. I plan to dig down externally on the outside wall to the cellar and try to find out if I can see these bricks externally too.

If I can find them, do you think it would be a good idea to make sure ground level is below these bricks, if of course it is a DPC like we think.

 

[^woody^]

Do you have a damp problem now, with it being as it is?

 

[liam546]

Yes we do have a damp problem.