I have a detached 30's house 3 sides of which are surrounded by a wide-ish concrete path. This butts up to a concrete plinth surrounding the house and looks to be, apart from where some deterioration has occurred, virtually watertight.
The house is apparently on the site of an old watercress farm and, according to the neighbours is built on a raft.
The concrete plinth is badly deteriorated in places and the render is 4 brick courses higher than the DPC (which is the bottom course above the concrete path) which 1 believe isn't normal practice. However, the brick courses beneath the render are slightly proud of the exposed courses above.
I have removed the blown render and am left with a patching job. Some bricks very wet but seem to be drying out quickly.
I am fascinated to know why I have the proud brick courses but need to know whether I should simply patch render the dodgy areas (if I try to hack off all the render it will badly damage the bricks where the render is okay).
Should I use a waterproofer in the render ?
Should I seal the joint between the path and the plinth (it seems to me that if everything is done properly the path should prevent damp rising and my main problem is preventing lateral splashing ? )
Any advice very welcome as I don't like messing with a DPC I don't entirely understand
The house is apparently on the site of an old watercress farm and, according to the neighbours is built on a raft.
The concrete plinth is badly deteriorated in places and the render is 4 brick courses higher than the DPC (which is the bottom course above the concrete path) which 1 believe isn't normal practice. However, the brick courses beneath the render are slightly proud of the exposed courses above.
I have removed the blown render and am left with a patching job. Some bricks very wet but seem to be drying out quickly.
I am fascinated to know why I have the proud brick courses but need to know whether I should simply patch render the dodgy areas (if I try to hack off all the render it will badly damage the bricks where the render is okay).
Should I use a waterproofer in the render ?
Should I seal the joint between the path and the plinth (it seems to me that if everything is done properly the path should prevent damp rising and my main problem is preventing lateral splashing ? )
Any advice very welcome as I don't like messing with a DPC I don't entirely understand