Victorian Bay Damp (DPC / Airbrick)

[AndyRoo26]

Hi all,

Situation
I am currently renovating a 1901 Victorian terrace house. It has all the classic problems with a property of this age such as damp in rooms etc. The front bay is particularly bad with damp.

The soil level was extremely high at the front of the house (bay) when we moved in. The soil was even a little over the airbricks.

I have dug down to see if I can find the old DPC (if it even has one!) and definitely have found what appears to be a black horizontal line going across the brickwork.

Question / Advice
Can anyone confirm if this is indeed slate DPC? I believe a house a this time would have used slate.

The Plan
If this is the DPC, my plan is dig a channel (150mm away from the house) and at least 150mm below the DPC (general building guidlines). Line the channel with a geomembrane and re-fill with pea shingle (to stop splashing of the rain and help with drainage). I will then slope the rest of the front garden away from the house.

Any thoughts, advice on my approach (and what you would do differently).

Nice one!

Read more: https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/is-this-slate-dpc-1901.581075/#ixzz7BuA7C3IU

 

[KenGMac]

slate DPC?

No, I do not think so, a slate or old felt [date too early for the latter] will show as a black thin line within the thickness of a brick [or masonry] cement bed course.

That lumpy thick looking band could ??? have been a left over ???

Back in the day, these windows of this age had a concrete Apron layed at ground level sloping away from the property and [generally] extending about 3 Feet wide out from the wall.

Cannot recall any rational for such a procedure as above, one possible reason may have been was to keep the rain off and away from the Bay???

The black band? they generally protrude from the wall and were the bridge between the Apron and wall.

As for your "Plan"? where do you intend running the drain to? if it does not drain away, you will end up with a mini pond

Ken.

 

[AndyRoo26]

Hi @KenGMac

Thanks for your message.

At the moment any water just sits on top of the soil and goes towards the house. It had also been packed up with soil right near the air bricks with soil.

My plan was to simply to reduce the soil level. Get rid of that soil. Then make a slight slope downwards away from the house. I have a brick wall at the front of the house, then it’s a pavement afterwards and onto a road.

I am not sure what is best. Perhaps I just reduce the soil level but keep it level? Forget the slope and just let the water soak into the ground…

What would you do in this situation?

 

[sxturbo]

I agree with your solution.