How to find your damp-proof course

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What is a damp-proof course?

A damp proof course (DPC) is a protective layer near the bot­tom of the walls of a building that pre­vents ris­ing damp.

In a prop­erty with­out a DPC, water can rise up from the ground through cap­il­lary action and through porous ele­ments in your brick­work. If it creeps through the walls, it can­ cause struc­tural prob­lems and poten­tially lead to mould form­ing inside your home.

What is a damp-proof course made from?

Pre-1900 prop­er­ties were tra­di­tion­ally built with slate DPCs. More recent houses have plas­tic. DPCs can be made out of a num­ber of mate­ri­als. Although build­ing reg­u­la­tions require the inclu­sion of a damp proof course in any new build­ing, they do not spec­ify one sin­gle mate­r­ial. It may be built from ‘bitu­mi­nous mate­r­ial, poly­eth­yl­ene, engi­neer­ing bricks or slates in cement mor­tar or any other mate­r­ial that will pre­vent the pas­sage of mois­ture.’

What does a damp-proof course look like?

Unless it has been ren­dered over, you will nor­mally see it as a lit­tle black line between 6 inches and 2 feet from the ground, run­ning all the way around the exter­nal walls.

What Is Damp Proofing Guide - Damp Genius - Devon

Why is it important to know where your damp-proof course is?

If you’re con­sid­er­ing exter­nal build­ing work, it will be use­ful to know where your DPC is located. It is impor­tant not to dam­age or bridge the DPC as this will cre­ate a path for mois­ture. If you have problems with mould  or damage to a property’s structural integrity, we would advise you to hire a professional to carry out an assessment on the walls before getting any External Wall Insulation or Render-Only work done.

FINDING AN APPROVED OR RECOMMENDED INSTALLER

We have teamed up with EWI Pro to help provide homeowners with an approved and recommended installer network across the UK. EWI Pro are one of the UK’s leading render manufacturers and our experiences with them have always been extremely positive. They have excellent technical support and a vast array of quality products. Their list of approved and recommended installers are specialists, so by choosing one of them to complete your project, you can be assured that the work and the materials installed on your property will be to the highest standard.

If you are looking for an approved or recommended EWI Pro installer, please send an inquiry by filling in your details on the form provided!.







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      2 comments

      1. Good Day,
        Do you do damp proof injections and how much cost very much?

        Can I do insulation at same time?

          • Alan Bouquet
          • 21.01.2017
          • Reply

          Hi Vasili,
          DPC injections are not particularly expensive in the context of EWI work. We can do the injections but we would do this at least a few weeks in advance of the EWI work to ensure the wall is dry before starting the EWI.

          Best,
          Alan

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