Damp proof course, and why it is a lock-up item
Rising moisture is stopped by a layer nobody sees again.
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In short: Damp proof course detail at the brickwork, recorded on Riverstone jobs at completion.
What it does
It is a barrier built into the masonry that stops ground moisture rising through the brickwork into the structure above. It works by being continuous, and it fails by not being.
Where it goes wrong
At laps, at steps in the wall and where it meets a flashing. A short lap or a lap in the wrong direction is invisible once the next course is laid.
What we recorded here
Damp proof course detail on more than one Riverstone report, at practical completion rather than during the brickwork.
The consequence
Damp arriving in the wall above months or years later, presenting as staining or a soft skirting, at which point the cause is behind finished masonry.
The window
It is visible while the brickwork is going up and at lock-up. After that it exists only on the drawings.
Written by our local inspection team from work carried out in Riverstone. Licensed building practitioners.
