Should my wall be this damp after rain?

Smithy99

I went out to hang some washing and my outside wall looks really damp. It's rained all night but should it look like this?

TomokoAdhami

It depends on the flow of rain drops and I think it is ok. However, if it remains for a long time then you should be worried about it. 

Bendy_House

That is rain splashback, most likely from the solid paving. (The gravel serves two purposes - one it reduces 'splash', and two it drains away the standing water.)

The DPC should ideally be at least 150mm above the ground/paving, but it clearly isn't in your case since there's only a single brick height = 65-odd?

Tbh, you can see that the splashback goes even above 150mm in your case, and provided the brickwork is in decent order and the cavity is clear, you 'shouldn't' have damp issues.

A 'bit' worrying, tho', so I wonder if folk would recommend a brick treatment - water repellent for these courses?

Eldi_Dos

Check your gutters and downpipes to make sure they are clear and not overflowing in a downpour.

FreeBear

Bendy_House said: A 'bit' worrying, tho', so I wonder if folk would recommend a brick treatment - water repellent for these courses?

I wouldn't bother with any of those water repellent creams - They are just a problem looking for a solution.

Instead, I'd be looking at the guttering, downpipe, and underground drainage to make sure none of it is blocked. It is unfortunate that the downpipe just disappears in to the ground as it makes life difficult to clear any blockages.

Smithy99

Thanks. There's no guttering above this bit (it's an extension so guttering is at the side) but will check the downpipe next time it rains. 

Bendy_House

This is almost certainly 'just' rain splashback, and now't to do with guttering or anything else. The rain smacks in to the pavement, and bounces/splatters upwards on to the brickwork. Is it the same to the left of the sliding doors?

The DPC runs above the first row of brick - the sliding door sill sits on it. That bottom row of brick is, unsurprisingly, darker and wetter, as it'll also be damp from water 'rising' from the ground.

Provided the bricks above the DPC dry out fairly quickly after the rain stops, then there's nothing terribly amiss. (And as long as no damp appears inside that would suggest a breach of the cavity!)

It isn't ideal, tho', and it's why the DPC layer there should be 150mm above ground level (or, more precisely, the ground should be at least 150mm lower than the DPC) - so that the rain cannot usually splash that high.

What direction was the wind last night? Was it coming towardsish that side?

Bear in mind that lashing rain is going to soak the outer skin in any case, and walls are designed to cope. Keep an eye on this, and if it happens regularly you may find moss and discolouration occurring, in which case you may wish to look at solutions.

Solutions could include cutting a slice along the pavement to remove, ooh, 3-odd inches from its side, coupled with lowering the level of the gravel strip. That should help a lot. Or, see what folk (other than FB!) have to say about brick treatments :-)

danrv

Yes, probably rain splashing if it’s the same to the left of the door too. If it was down to a blocked soak away, you’d more likely get puddles and saturation around the drain pipe area.
I have one at the corner of my garage and water tends to collect there due to blockage.
It doesn’t affect the brickwork.

Eldi_Dos

I am kind of at a loss to why there is a downpipe on that elevation but no gutter.

Lorian

Wide angle photo?

Smithy99

There is guttering but it runs along the side where you can see the footpath to the right.