Normal damp course, or stepped crack?

Sarahspangles

MikeJXE said:

IMO 4 course below is the DPC the paving is the wrong level 

is there a step down as you walk through what looks like a patio door ? 

6 course up seems to have a DPC too 

Yes, do you think the original DPC was a full course below the door sill so the concrete slab has fully breached that and the block paving laid just up to original DPC level.  With work after that point to rectify the damp problem created?

aoleks

there are no cracks in that wall, not sure how you came up with. it's a stepped DPC, probably a paranoid builder/homeowner given the rain stack in the corner. I can't see any problems there, really, but if you are concerned, get the DPC moved where it belongs and that's that.

MikeJXE

Sarahspangles said:

MikeJXE said:

IMO 4 course below is the DPC the paving is the wrong level 

is there a step down as you walk through what looks like a patio door ? 

6 course up seems to have a DPC too 

Yes, do you think the original DPC was a full course below the door sill so the concrete slab has fully breached that and the block paving laid just up to original DPC level.  With work after that point to rectify the damp problem created?

No the original DPC should be 1 course above the garage door cill

My guess is the garage was built after the house at the wrong level 

The the cowboy builders  laid the paving to the wrong level also 

I am very surprised there is not damp in the house, what sort of soil is it built on ? Sandy/gravel ?

How does the front of the garage floor tie in with the house front door ? Or for that matter the house floor ? The garage should be 2 course lower 

mi-key

That is very odd!  It's not the actual DPC though. A DPC needs to be below the level of the main floor of the house ( normally concrete rather than wood in a bungalow ) That is how they work by stopping moisture from below the floor coming up into the house. They are normally one or two courses above the outside ground of the house. 

It does look like some sort of damp repair, maybe damp was rising up the brickwork from the drain there and it was an attempt to stop it. It does look suspiciously like a cowboy builder told the owner that would fix it and put it in as its obviously not a crack, and has been put in deliberately

mi-key

Sarahspangles said:

MikeJXE said:

IMO 4 course below is the DPC the paving is the wrong level 

is there a step down as you walk through what looks like a patio door ? 

6 course up seems to have a DPC too 

Yes, do you think the original DPC was a full course below the door sill so the concrete slab has fully breached that and the block paving laid just up to original DPC level.  With work after that point to rectify the damp problem created?

I would agree, definitely looks like it has all been built up too high rather than lowering the ground level then putting the block paving in. 

FreeBear

Something definitely hinky about the stepped DPC - I would suggest looking for another property. If cowboy builders have been in "fixing" stuff, you could well be buying in to a property with a lot (read expensive) problems.

35har1old

ManuelG said:

MikeJXE said:

ManuelG said:

propertyrental said:

What makes you think that's a dpc....?

Naivety? In all seriousness it's some fabric / membrane in there, and I don't know what else it could be... although the stepping is... unusual.

What would be your suggestion as to what it is?

I agree the stepping is unusual particularly the curved corners where it cuts through the mortar joints rather than round them

Looking at 4 course below thats the only bed joint that looks anything like a DPC unless it's a cable

More wider angle photos might reveal more ideas 

The only other one I took is further out.

Why does it step out by what appears to be the width of a brick?
It looks like a second skin has been added.

ManuelG

35har1old said:

ManuelG said:

MikeJXE said:

ManuelG said:

propertyrental said:

What makes you think that's a dpc....?

Naivety? In all seriousness it's some fabric / membrane in there, and I don't know what else it could be... although the stepping is... unusual.

What would be your suggestion as to what it is?

I agree the stepping is unusual particularly the curved corners where it cuts through the mortar joints rather than round them

Looking at 4 course below thats the only bed joint that looks anything like a DPC unless it's a cable

More wider angle photos might reveal more ideas 

The only other one I took is further out.

Why does it step out by what appears to be the width of a brick?
It looks like a second skin has been added.

To the right? The conservatory extension?

Sarahspangles

No the original DPC should be 1 course above the garage door cill

My guess is the garage was built after the house at the wrong level 

The the cowboy builders  laid the paving to the wrong level also 

I am very surprised there is not damp in the house, what sort of soil is it built on ? Sandy/gravel ?

How does the front of the garage floor tie in with the house front door ? Or for that matter the house floor ? The garage should be 2 course lower 

I missed that the door went into a garage, yes you’re right.

OP - listen to your dad, he knows stuff!

Whether these issues are from DIY or cowboy builders I’d be wondering what else has been bodged.  While a surveyor can tell you that, it’s quite far into the process and renegotiation on the price may cause the seller to withdraw.  I bought a house that had had previous treatment for damp, and I had a higher excess and premiums as a result.

mi-key

OK I think I know what they have done and why. The DPC 'repair' seems to follow on all along the wall 3 courses above the slab. I reckon because the slab and paving have been built up too high, they were getting a problem with damp rising up the brickwork above the actual DPC ( you can see the discolouration on the bricks above the slab ), so have tried to fix it by adding the second membrane in. Still not sure why they stepped it on the one side, but it may just have been done where the damp was the worst.

It's not a proper fix by any means, and looks like a cowboy builder did it,