Breached Damp Proof Course
A breached damp proof course is caused by either part of the structure or fabric of the building allowing moisture normally retained below the DPC to progress above the damp proof course. Common causes are solid floors or fabric such as internal plasters or external renders and sometimes via a build-up of debris within wall cavities. Typical symptoms include low-level dampness and spoiling of the plaster. Generally, this will be wholesale if the breach is a constructional issue or can be local in the case of debris within the cavity. Profiles will normally all be retained at a low level up to around 300mm dependent upon the cause of the breach. Often, you’ll find the skirting boards suffer most in the scenario of an internal breach as moisture is drawn into the fabric plaster at the floor and wall interface. Often skirting boards situated at the floor wall junction will decay and reveal high moisture levels when tested.
Damp proof courses (DPC) preventing rising damp were made compulsory in 1875 the early damp proof course was engineering bricks (as seen on image) the only problem we find with this DPC method is that when the water table rises and the foundations get saturated the water will rise by capillary action.
We find the engineering bricks are a great deterrent of keeping the moisture from rising but the mortar joints are very porous and this allows the water ingress to rise through the porous joints above ground floor levels, contact Preservit Ltd we specialise in rising damp and other forms of moisture ingress that get associated with rising damp such as penetrating damp and breached damp proofing course.
