Wet brick near the ground on one side of the house

[AVI]

Hi, happy festive period!

 

About 1 year ago I bought a new build and recently noticed (not sure if it was the case before?) that the brick on one of the sides near the ground appears to be wet. Moving through the corner it becomes visible how brick dries out. To be honest there's another house 5 metres away from the wet side, and the wet side is almost always in shadow. But the neighbors house wall which is facing mine is dry (there is a shared driveway in between). Is it something I should be concerned about?

 

Please see photos attached (the corner, dry wall and wet wall)

 

Thank you.

[Temp]

Can't see an obvious DPC but there appears to be a line of circular marks in the mortar just above the air brick. Are these weep vents of some sort? 

[Roger440]

45 minutes ago, Temp said:

Can't see an obvious DPC but there appears to be a line of circular marks in the mortar just above the air brick. Are these weep vents of some sort? 

 

There does. They look like those pointless things they insert to "create" a DPC. That dont work.

 

As you say, doesnt appear to be a DPC. Plus the motar below the holes is different (and more recent) that above it. Id suggest somethng has gone on. Need to find the DPC. Maybe they "forgot" to fit it.

 

All that said, it will be wet, paving is up against the brickwork. Not a great idea.

[Brickie]

The difference in mortar colour is because up to DPC (if it’s there) will have been built in substructure mortar & from there upwards in superstructure (probably silo) muck. Is the wall actually wet to the touch? 

[Roger440]

3 hours ago, Brickie said:

The difference in mortar colour is because up to DPC (if it’s there) will have been built in substructure mortar & from there upwards in superstructure (probably silo) muck. Is the wall actually wet to the touch? 

 

But that different motar doesnt go round to the other wall. Indeed stops short. on the main wall.

 

Putting my cynical hat on, forgot to install it, fitted injected DPC instead.

[ETC]

12 hours ago, Roger440 said:

 

There does. They look like those pointless things they insert to "create" a DPC. That dont work.

 

As you say, doesnt appear to be a DPC. Plus the motar below the holes is different (and more recent) that above it. Id suggest somethng has gone on. Need to find the DPC. Maybe they "forgot" to fit it.

 

All that said, it will be wet, paving is up against the brickwork. Not a great idea.

They’re weep vents - if they’re installed correctly. That’s also where the bottom of the stepped DPC should be.

[Temp]

If they are weep vents/tubes they look blocked with mortar?

[Temp]

6 hours ago, Brickie said:

 Is the wall actually wet to the touch? 

 

+1

 

It almost looks too uniform in colour to be wet. I wonder if its been painted with a sealer? 

[Adsibob]

A new build without a DPC. Whatever next, voting leave without somewhere to leave to..?

[AVI]

Thank you everyone! Why are we saying that there is no DPC? How could I find if there is one? Would it be hard to mitigate/fix - surely that's against NHBC standards?

[AVI]

By the way that's the weep vent - they should not be blocked right?

 

 

[AVI]

Also I do not think that any of the houses on the development have sticking out DPC (black membrane). Is it possible?

 

 

Edited November 28, 2022 by AVI

[ETC]

11 hours ago, Temp said:

If they are weep vents/tubes they look blocked with mortar?

They look blocked. If they really are bed weeps. 

[twice round the block]

Where does the gully drain exit to?

 

Why are the block pavers laid tight to

the brickwork?

Chemical injected dpc, back to the 70 / 80s. Are they still in the form of ice pops? insert them in a hole and let them melt.

[Temp]

The mortar looks too good for these to be retrofitted. It looks like they were fitted before the wall was pointed and the pointing filled them.

 

The brickwork looks very uniform. Are you sure it's wet? Normally when wet it's more patchy and you get the white salt efflorescence around the edges where its dry/evaporating. 

[AVI]

On 06/12/2022 at 10:23, Temp said:

The mortar looks too good for these to be retrofitted. It looks like they were fitted before the wall was pointed and the pointing filled them.

 

The brickwork looks very uniform. Are you sure it's wet? Normally when wet it's more patchy and you get the white salt efflorescence around the edges where its dry/evaporating. 

Just randomly bumped to my old topic - have an update. Actually it was not wet - just a different colour and I panicked as a first time buyer. DPC is in place. On one side brick was cleaned and on another dirty - that's why there is a difference in colour. After 2+ years no any problems.