Cement plinths & damp courses

[Setch]

I'm doing some work for a friend, and one of the jobs to tackle is the cement plinth around the base of the house. I don't belive it is an original feature, certainly not at it's present height, where it bridges the damp course.

The original plan was to point the cracks between walls and plinth, but I am now minded to hack it off and either leave it exposed, repainting as required, or build it back up, but keeping it below the damp course.

Pic shows the wider mortar course with the damp course in it, as you can see, the plinth bridges this level. Also note that the DC is only 1 brick above the ground level, me thinks someone raised the ground level a lot when they concreted the garden - guess they couldn't be pineappled to excavate first!

Any thoughts?

 

[skipdiver]

It's not a good idea to bridge the damp course, so i'd be inclined to hack it off, rake out the loose mortar and re-point with weather struck pointing.

 

[morturn]

Hack it off and repoint the DPC. try to reduce the ground level to 150mm below DPC if possible. I all fairness, one brick height, what you have in the photo, will be in most cases fine.

 

[Setch]

Thanks fellas, that's what I was thinking. Steve - currently Googling weather struck pointing!

**edit - yep, that's what I thought, undercut at the top, flush against lower brick. Good stuff.**