DPC – Damp Proof Course

The DPC is simply a barrier to stop water and moisture from rising up and into a building.

The DPC stops the capillary action of moisture absorbed into the brickwork below the DPC from rainwater or from the ground itself.

Many common building materials such as bricks and mortar are porous which means that they have tubes or pours (capillaries) running through them. Water and moisture can use these capillaries to travel and rise up through the brickwork and into the plaster work inside if not stopped by the non porous layer i.e. the DPC.

Air bricks help to circulate air below the DPC and below the interior floor to keep damp down to a minimum at the lower level.