Damp proof course advice - Damp proof course advice

[richardkreid]

Hi there,

We live in a late 1920s house, and I am about to renovate our rear garden, and would ideally like to raise the level of the ground so that it is flush with our bi-fold doors, allowing us to pull a table out from the kitchen into the garden (E.g. half in/out).

Current garden photos here: Garden Photos

The current garden has been fully paved by the last owners. I have been digging up the paving around the edges to create bigger flower beds

From what I can tell the ground has been raised to level with the DPC (rather than 75mm below), see this photo here where I have dug up and which I think shows original paving with approx 75mm. Damp proof course.

We have no current issues with damp in the house.

My questions are as follows:
1) Have I identified the DPC correctly?
2) If so, given all of the above, would we be ok to raise the level of the ground to make flush with the bi-fold doors? We would of course ensure the air-vents remain open, and would plan to put a grill over each to stop rubbish entering and blocking.
3) In front of the kitchen we were planning to lay some kind of sandstone paving, and elsewhere (and in front of the lounge bi-fold) would be artificial grass.
4) If it is ok to raise the level what would an installation detail need to be like? Would a drainage channel be ok, and how would this connect to he bi-fold frame?
5) Would we need to install a membrane against the bricks on the wall above the DPC?
6) If we proceed with the proposal above is this likely to cause problems on resale with surveyors?

Many thanks

Richard

[Tony McC]

DPC is most likely at the base of the airbricks.

You have a lot of questions and you really need a design detail preparing which is not something I can provide FOC here.