It's usually advised that paving should be at a level of at least 150mm below the DPC where it joins the house wall.
Is this an absolute minimum, or is it OK to have a reduced gap where it's difficult to maintain the full 150mm ?
It's all to do with rain splashing back up from the paving to hit the wall, and I presume that experience has shown that 6" is a good minimum height to avoid many splashes hitting the wall above the DPC. That said, ISTR that in case of difficulties, a layer of gravel close to the wall instead of paving will stop rain splashing nearly so high as when it hits hard paving, so that is one option for you to avoid penetrating damp if you can't maintain at least 6".
Andy.
Yes. I have grevel edging all round the house, about 6" below DPC, and the wall is rendered above that. I left a slate lying on the gravel all winter.
The wall above that shows signs of frost damage to the paintwork. Nowehere else tho.
What Andy describes is real and relevant.
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