If a damp-proof course is present, it is likely to be functioning, as the materials from which damp proof courses are manufactured tend to have a long lifespan.
The original purpose of wainscoting was to cover the lower part of walls, which, in houses constructed with poor or non-existent damp-proof courses, are often affected by rising dampness.
A 5ft (1.5m) concrete fence post has been sunk into the ground and fixed to the exterior wall where the two houses meet, and bridges the damp-proof course.
