Module 2 · Buildings & Moisture Basics
2.1 How Buildings Are Constructed
7 min read
You cannot diagnose a wall you cannot read. This lesson is a working tour of how UK buildings are put together — enough construction knowledge to look at an elevation and know roughly what is behind it, when it was likely built, and where water is going to find its way in.
Learning objectives
By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
- Identify the main structural elements of a building and what each one does.
- Recognise the common UK construction types and their approximate eras.
- Explain where each element is exposed to moisture.
- Read a property's age and construction from what is visible outside.
Key terms
- Building envelope
- The physical barrier between inside and outside — walls, roof, windows, doors and ground floor.
- Substructure
- Everything below ground level: foundations and the base of the walls.
- Damp-proof course (DPC)
- A horizontal barrier near the base of a wall stopping ground moisture rising into the structure above.
- Damp-proof membrane (DPM)
- A sheet barrier under or within a solid floor, doing the same job horizontally.
Free — enrol to continue
Read the rest of Buildings & Moisture Basics
Module 1 is open to everyone. The remaining six modules — building science, each damp mechanism in depth, meters and thermal imaging, the full inspection method, and report writing — are free too. We just ask for an email so you can pick up where you left off, and so we can send your certificate when you finish.