Field & trade terms
Damp-proofing
Damp-proofing is the sprayed or troweled coating applied to the outside of a foundation wall below grade to keep soil moisture from wicking through the concrete or block. It resists dampness and vapor from ordinary damp ground, but it is not waterproofing — it isn't meant to hold back standing water or hydrostatic pressure. Which one a wall needs depends on the soil, water table and design; using damp-proofing where waterproofing was called for is a common and costly substitution.
Why it matters
Below-grade water problems are among the worst to fix because the wall is buried the moment backfill goes in. A thin, holidayed or wrong-product coating lets moisture into the wall and eventually the interior, and by then the only access is to excavate. It also has to work with the drainage — footing drains and granular backfill — not instead of it.
What an inspector looks at
The check is that the specified coating is applied continuously over the below-grade wall at the right thickness, with no thin spots, holidays or gaps at penetrations and the footing, and any protection board or drainage layer in place before backfill. It's confirmed the wall is clean and cured enough to take the coating first.
Because RTI closes items on a photo, damp-proofing is documented before backfill buries it for good — full, continuous coverage and the treatment at penetrations and the footing shown in frame, the only record once the soil goes back.
Checklists that put damp-proofing to work
Free, field-ready checklists, each with the photo every item needs before it can be submitted.
Related terms
- Cold jointA weak seam left in concrete when fresh material is placed against a batch that has already started to set, so the two never fully bond.
- UnderlaymentThe layer between structure and finish — under roofing, flooring or tile — that adds water resistance, a smooth base or the right bond surface.
- PenetrationAny point where a pipe, conduit, duct or cable passes through a wall, floor or roof — a hole that has to be sealed back to match the assembly it crosses.
- Weep holeA small opening left at the base of a cavity wall or window so water that gets behind the face has a path back out.
- MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing)The mechanical, electrical and plumbing trades — the systems run through a building's structure that get inspected at rough-in and again at final.
- FirestoppingSealing openings where pipe, conduit or cable pass through a fire-rated wall or floor so the assembly's rating is restored.
Knowing the term is step one. Proving it is the job.
RTI holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and the photos are attached, then chains the record so it can be proven untouched later.