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Dado rail

Wooden moulding fixed horizontally to a wall, about 1 metre (3ft 4in) above the floor, originally intended to protect the wall against damage by chair-backs.

Damp-proof course

Course Layer of impervious material (mineral felt, pvc etc.) incorporated into a wall to prevent dampness rising up the wall or lateral dampness around windows, doors etc.. Various proprietary methods are available for damp-proofing existing walls including "electro-osmosis" and chemical injection.

Deathwatch beetle

(Xestobium Refovillosum.) Serious insect pest in structural timbers, usually affects old hardwoods with fungal decay already present.

Double glazing

A method of thermal insulation usually either:
Sealed unit : Two panes of glass fixed and hermetically sealed together; or
Secondary : In effect a second "window" placed inside the original window.

Dry rot

(Serpula Lacrymans.) A fungus which attacks structural and joinery timbers, often with devastating results. Can flourish in moist, unventilated areas.

Eeaves

The overhanging edge of a roof.

Efflorescence

Salts crystallized on the surface of a wall as a result of moisture evaporation.

Engineering brick

Particularly strong and dense type of brick, sometimes used as a damp-proof course.

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