Age and type of house
Do penny-struck joints, together with the side passage wall, count as evidence on rain driven into the struck edge, or only as a note of what was visible?
They are only a note of what was visible, not evidence that rain is driven into the struck edge. Penny-struck joints are a narrow joint profile, historically finished with a coin, seen here on the side passage wall. The survey recorded that profile. A struck edge can catch water, but this visit did not spray the wall, trace a leak, or decide that rain is entering there. The note is the joint. It is not a weathering test.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
A penny-struck joint is a narrow line in the mortar with a slight edge. A side passage can take driving rain and miss the sun, so the wall stays damp longer than a front. That is context, not a result. The survey saw the profile. It did not see water moving into the edge, because it did not test for that. The profile alone does not prove a path into the brick.
Tell the solicitor the passage wall and its penny-struck joints were described, and that rain penetration was not shown. If the passage side is stained inside, that stain is a separate finding and still needs its own explanation. A bricklayer can comment on the joints if you want them assessed. The lender has no spray test and no damp map of this wall. Do not repoint the passage solely to answer a note of a historic joint profile.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Were the penny-struck joints only recorded as a profile?
- Did you leave rain on the struck edge untested?
- Was the side passage wall noted without a leakage trial?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat the joints as a visible profile, not as proved rain entry.
- Keep any inside stain as a separate question from this joint.
- Tell the solicitor the passage wall was not spray-tested.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
Does a narrow joint shed water better than a flush one?
The survey has not measured that. Penny-struck work is a historic profile. It can throw a shadow and it can also leave a lip that holds dirt. Neither effect was tested on this passage wall. The report records the joint that was seen. It does not rank it against any other joint as a weather bar.
If the passage smells damp, is the struck edge the cause?
Not on this note. A smell is not what the survey used, and it did not trace moisture to the joint. The side passage can be cool and still without the struck edge being a leak path. Cause stays open. The joints remain a description of what was visible.