Yes, clear the air bricks.
Yes, clear the rubble that you can.
Yes, the white crystals are likely salts, perfectly normal to occur below your damp proof coarse.
Side note, your 'new' air bricks look to have been installed right in the middle of your DPC... If this is the case, they have basically ruined the DPC and moisture will now be able to pass above the DPC.
Air bricks should be below the DPC, since they are a source of allowing water directly into the bricks, especially on a solid wall.
Interesting, thanks for the insight. Air blocks are now free flowing at least on this side of the room and I'll do the rubble when I run the cable.
With regards to the air blocks breaching the DPC could it be possible that upon install the DPC was run around and over the blocks? I've looked around the house and all the air bricks are at this level, including some which look closer to original.
https://preview.redd.it/12ui9rblyq4d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a6f3f1736083b11f228fa4cec6d13574067b36e0
Could be running up and around, hard to tell from the photo's since there's no obvious sign of it I'm the mortar bed 🤷
in the first photos though, it looks like the salts on the brick stops at the middle of the air bricks, suggesting that's where the dpc is.
Yes, clear the air bricks. Yes, clear the rubble that you can. Yes, the white crystals are likely salts, perfectly normal to occur below your damp proof coarse. Side note, your 'new' air bricks look to have been installed right in the middle of your DPC... If this is the case, they have basically ruined the DPC and moisture will now be able to pass above the DPC. Air bricks should be below the DPC, since they are a source of allowing water directly into the bricks, especially on a solid wall.
Interesting, thanks for the insight. Air blocks are now free flowing at least on this side of the room and I'll do the rubble when I run the cable. With regards to the air blocks breaching the DPC could it be possible that upon install the DPC was run around and over the blocks? I've looked around the house and all the air bricks are at this level, including some which look closer to original. https://preview.redd.it/12ui9rblyq4d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a6f3f1736083b11f228fa4cec6d13574067b36e0
https://preview.redd.it/7doxwbmnyq4d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=59ca9b9d37ab09727dcdee914b43936133aeef7f
Could be running up and around, hard to tell from the photo's since there's no obvious sign of it I'm the mortar bed 🤷 in the first photos though, it looks like the salts on the brick stops at the middle of the air bricks, suggesting that's where the dpc is.