07710 444910

ADVICE

Before you call anyone.

What to look for, what the answers usually are, and what to do if damp has been flagged on a survey. Nothing here is a sales pitch. If you do not need work doing, we would rather tell you.

SIGNS OF DAMP

Twelve things worth checking.

Grouped by mechanism rather than by symptom, because the mechanism decides the repair. Tick what you can see. The three at the foot are the ones that appear whichever mechanism is at work, so they count towards none of the columns.

RISING DAMP

Four signs

PENETRATING DAMP

Two signs

Both of these track the weather. If a patch appears after rain and fades in a dry week, that is the pattern.

CONDENSATION

Three signs

PRESENT WITH ANY OF THE THREE

These tell you water is moving. They do not tell you how, so they count towards none of the three columns above.

0

RISING

0

PENETRATING

0

CONDENSATION

0

ANY OF THE THREE

WHAT THE PATTERN POINTS TO

Nothing ticked yet. Work down the three columns and tick anything you can see on your own wall. Two or three ticks is usually enough for the pattern to show.

Have it confirmed

Nothing ticked yet

Two or three shows a pattern

Have it confirmed

One or two of these on their own may be nothing. Several together usually means the mechanism is still active, and that a repair is being asked to hold back water rather than stop it.

PAPERWORK

When damp is on a document.

Two situations where the wall matters less than what is written about it, and where what is needed is a diagnosis on paper that somebody else will accept.

SELLING OR BUYING

Damp flagged on a mortgage survey.

A valuer’s note is usually vague, "evidence of dampness, further investigation recommended", and it can stall a sale on its own. We survey the property, establish what is actually happening, and set the diagnosis and the price out in writing.

That gives you something to hand back to the lender, the buyer or the seller instead of an estimate. If the valuation has over-read the problem, the report says that too.

WRITTEN REPORT USUALLY WITHIN THE WEEK

LANDLORDS & AGENTS

Tenanted property, on the record.

Damp and mould in a let property is a repair obligation, and tenants report it long before it is convenient. We survey occupied properties, work around tenants, and provide the diagnosis and quote in writing so it can go on file.

Where the cause is condensation rather than the fabric of the building, we will say so and specify ventilation, rather than sell a treatment the property does not need.

OCCUPIED PROPERTIES, TENANTS WORKED AROUND

QUESTIONS

The ones we get asked every week.

Do I definitely have rising damp?

Probably not. Rising damp is diagnosed far more often than it occurs. Condensation and penetrating damp account for a large share of what gets treated as rising damp, and both are repaired differently. That is the whole reason we survey before quoting.

Will a dehumidifier fix it?

It will manage condensation while it is running. It does nothing about water entering through masonry, and it will not dry a wall that is being resupplied with moisture from the ground or from outside.

How long does the work take?

Most single-room damp proofing and replastering jobs are two to four days on site. The drying afterwards takes longer than the work itself, and we will tell you how long to allow for your walls.

Can I decorate straight away?

No. Fresh render holds a lot of water and needs to dry through before it will take paint. Emulsion applied too early seals the moisture in and then flakes off, which is the most common reason people think a repair has failed.

Is the work guaranteed?

All damp work is guaranteed for 30 years, and an insurance-backed option is available. We carry £1 million public liability insurance.

Do you charge for a quote?

Quotes are free. We look at the property, establish the mechanism, and price the repair before anything is booked in.

Does the plastering come with it?

Yes. Plastering is half of what we do, so the wall is taken back, treated and replastered by the same team. You are not left finding a plasterer afterwards.