Start with the diagnosis, not the treatment
Rising damp, penetrating damp and condensation are repaired in completely different ways, and rising damp is diagnosed far more often than it occurs. Conservation guidance warns that it is widely misdiagnosed from a visual impression and a meter reading, because salts in a wall make a dry wall read high. So the first thing to judge a company on is how it decides what is wrong. A firm that prices a damp proof course from the doorway, or from a meter reading alone, has skipped the part that matters.
For a historic building, Canterbury City Council's guidance notes that Historic England recommends a survey by an independent professional, such as a chartered surveyor, before expensive remedial work.
Questions to ask before you agree to anything
- What do you think the cause is, and how did you establish it?
- Who carries out the survey, and what qualifications do they hold? The Property Care Association runs the CSTDB (formerly CSRT) qualification for damp and timber surveyors, and CSSW for below-ground waterproofing such as cellars.
- Are you a member of a trade body? If a firm says it is, you can check membership with the body directly.
- What exactly does the guarantee cover, and for how long? Is it in writing?
- Is an insurance-backed guarantee available? It is designed to keep a guarantee in force if the firm stops trading, but the cover depends on the policy wording, so ask to see it.
- Do you carry public liability insurance?
- Who does the plastering afterwards: your own team, or someone else?
- How long will the wall need to dry before it can be decorated?
Get it in writing
Ask for a written quote, which is a fixed price, rather than an estimate, which can move. Age UK's guide to choosing a trader suggests getting at least three written quotes and a written contract before work starts, because without one your position is weaker if something goes wrong.
If you agree the work in your own home, you normally have a cooling-off period of at least 14 days to cancel, and the trader has to tell you about it in writing. Citizens Advice explains how it works, including what happens if you ask for work to start sooner. The same applies in Wales.
Warning signs
- A cold call, or a knock at the door, telling you your house has damp.
- Pressure to sign today, or a discount that disappears tomorrow.
- A diagnosis of rising damp from a meter reading alone, with no look at gutters, ground levels or ventilation.
- A chemical damp proof course offered for what is plainly condensation.
- No written quote, no address, or cash only.
- A guarantee nobody can show you the wording of.
Choosing a firm on the Wirral, in Liverpool or near Wrexham
Look for a firm close enough to come back if something needs looking at again, with reviews you can read on a site it does not control. We are based in Heswall and work across the Wirral, Chester, Liverpool and the Wrexham area. Our reviews are on MyBuilder, all damp work is guaranteed for 30 years with an insurance-backed option, we carry £1 million public liability insurance, and quotes are free and in writing after we have established the cause.
Whoever you choose, ask them the questions above. A good firm will be glad you did.
