- home
- testimonials
- diagnosing damp
- moving home?
- timber decay
- solid wall insulation
- dry rot
- pre-purchase report
- enquiry form
- case histories
- guarantee adoption
- fees for survey/ mortgage retention specials
- treatment options
- contact us
- environmental control
- condensation
- recession update
- damp & decay related articles
How extensive is Rising Damp
Has dampness been noted on your Building Society survey?
Is it rising dampness due to a failed damp-proof course and is the
answer chemical damp-proofing? Or is it a bridged damp-proof course?
Penetrating damp? Condensation? All of which can be solved much easier
and cheaper than having an injected damp-proof course installed.
Home buyers special-Combined damp and timber report £250.00
We will survey for any possible dampness (i.e. rising damp, penetrating
damp, condensation) and any timber decay ( woodworm, wet rot or dry rot)
and provide a written report which will cover all aspects of dampness
and timber decay to your house which will include detailed
specifications and costings for repair works. In 95% of the properties
that we survey there is no need to carry out any chemical damp-proofing
or timber treatments which as well as being unnecessary are usually
expensive, messy and very disruptive
THE NEED FOR AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS OF DAMPNESS
Rising damp is the classic form of damp that most people are concerned
with when they think of a damp house and it is especially concerning for
home owners and purchasers as mortgage surveys always flag up the
possibility of dampness and timber decay related to dampness, but is
"rising dampness" really as common as we are led to believe?
"Traditionally built houses are perfectly able of dealing with rising
damp because they usually incorporate considerable ventilation
opportunities such as considerable ventilation opportunities such as
suspended ventilated ground floors, allowing walls to breathe where they
emerge from the ground. The damp-proof course is a second line of
defence."
Dampness in Buildings by Alan Oliver
"Rising dampness is usually not as extensive or as troublesome as
other forms of dampness. In reality it is relatively uncommon, and can
easily be mis-diagnosed by surveyors"
PCA/Property Care Association-Code of Practice- The Installation of
Remedial Damp-Proof Courses in Masonry Walls
"If a positive diagnosis of rising damp is being obscured by other
faults the surveyor should recommend that the client remedies them first
and then allows a period of time to elapse before further checks are
made."
This approach is in accordance with good practice and offers a holistic
method of dealing with ‘rising damp’ but most Property Care Association
(PCA) members will routinely recommend the installation of a chemical
damp-proof course together with a waterproof plastering system without
first eliminating other potential causes of dampness and almost
definitely without allowing a period of time to assess if the works were
successful or not.
Diagnosing Damp by Ralph Burkinshaw & Mike Parret
"Householders and even some surveyors are too quick to assume that
problems with dampness are caused by rising damp. In fact, true rising
damp is not very common and because the remedies for rising damp are so
expensive it is doubly important to ensure the diagnosis is correct
before starting work."
Building Research Establishment (BRE) Good Repair Guide 6 - Treating
Rising Damp in Houses - January 1997
"Because of the high cost of remedial work, it is essential that the
diagnosis is as positive as possible to distinguish between rising damp
and other sources of damp."
BRE Digest 245 - January 1981 "Rising Damp in Walls: Diagnosis and
Treatment
"Investigations have revealed many instances in which systems
intended to combat rising damp have been installed in buildings where
rising damp is not occurring. A frequent reason for this has been a
wrong interpretation of high readings obtained when using an electrical
moisture meter. Another reason was the failure to recognize other causes
of the damp conditions."
Despite this advice most damp-proofing surveyors, including Property
Care Association members, will often diagnose rising damp on the
strength of moisture meter readings and then recommend costly
damp-proofing work which may be unnecessary
Building Research Advisory Service, Technical Information Leaflet TIL
47 August 1982
"The diagnosis of rising damp needs careful and systematic thought
because it can easily be confused with penetrating dampness and
condensation. The Building Research Establishment (BRE) have suggested
that only 10% of the dampness problems it investigates are attributable
to rising damp. Unfortunately, there are a number of companies
specializing in d.p.c. replacement who obviously have a commercial
interest in finding problems with rising damp. The diagnosis needs to be
treated with caution. Although there are several reputable companies
working in this field, it may be wise to seek independent advice.
Further "encouragement" to find problems of rising damp is provided by
banks and building societies who often request a damp report as a
condition of a mortgage advance."
Understanding Housing Defects (Estates Gazette) 1998
"There are many contractors advertising specialist services to remedy
dampness by installing damp proof courses. Yet most apparent rising
dampness cannot be attributed to the absence or failure of a damp proof
course."
The Remedial Treatment of Buildings by Barry Richardson 1995
"Dampness of one sort or another is the most common problem in
housing. It results in visible wetting of walls, ceilings and floors,
blistering paint, bulging plaster, mould on the surfaces and fabrics and
sulphate attack on brickwork. It can also lead to less obvious problems
- thermal insulation is reduced in effectiveness or brickwork because
metal components imbedded in it have corroded. As with all repair work,
the first step to solving any damp related problem is to diagnose the
cause correctly."
B.R.E. Good Repair Guide 5 - Diagnosing the Causes of Dampness,
January 1997
"Before any measures are undertaken, the problem should be analyzed
in order to identify the cause properly. In the first instance
professional advice should be obtained rather than that of a specialist
contractor."
The Repair of Historic Buildings (English Heritage) by Christopher
Brereton
"Often specialist remedial treatment companies report "they have
diagnosed rising damp" and specify remedial treatment which is possibly
inappropriate, to be carried out by themselves."
Malcolm Hollis. Building Pathologist & Chartered Surveyor
"Rising dampness is the rising of water within the vertical structure
of a building. Claims that rising dampness exists are frequently
exaggerated; it is present in only 10% of the buildings where dampness
was assumed to have been a problem"
DON’T TAKE A CHANCE ON A ‘FREE SURVEY’-YOU WILL PAY FOR IT IN THE LONG
RUN
Phone 0800 028 1903 for our homebuyers special –Damp survey- £150.00
Damp and Timber survey 200.00. Timber survey £150.00