Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Why  should  I  pay  for  an  independent  damp and timber survey  when

some  Companies offer  'free' surveys?

A. Whilst there are a number of reputable businesses within  the industry that offer   'free'   surveys,   some   treatment   Companies  employ   unqualified, commission based salesman, with limited experience and  little or no interest

in diagnosing the actual problems that are affecting a property.

Q. Can you give me an example of how that may affect me?

A. Yes. Let's  suppose that you  are  considering  the  purchase  of  a   typical mid-terrace   Victorian   property.  You  have   commissioned   a    Chartered Surveyor  to   undertake  a  Homebuyer  type  survey,  as  required  by  your mortgage lender. He arrives at the property and as part of the survey uses an electronic moisture measuring meter to test the wall plaster at  random points around the property, recording a high reading to the front bay and noting that the  surrounding  plaster  is  visibly damp. He compiles his report, in which he advises that this may be rising damp and should be further investigated  by

a  damp proofing specialist.

Q. That  all  sounds  reasonable  and  professional so far, what's the problem?

A. Well,  the  important  thing  to  note here is  that  your unbiased  chartered surveyor  has not determined whether the readings he recorded are actually attributable  to  true  rising  damp,  just  that  they  may  be.  For  a definitive

diagnosis,  you  are  relying  on  the  honesty  and  integrity  of  the specialist surveyor that you call in, who, coincidentally,  relies on  the diagnosis of rising damp in order to make a living.

Q. Shouldn't I  just  go to a Company that  charges  a  fee for the  survey but refunds the fee if work is undertaken, surely that implies a  more professional approach?

A. Yes it does. However, many Companies that offer to refund the survey  fee may add it on to their quote in the  first instance  and then take  advantage of

the  fact that most  Clients tend  to have fewer quotes if  they are  paying  for

each  one  and  don't forget  they  are still in the business of selling remedial works and treatments.

Q. But surely  rising damp  is a common  problem  affecting most properties, if

the Homebuyer  Surveyor  has identified  an issue  with  damp, then  it's just a simple case of getting two or three quotes from different Companies?

A. Not necessarily, there are many factors that  can give  a high reading on an electronic moisture meter, many of them not attributable to  true  rising  damp. In fact, both the Buildings  Research  Establishment, in  it's  digest 245  "Rising dampness in walls: diagnosis and treatment"  and the  BWPDA / PCA  who  run training  courses and  organise  examinations for  surveyors,  both  state  quite clearly, that a surface moisture meter alone cannot give proof of the existence of rising damp. With  no vested  interest in quoting  for chemical treatments  or specialist re-plastering works, you can be sure that our surveyor will carry  out

a thorough  inspection of the  property, in order  to  determine  whether a  high meter reading is attributable  to true rising damp, or some other building defect that can be rectified  by a competent  builder,  without  the need  for expensive  and disruptive treatments.

Q. But what if the  property  does have true  rising damp  after  all, I  will have occurred additional costs by instructing you, that will not  be refunded, how has that benefited me?

A. In a worse case scenario where a  property is  affected by  rising damp  our surveys  and  reports  will  not  only  determine  the  full  extent  of  the  works

required, but also the most appropriate method of  treatment. Some  treatment company  surveyors  are  happy  just  to  find  something  to quote on  and will

choose to ignore  the more  awkward  or  inaccessible  areas  of  a property as 

they may be time consuming  to  treat and  therefore  less profitable, they may also be tied in to one manufacturer in order  to gain the best  possible  price for their materials. As your best interests are our primary concern,  we will provide

a report  that  specifies  the  complete  scope  of  the  works  that  are required  and exactly  how they are  to  be  undertaken. We  will do  this  in  a  clear and  concise manner, provide a sketch plan where appropriate and give an educated opinion  as  to  the  likely  contract  value. This  leaves  you  in   a  very  strong

position to  invite Companies  to  tender for the works   specified,  safe  in   the knowledge that there are no hidden agendas and that all the invited Companies  are tendering  for the same works.