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Damp and Timber Surveys

Specialist Damp and Timber Survey Report

A damp and timber survey is usually associated with the buying and selling of a property, or when a property owner has conflicting opinions from other damp and timber specialists or a damp and timber problem they would like correctly diagnosing.

It has become increasingly popular that mortgage companies are requesting damp and timber reports prior to a purchase of a property in the UK.

At this stage you may be thinking… “What on earth am I signing up for with this house” or “Is the house riddled with damp, woodworm and dry rot”

The answer to that is; No, 9/10s times. It is more than likely a minor issue that needs surveying to cover the previous surveyors “lower rear region!”

Before you start scrolling page after page on Google clicking random websites and potentially falling into the trap of a “free damp and timber survey” or are lured in by a pretty website offering you a magical fix please take the time to read the information below which has very important facts to look out for when trying to choose the right specialist damp and timber company.

Your first steps in looking for the right damp and timber specialist can be a mine field. Two things to look out for to begin with in this endless search of damp and timber companies out there and scrolling through websites and adverts…

  • Is the damp and timber specialist company a member of the Property Care Association (PCA)?

The PCA is the only national governing body in the UK in the damp proofing and timber treatment sector that ensure companies are fully qualified and competent to be carrying out surveys.

If they are not members of the PCA we would advise you not to use them.

  • Does the surveyor carrying out your timber and damp survey hold the CSRT qualification?

The CSRT qualification (Certified Surveyor in Remedial Treatments) is the only national certified qualification that any person can hold and call themselves a specialist in the damp and timber industry.

If he or she does not have the CSRT qualification then this person should not be carrying out the damp and timber survey. “Would you get a plumber to rewire your house?”

So to state the obvious all our damp and timber surveys are carried out by a qualified CSRT surveyor that correctly diagnoses any form of damp ingress and/or timber decay/infestations. Damp Pro is a full member of the Property Care Association being fully vetted and inspected annual ensuring high standards across the board.

Once you have found your damp and timber specialist and want them to carry out the survey for you it is very crucial again to get your instructions clarified prior to agreeing to the damp and/or timber survey to be carried out.

The cost of the damp and timber survey may not include what you actually think is going to be carried out. Top tip when comparing damp and timber survey quotations is to analyse what is included in the damp and timber survey and where the inspection is going to be carried out.

These reports can differ dramatically in regards to whom and what is carried out on the damp and timber survey.

A damp and timber survey fee is customised to what and where you want inspecting. Examples of different survey options are…

  • A ground floor damp and timber survey
  • A ground floor damp survey and a whole house timber survey.
  • A whole building damp and timber survey
  • A damp survey only
  • A timber survey only
  • A specific area to be surveyed only
  • A Woodworm survey
  • A Dry Rot survey
  • A rising damp survey
  • A penetrating damp survey

Then there are different additional options you may want carrying out i.e. a sub-floor inspection, outbuildings inspected, external timbers inspected, destructive testing and sampling and exposure surveys. All of which need to be clarified, prior to obtaining a survey fee quote and the survey being carried out.

A damp and/or timber survey scope is usually sent to our client via email once the booking has been made detailing our inspection which gives you the option to call us back immediately to clarify any details of the damp and timber survey.

Usually our damp and timber surveys are non-destructive unless agreed to prior in writing therefore if there is any specialist requirement please inform us upon your initial enquiry.

What is involved in a damp and timber survey?

On the basis that the survey is a non-destructive survey and the whole property is being inspected for damp and timber problems our surveyor will inspect the exterior of the property for obvious defects that could be causing moisture ingress such as :-

Externally our surveyor would inspect the building for obvious defects which may lead to internal dampness. This then would be highlighted in our report for remediation.

Internal testing is carried out with a protimeter to all readily accessible surfaces of walls to determine any moisture profiles associated with rising damp, the damp proof course being bridged, penetrating dampness, salt damp and lateral dampness. All areas found to be suffering the effects of dampness (subject to the scope of the inspection) would then be noted and detailed further in the damp and timber report.

Once the damp survey has been carried out, all readily accessible structural timbers are surveyed for signs of Dry Rot, Wet Rot and Beetle infestation (Woodworm).

Once the damp and timber survey has been carried out the damp and timber report is compiled at the office and usually sent out to you within 5 working days via email subject to a mutual agreement. The damp and timber report will provide you with observation details made from the day of the survey, recommendations to be carried out and if necessary a costing for any specialist treatments. You may find you need to get further quotations from either building/roofing/joinery contractors for other defects noted within our report subject to our findings.

A direct contact number for the surveyor who carried out your damp and timber survey will be provided to you should you wish to discuss the damp and timber report further or have any queries.

We understand it can be stressful during the buying or selling of a property so please feel free to contact us via your local contact number for further free advice and a free damp and timber survey quotation.

If you have been instructed to have a specialist damp and timber survey carried out when buying a property it usually means you have already committed yourself financially, whether its survey fees and/or solicitors fees, there is a lot at stake financially regarding the findings of the damp and timber survey.

A misdiagnosis can result in mortgage retentions and in some cases refusal of lending. So it is very important to use a qualified CSRT surveyor to carry out the damp and timber survey.

Our main objective is to pass your property with a clean bill of health, however in some cases there are problems. To what extent though? That is the question!

Chemical damp proof course installations or fungicide/insecticide treatment are expensive and sometimes not even necessary. There are times when internal or external bridging gives the façade of rising damp. Which in most cases require no treatment apart from de-bridging and maybe some replastering. Most properties in the UK will have a physical damp proof course which became mandatory in 1875 due to the introduction of the Public Health Act, therefore the need for chemical damp proof course injections in a property post 1875 is slim.

Whether it is a misdiagnosis you have previously received from a damp proofing contractor or you suspect rising damp in your property, rest assured that a damp survey carried out by a CSRT Surveyor will provide you with the correct diagnosis and recommend the correct remedial action if any at all.

Another common error within the damp proofing and timber decay industry is the misdiagnoses of wood boring insect attack e.g. woodworm infestation. There are many species of wood boring insects that come under the universal umbrella term of “woodworm” that require completely different treatments if any treatment at all. With the use of our specialist CSRT Surveyor, a diagnosis will be given providing you with peace of mind assurance whether or not woodworm treatment is actually needed.

Don’t take chances with probably your biggest financial investment; your property. Ensure you have a damp and timber survey carried out by a CSRT Surveyor.

Damp Pro carry out damp and timber surveys throughout the UK by qualified CSRT Surveyor in areas such as :-

Manchester , Bury, Rochdale, Middleton, Prestwich, Altringham , Cheadle, Didsbury, Gatley, Sale, Stretford, Wythenshawe , Ashton-under-Lyne, Hyde, Droylsden , Oldham, Irlam, Eccles, Salford,  Swinton, Urmston, Walkden, Worseley, North Wales Anglesey, Colwyn Bay, Conwy, Rhos on Sea, Rhyl, Prestatyn, Llandudno to name just a few. Bolton, Leigh ,Stockport,Wilmslow, Macclesfield, Wigan, Liverpool, Chester, St Helens , Skelmersdale, Warrington, Crewe, Northwich, Birmingham, Harborne, Edgebaston, Selly Oak, Bournville, Moseley, West Bromwich, Stourbridge, Bromsgrove, Redditch, Wednesbury, Dudley, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Coventry, Stoke-on-Trent, Kidderminster, Shropshire, Shrewsbury, Oswerstry, Whitchurch, Telford, Ludlow, Bridgnorth, Cheltenham,

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Submit a free enquiry and we will get in touch with you to discuss and organise your damp & timber survey report. 

Furthermore, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact us via our contact page and we will do our best to answer your questions and assist you.

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