Professional Damp Surveys – Why They are Crucial for London Homes

Property ownership comes with costs, not just the financial burden of the purchase but also maintenance, and with such a wet climate we have here in the UK, damp is a potential threat to every London property. Some might say that damp is a silent assassin, it can move through a building and if not recognised and addressed, thousands of pounds worth of damage can be the result.

The importance of early detection

Time is everything when it comes to treating damp and mould issues; the sooner a problem is found, the cheaper the repairs will be. At London Damp Specialists, we offer a homebuyer survey that accurately determines if damp or mould is present in a building; this survey is designed for those who are planning to buy or sell a property and would like to check whether the building is free from damp problems.

Rising damp

Rising damp is moisture that comes up from the ground; every building should have a damp proof course that is sandwiched between courses of brickwork, which prevents moisture from attacking the structure. This damp proof course can be damaged or compromised, especially in older properties and should this occur, moisture will gradually rise up the walls, causing damage as it permeates brickwork, cement and timber. We offer a damp proof injection treatment that stops damp from rising up walls and when we carry out such work, we issue an unconditional 30-year guarantee.

Penetrating damp

Damp moves through materials with a capillary action; whether it comes from the roof or the exterior walls and if not treated, damp will penetrate the interior walls and damage plaster and timber window frames, causing wallpaper to peel and paint to flake and bubble. Damp timber is an ideal environment for mould and mildew to thrive and one sign of this is a musky smell in the house; mould is hazardous to health and prolonged exposure can lead to a person developing breathing issues.

Condensation

Damp and humid conditions usually lead to condensation, which can form of windows and even walls; lack of airflow is another reason that condensation forms inside houses. You can open a few windows to generate ventilation, while installing extractor fans in the bathroom and kitchen is another effective way to dissipate condensation.

Homebuyer damp survey

We offer 3 levels of homebuyer damp survey;

• Level 1: A thorough inspection of all interior and exterior walls, floors and ceilings, looking for signs of damp and mould.
• Level 2: Everything in level 1 plus a close examination of all timber structures and roof timbers, looking for signs of damp, woodworm, wet and dry rot.
• Level 3: All services in levels 1 & 2, plus the use of thermal imaging, moisture meters, air humidity tests, with borescope cameras to check hard-to-reach locations and ventilation flow tests. We also include drone imagery for a close up look at the roof, guttering and exterior walls.
• An additional service to test moisture levels in plaster samples is available at an extra cost.

If you would like an accurate survey for damp and mould in your London property, give London Damp Specialists a call on 020 7458 4864 or fill in the form on this website and our surveyor will be in touch to arrange a survey.