Damp and Timber Survey in Wilmslow

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Damp and Timber Surveys & Damp Reports Carried Out in Wilmslow on Behalf of: Homeowners, Buyers, Sellers, Solicitor’s, Mortgage Lenders & Re-Mortgage Equity Release Companies. Damp Specialists Providing Accurate Diagnosis for: Rising Dampness, Condensation, Woodworm, Wood Rot Decay, Wood Boring Insects & Fungal Decay (Wet & Dry Rot).

Covering the following areas: Wilmslow, Alderley Edge, Alderley Park, Alderley, Ashley, Baguley, Bramhall, Cheadle Hulme, Chelford, Handforth, Marthall, Mobberley, Nether Alderley, Prestburg, Prestbury & Woodford to name but a few places!

Need a Specialist Damp Report or a Timber Damp Survey Wilmslow? Call: 0800 246 5668 To Book a Survey.

Independent Damp Surveyors in Wilmslow. Approved & Registered (C.S.R.T.) (C.T.I.S.) Damp Proofing & Timber Treatment Specialists. We Have Been Carrying Out Specialist Timber and Damp Surveys & Report Services for Well Over 40 YEARS.

Rising damp specialists offering chemical free, eco-friendly cost-effective sustainable solutions. Therefore, avoiding unnecessary, costly & disruptive chemical treatments offered by many remedial damp proofing & timber treatment companies in Wilmslow.

Adept UK Damp Surveyors – are proud to provide damp & timber surveys for local based residents, with the most reliable specialist damp and timber report company in Wilmslow.

Independent Damp Surveys in (Wilmslow). Approved damp control specialists & timber surveyors are accredited damp-proof specialists & Certificated Surveyors in Remedial Treatments (C.S.R.T ) (C.T.I.S.) qualifications recognised by the Property Care Association (P.C.A) Formally known as the (BWPDA) (British Wood Preserving & Damp Proofing Association)

Are you in the process of moving and considering purchasing a property in Wilmslow? It is always advisable to anyone buying a property to have a pre-purchase damp and timber survey undertaken by damp proofing companies before completing on the sale of a house.

If you’re looking to buy a property or you are currently selling your home, then we are your ideal local independent damp & timber specialists who can investigate all damp & decay issues

It is also in one’s best interest to obtain an in-depth pre purchase specialist timber & damp report and survey carried out by damp-proofing & timber treatment specialists based in Wilmslow, especially if any wood rot, rising damp and woodworm problems have been identified in a property and highlighted in a building surveyors home buyers report.

If your looking to book a damp and timber survey & report regarding signs of rising damp, wood decay or woodworm in your area, then simple get in touch with one of our locally based damp and timber surveyors to book your property survey and arrange an appointment.

Congratulations you’ve found your perfect home, you’ve agreed a price with the sellers, your mortgage company have sent a mortgage surveyor to inspect and value the property, you wait for the homebuyers report with great anticipation and then you are informed by your mortgage lenders, that you need to arrange a damp and timber survey from damp proof, wood rot & woodworm treatment companies Wilmslow.

What is a Damp and Timber Survey?

A pre-purchase damp and timber survey with a written report carried out on a property in Wilmslow can cover any of the following;

Damp and woodworm survey & report Wilmslow for clients buying a property and need to get a house or flat inspected by damp specialists and checked for signs of woodworm, wet / dry rot & walls tested for suspected rising damp and penetrating damp to ground floor walls.
A damp survey Wilmslow including a specialist damp report is available to all residents for rising dampness, wood rot, timber decay & wood boring beetles (woodworm infestation)
Damp-proofing and woodworm survey & specialist report for rising dampness, wood rot, timber decay & wood boring beetles (woodworm infestation)
Damp inspection to locate the position of any damp course and for high ground levels which may lead to low level dampness.
A condensation damp and mould survey in Wilmslow involves damp & mould surveyors inspecting a property and report upon any visible signs of any condensation & black mould-related issues
Condensation damp mould surveys for homeowners, landlords, tenants, solicitor’s, letting agents & housing associations.
Timber survey / inspection of roof timbers & wooden floors for dry rot, wet rot and woodworm, due to water ingress damage.
Independent damp-proof course specialists in Wilmslow, can also inspect & report upon any remedial damp & timber treatment work, which may have been previously carried out on a property and guaranteed by PCA approved registered damp-proofing and timber treatment contractors / companies or other local damp specialists offering rising damp, dry rot & woodworm treatment services based in Wilmslow area.
Woodworm treatment specialists in Wilmslow can also inspect roofing timbers for any signs of dry rot, wet rot timber decay and active woodworm
Damp and timber inspection to assess whether (air bricks) sub floor ventilation is adequate and to check that there is no woodworm, rising damp & wood rot decay present in the floor or roof timbers.
Damp-proof specialists in Wilmslow can also inspect roofing timbers for dry rot, wet rot and woodworm
Dry rot and damp survey with a report as requested by mortgage companies for suspected timber decay dry rot, wet rot and any active woodworm, for clients buying or selling a property.
Inspect the property for visible signs of any condensation black mould-related issues
Timber survey, we can also carry out an intrusive sub-floor timber inspection to inspect and report upon concealed joists, and to determine the condition of any other wooden flooring for suspected wood rot, timber decay & any signs of active wood boring insects (woodworm) at an additional cost.

Of course, all the above are subject to your instructions. The most important aspect for any damp and timber survey is whether access within the property is available, surveys will always be limited by things such as furniture, floor coverings, fitted kitchen units, etc. However, we can use an array of surveying equipment including; endoscopes, ladders, dual mode moisture meters, mirrors and even binoculars.

It is important to have a property checked for rising dampness & inspected for woodworm infestation, prior to exchanging contracts, so the cost of any specialist damp-proofing and timber treatment for wood boring beetles can be negotiated with the vendor. Our specialist damp and timber surveyors are accredited Certificated Surveyors in Remedial Treatments (C.S.R.T ) by the Property Care Association (P.C.A)

Money saving case histories

Damp and timber surveys carried out by Adept UK to satisfy mortgage requirements

Mortgage surveyors & building society surveyors in Wilmslow always seem to err on the side of caution when there is the slightest hint of dampness or timber decay in properties they survey. This applies even more in a lot of properties in the UK where a lot of houses are stone built and do not lend themselves to the more popular damp-proofing systems.

Most mortgage & building surveyors in Wilmslow simply use a moisture meter to detect dampness but these meters are not accurate on plaster or brickwork and they often give mis-leading readings and then surveyors immediately recommend a ‘PCA specialist damp and timber survey & report’.

Forewarned that damp has been picked up on a mortgage survey these ‘free damp surveys’ (which are really just damp & timber quotes) will regularly mis-diagnose rising damp and recommend chemical damp-proofing which is unnecessary, expensive and disruptive. If there is any damp it can usually be controlled in more cost effective, eco-friendly ways.

Most houses in Wilmslow that were built around 1875 to 1900 etc. have had a physical damp-proof course fitted and despite what a lot of damp-proofing surveyors say these are unlikely to break down and allow rising dampness to occur. Despite knowing this a survey detected ‘rising damp’ on the front wall of the house as part of a mortgage survey and recommended further investigation.

We found that the existing damp-course was intact and still functioning and that the cause of the ‘rising damp’ was due to leaking guttering which had allowed rainwater to splashback off the driveway and into the base of the wall.

Moisture then travels through the wall by capillary action to appear as induced ‘rising damp’ internally. No damp-proofing works were required and all that was needed was the replacement of the defective gutter, saving our client the expense of having unnecessary and expensive damp-proofing works carried out.

PCA damp and timber reports are usually requested by banks and building societies as a condition of a mortgage offer being accepted so that they can be sure that the structure of property is free from rising dampness, wood boring insects, and wood rotting fungi.

You may not buying a property, and therefore do not need a pre purchase mortgage damp and timber report, then we can still help with our trouble shooter survey. Independent damp-proof course surveyors can carry out brief damp and timber surveys to give you peace of mind.

Damp survey? Damp report? These terms come up every day, in and around Wilmslow, when people are either buying / selling houses and there doesn’t have to be a damp problem for a damp survey to be asked for by a mortgage lender.

The problem is that most of us don’t buy and sell houses every day, so when a PCA damp & timber survey or a PCA damp & timber report is asked for by mortgage lenders, people just don’t know where to turn and that leaves them open to mis-diagnosis of any dampness & timber decay.

So, what is a damp survey and when is a damp survey needed and what is a damp report is likely to contain.

Damp is a common issue and affects a large number of homes. At the benign end it can be ‘something and nothing’, perhaps a few spots of mould and damp staining on ceilings due to a slipped roofing slate / tile.

However, at the other end of the scale, damp can cause real damage to a house; rotting structural roof and floor timbers, perishing wall plaster and sometimes making selling a house difficult, as potential buyers and mortgage lenders are put off.

A damp survey is usually asked for because a previous survey, by a valuation building surveyor has picked something up, which he wants investigating further, often by independent damp specialists like us.

I’ve been carrying out damp surveys on houses for the last 40 years, so I’ve done quite a few! Sometimes a PCA damp report is merely asked for as a precaution; there may be no suspected problem, but the building surveyor wants to be sure and double check, to protect his client from a costly surprise.

These surveyors often state in a homebuyers report that a PCA damp and timber report will be required for mortgage loan approval.

A damp survey would usually go something like this:

After arranging access with the vendor, the damp surveyor will arrive and after a brief introduction get to work. This will first involve a walk around the outside of the property. The damp surveyor needs to establish the construction details, are the walls solid, cavity, rubble filled? Is there a damp proof course present?

What’s the lie of the land like, sloping? How high in relation to the internal floors and such? What is the design of the house like; features which may need regular maintenance and could allow damp to occur if ignored; valley gutters; copings at verges, rainwater pipes; surface water drains; other walls intersecting the house, like boundary wall, retaining walls and such? All of these will be taken in by the surveyor. Are there chimney stacks capped?

A surveyor will then, they will look for any building defects: What’s the pointing like? Render? Is it cracked, hollow, in contact with the ground or bridging the damp course (if there is one present)? What about the gutters and down-pipes? Is the DPC bridged? Are there vents or ventilation cowls for the kitchen and bathroom extractors? Is the stone / brick porous? Are there garden bushes which could block gutters and hide other damp problems?

If this sounds a lot, it’s not an exhaustive list, but gives a flavour of what any experienced and qualified damp surveyor will be considering within minutes of arriving.

Then the internal damp survey will start, though usually the damp surveyor will have a chat with the vendor (if the house is occupied). Any work done before? What’s the history of the house?

Whilst the surveyor will go all around the house, they will already have a good idea of where any damp problems are likely to be, following the clues they have picked up outside.

The damp meter will not be used yet. First, it’s a visual check-around the property, looking for damp staining, loose wallpaper, peeling paint, salting or other signs of any damp problems. Then they will use their moisture meter to test the walls:

Testing and checking the walls where there are no apparent signs of damp (but where a surveyors observations lead too), just in case the damp problem is new and hasn’t damaged the internal decorations yet.
Where a visual damp problem is seen, and where an elevated damp reading is found, they will want to use their moisture meter to check if the problem is an historic one, which has dried out. If it hasn’t and high damp readings are obtained, our surveyors will start to profile the area of wall, to find out what the relative distribution of the moisture is. A moisture profile will help his damp diagnosis and combined with the visual internal and external inspection; it should allow a reasonable diagnosis of the cause of the damp to be made.

A damp report is needed so our surveyors will be taking notes and perhaps photographs along the way, so that a meaningful written damp report can be issued.

Recommendations, as to what to do about the damp (if any noted) are an essential part of the damp report. These could include simple maintenance work, like re-pointing, installing an extractor fan, or repairing gutters, down-pipes and any roofing repairs.
Sometimes the cause of the problem may be rising damp or a severe penetrating damp issue. In these cases, an independent damp specialist will prepare a damp report, which includes a specification for any required work.

Independent damp specialist surveyors don’t quote for work, but will offer a repair specification and advice on how to find a good specialist damp proofing companies to carry out the work for you.

The damp report will often be required by a mortgage lender and these days, many of them recommend that the damp survey is carried out by an independent damp specialist who is a C.S.R.T. qualified surveyor this is because the damp proofing industry is unregulated and unfortunately there are quite a few damp ‘specialists’ who have no industry qualifications, and sometimes no idea what they are doing.

Using a qualified C.S.R.T. independent surveyor is the best way of avoiding unqualified, cowboy traders, who offer damp surveys and damp reports which in many cases are defective, and contain wrong and misleading advice.

What qualifications are there for damp surveyors?

Qualifications for approved damp surveys are defined as CSRT (Certificate in remedial treatment). The CSRT is the modern version of CRDS & CTIS and is roughly the same other than the fact that CSRT is a combined damp and timber infestation qualification (so the CSRT surveyor can advise on woodworm and wood rot problems too), and the CSRT also includes an environmental and health and safety module, which these days, is desirable and very sensible.

Diagnosing damp & timber decay problems – what signs to look for

The first step in fixing dampness is to find the main source. There are many different types of dampness – here are the signs you should be looking out for.

RISING DAMP

Rising damp is caused by a non-existent or faulty damp-proof course and describes the action of groundwater moving up through a wall through capillary action. Due to the nature of rising damp, only your ground floor walls will be affected by this type of damp. Signs of rising damp include:

A noticeable tidemark on an interior wall up to 1.5m
Peeling or flaking skirting boards
Blistering plaster or paint
White powder on walls (salts)

PENERTRATING DAMPNESS

Penetrating damp, otherwise referred to as water ingress, means that water is making its way into your home from the outside. This can occur in a number of ways, either via a burst pipe, leaky roof, or damaged masonry. Common signs of penetrating damp include:

Localised damp patches on walls or ceilings
Damp that becomes more visible on external walls when it rains
Moss or algae growth on external walls
Damaged brickwork
Damaged guttering and down pipes

CONDENSATION

Condensation is caused by poor ventilation and is the most common type of damp to affect UK homes. Condensation mostly occurring during the winter when the difference between external and internal temperatures is most dramatic. Signs of condensation problem include:

Fogging on windows
Black mould growth on windowsills, walls or even furniture
Smell of mildew
Blistering paint
Peeling wallpaper

TIMBER ROT

If timber comes into contact with damp masonry, woodworm beetle infestation & wood rot can occur – beetle infestation can occur with only the slightest amount of moisture. Where timbers form structural elements to your property such as roof timbers, floor joists, skirting boards and timber lintels etc. it is important to act quickly when a defect is found or suspected.

Beetle infestation and rot can cause timbers to become weak and structurally unsound, sometimes in a relatively short space of time. The quicker a defect is identified the easier and cheaper the problem will be to cure.

Wet rot fungal decay and beetle infestation are the most common problems found in buildings, however there are many more which can be identified by a C.S.R.T. timber surveyor.

The characteristics of different types of rot and beetle infestation can be very similar in some cases; however, the severity and treatment does differ. All rot and beetle infestation can cause timber to become structurally weakened and should be investigated as soon it becomes apparent.

DRY ROT

Damp, fungal mushroom type smell
Affected timber feels brittle and warped
Deep cracks in the wood – often in a ‘cube’ formation
Evidence of mycelium growth on timbers (white fluffy coating)
Large fruiting bodies

WET ROT

Affected timber feels wet and spongy
Affected timber will appear darker
Easy to crumble
Damp, musty odour
Look out for black fungus growth

If you have already identified your damp problem, great! Our damp experts can offer an affordable and effective damp treatment. If you need further help with identifying the cause of damp in your home, then we can carry out a professional damp survey to provide the answers you need to get started on repairs. Contact our independent timber and damp experts today!

Timber Survey in Wilmslow

On the day of the timber survey, any timbers accessible will be inspected for woodworm infestation or timber decay (dry rot, wet rot). Depending on the accessibility, floor boards may be lifted with the vendor’s permission as long as they are loose enough without causing damage to the flooring.

A sub floor timber inspection will be carried out, and inspected for beetle infestation, wet rot and dry rot as well as making sure there is adequate sub-floor ventilation to keep the timbers dry.

Roof timbers will be inspected if safe access is available again inspecting the timbers for dry rot, wet rot or woodworm infestation. Once the timber survey has been carried out a written timber report will be forwarded to you via email.

Damp Survey in Wilmslow

On the day of the damp survey with the instructions received from the client, the specialist damp and timber surveyor will inspect and test all accessible walls at ground floor level including chimney breasts for rising damp and any other sources of dampness, such as penetrating damp & condensation using an electric resistance meter, a non-destructive method for detecting high damp readings on wall plaster.

A damp surveyor will inspect the exterior of the property for high external ground levels, which can lead to rising damp & penetrating dampness at low level and put any abutting timbers at risk of timber decay. Once the damp survey has been carried out a written damp report will be forwarded to you via email.

Independent damp-proofing and timber treatment services offered by Adept UK surveyors, are to control and prevent any rising damp, timber decay and woodworm infestation.

We provide independent specialist damp and timber surveys & reports which will accurately diagnose any dampness & decay issues using in-depth surveying techniques which are sympathetic towards buildings, an approach widely ignored by most damp-proofing and timber treatment companies based in Wilmslow.

Our comprehensive and impartial damp and timber reports come complete with recommendations for any remedial work which are usually chemical free & environmentally friendly solutions.

Adept UK surveyors have been providing damp surveys, woodworm surveys, dry rot surveys & specialist damp and timber reports for many years and are recognised as one of Wilmslow’s most established and respected damp specialists in surveying and diagnosing problems with rising damp, penetrating damp, condensation, dry rot wood rotting fungi, woodworm.

We have carried out countless inspections for rising damp, woodworm & dry rot, saving many clients thousands of pounds on unnecessary chemical damp-proofing & timber treatment work on properties in Wilmslow.

If a more in-depth specialist damp and timber survey & report has been requested by your mortgage lender, home buyer or building surveyor, it may seem like a worrying prospect, especially if you are a first-time buyer, but be assured, this is normal practice and should not discourage you from buying a new house.

It is important for you to ensure that your property is free from any damp and timber defects which could get progressively worse and depreciate your investment.

If you have been informed by the vendor that previous specialist damp proofing & woodworm treatment has been carried out by other property care companies, which is guaranteed, you and your solicitor are advised to check exactly which areas of the property have been treated, if the company is a registered member of the Property Care Association (PCA) and if the contractors guarantee is valid.

Never assume that the property is completely covered and check that the specialist damp-proofing & woodworm timber treatment company in Wilmslow is still trading.

Adept UK C.S.R.T. qualified specialist damp-proofing and timber treatment surveyors will carry out a thorough survey of the property and test to determine the exact cause of any defects. Damp experts will expose timbers and lift floor boards wherever possible, take random moisture reading, using a calibrated moisture meter and inspect the property externally to check for building defects.

You will be issued with a comprehensive report from property care specialists, detailing our surveyors’ findings and what remedial work is recommended, including images and a floor plan.

You may be enticed by the offer of a “free survey” by other damp-proofing & woodworm timber treatment specialists based in Wilmslow, however some local damp-proofing contractors and surveyors invariably state that your property has rising dampness and will unsurprisingly recommend the installation of a chemical damp-proof course together with timber treatments.

These treatments offered by approved damp-proofing specialists & dry rot treatment companies in Wilmslow are rarely required and completely unjustifiable.

Before waiting for a purchaser to have a ‘free damp and timber survey’ it would be considered prudent, for any homeowner selling their property, to have their own damp survey and written report undertaken to find the full extent and costs of any suspected rising damp, woodworm, & timber decay thus avoiding any potential buyer withdrawing their offer and pulling out of a property sale.

Adept UK independent surveyors undertake independent damp, dry rot, timber decay & condensation mould surveys for homeowners, buyers, sellers, estate agents, management letting agencies, banks mortgage lenders, landlords, tenants, solicitors, housing associations, and equity release companies located in Wilmslow.

So if you live in Wilmslow and think that you have any problems with dampness, woodworm or timber decay and need free impartial honest advice from damp-proof & dry rot treatment specialists then please call Adept UK or email us by clicking on this contact form where you are guaranteed a fast, friendly independent specialist damp & timber report service.

Book A Rising Damp Survey Wilmslow

A damp survey in Wilmslow is available to all local residents. We do charge for damp surveys but the fee is usually deducted from any chemical treatments which are found to be necessary. This can be discussed when you get in touch to discuss or arrange your survey and we will inform you of the survey costs involved, this will be advised to you in advance of our visit.

Adept UK Damp & Decay are damp survey experts; we are fully equipped and trained to work on properties of all sizes and scales. You can book a damp survey for your home or commercial building. We work with home owners, buyers, sellers. builders, letting agent’s, landlords & property developers.

Visiting Your Property For A Rising Damp Survey

Damp surveys and diagnosing any timber fungal decay & moisture issue in your home or property should always be treated as a priority. When you are planning to buy a property, we understand you need to move quickly. If the situation occurs that you need a damp-proof survey and report urgently, you can call on Adept UK Damp & Decay.

We are happy to arrange and attend your property, usually the next working day, if it suits you. Alternatively, you can book your damp survey at a more convenient time. Our rising damp surveys service can be useful for both property owners and landlords, whether it is for your current property or one you are looking to potentially buy or let in the future. I

f you need a damp proof survey on a property that you do not yet own or are in the process of buying, we will be happy to arrange to meet with an estate agent or tenant on your behalf.

Adept UK Damp Surveyors are all experts, with extensive knowledge and experience when dealing with rising dampness. A damp survey report will identify these common problems. We can also look at associated timber defects, such as dry rot or woodworm infestations, caused as a result of rising damp.

Independent

Independent damp & timber reports reports cost you anything from £200 – £650 plus depending on the size of property. This will get you a report from CSRT independent surveyors who have no bias IE. there is no interest in finding any work that needs doing. This is the pick of the bunch. Mortgage Lenders love these reports and if you’re hoping for sound professional advice then this is the one to go for.

After our initial inspection our report will make everything clear by including, explanations of observations and a breakdown of any cost for wood rot, rising damp & woodworm infestation treatment.

If you are worried about your home or a property you are buying, get in touch with our team to arrange a comprehensive damp survey, today! Adept UK are Wilmslow’s leading independent damp proofing and timber treatment specialists. Our independent damp proof survey reports are recognised by banks, building societies and mortgage lenders. If you need a rising damp survey then simply call our rising damp specialists in Wilmslow.

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CALL – 0800 246 5668 – Adept UK – Surveyor

Wilmslow Damp & Timber Surveys