Damp and Timber Survey & Reports in Birkenhead

Independent Damp Survey & Report Call: 0800 246 5668 or Contact Us HERE

Damp and Timber Surveys Carried Out in Birkenhead on Behalf of: Homeowners, Buyers, Sellers, Mortgage Lenders & Re-Mortgage Equity Release Companies. Experts Providing Accurate Diagnosis for Rising Damp, Condensation, Woodworm, Wood Rot, Wood Boring Insects &Timber Decay Wet & Dry Rot. 

Need a Damp and Timber Survey Carried Out on a Property? Then Simply fill Out Our Contact Us Form and a Member of the Team Will Be in Touch.

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

We offer chemical free, eco-friendly cost-effective sustainable solutions. Therefore, avoiding unnecessary, costly & disruptive chemical treatments offered by many remedial damp proofing & timber treatment companies & contractors in Birkenhead.

Adept UK Damp Surveyors – are proud to provide damp & timber surveys for residents based in Birkenhead, with the most reliable independent damp and timber report & woodworm inspection services in the area.

Independent Damp Surveys in (Birkenhead). 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 recognized 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 or considering purchasing a property in Birkenhead? It is always advisable when buying a house to have a pre-purchase damp and timber survey carried out by experts before exchange of contracts. 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-proof course & timber decay issues.

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

At last you’ve found your perfect home in Birkenhead, 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.

What is a Damp and Timber Survey?

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

• Damp and woodworm survey & report 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 condensation damp and mould survey in Birkenhead 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.
• Damp report & external inspection to locate the position of any damp course and for high ground levels which may lead to low level dampness & timber decay to adjacent sub-floor timbers
• Timber survey / inspection of wooden floors plus roof timbers for dry rot, wet rot and 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.
• If requested we can 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.
• Damp-proof course specialists in Birkenhead 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 property care association registered damp-proofing and timber treatment contractors or other local damp specialists offering rising damp, dry rot & woodworm treatment services based in Birkenhead area.
• Woodworm treatment specialists in Birkenhead can also inspect roofing timbers for any signs of dry rot, wet rot timber decay and active woodworm

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) 

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

Damp Timber Survey? Damp report? Terms used by mortgage providers every day, in and around Birkenhead, 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 survey or a PCA damp report is asked for by lenders, people don’t know where to turn and that leaves them open to mis-diagnosis, confusion and sometimes; very poor service.

So, what is a damp survey and when is a damp survey needed and what does a damp report 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 valuer or 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 be carried out 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.

Qualifications 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 give specialist woodworm and wood rot advice in Birkenhead too).

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

Your first step in fixing any dampness in your home 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 paint and flaking skirting boards
• Blistering plaster or paint
• White powder on walls (salts)

PENERTRATING DAMPNESS

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

• Localised damp patches on external walls and ceilings
• Damp that becomes more visible when it rains
• Moss or algae growth on external walls
• Damaged stone / 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 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

Contact our independent timber and damp experts in Birkenhead today! 

If you have already identified your damp problem, great! Our independent damp experts can offer environmentally friendly cost effective damp solutions. 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.

Independent damp-proofing and timber treatment services offered by Adept UK, 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 Birkenhead.  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 Birkenhead’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 Birkenhead.

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 for rising & woodworm, if the damp company is a registered member of the Property Care Association (PCA) and if the damp-proofing contractors guarantee is valid. Never assume that the property is completely covered and check that the specialist damp-proofing & woodworm timber treatment company in Birkenhead 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.

Don’t take any shortcuts, your property is likely to be the biggest investment you will ever make.

You may be enticed by the offer of a “free survey” by other damp-proofing & woodworm timber treatment specialists based in Birkenhead, however some 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 Birkenhead 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 Birkenhead. So if you live in Birkenhead 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 on 07860 222 743  or email  us by clicking on the contact form  where you are guaranteed a fast, friendly independent specialist damp & timber report service. 

Woodworm Treatment Specialists in Birkenhead

Treatment for woodworm in properties can vary quite significantly and, in most cases, not even be necessary. Woodworm can be found in many properties throughout Birkenhead however, the key to treating woodworm infestations is to actually know whether or not the woodworm evidence is historic or active. Or if the beetle infestation requires any treatment at all!! When these two simple points are determined by one of our qualified CSRT surveyors, it could result in saving you hundreds, even thousands of pounds on unnecessary woodworm treatments.

Woodworm infestations can be isolated to one room or can become well established throughout the whole of a building and can cause significant structural damage. Therefore, if you find evidence of a suspect Woodworm Infestation, it is crucial to get qualified independent advice by a Woodworm specialist holding the CSRT qualification to avoid the wrong diagnosis and treatments. If you need roof void timbers / floor joists & floorboards  inspected in your house, give us a call

Dry Rot Specialists & Dry Rot Treatment 

Dry Rot is a serious fungal infection that can be found in buildings throughout Birkenhead and the UK. Dry Rot can have a devastating effect on building s and can be very costly to treat and eradicate. Dry Rot is a serious fungal infection that can spread throughout buildings, through masonry and behind plaster work. It feeds on timber and has the ability to remove all structural integrity from timbers.

Specialist Dry Rot treatments are required to eradicate the fungal infection following strict specialist protocol. Any person(s) dealing with the infection should hold the CSRT qualification (Certified Surveyor in Remedial Treatments) to ensure that the relevant and specialist Dry Rot Treatment procedures are being carried out. If the essential procedures are not carried out, the Dry Rot fungal infection is likely to return. When a Dry Rot outbreak has been identified it is essential that treatment is carried out as soon as possible to avoid further damage and further expense.

All Dry Rot surveys in Birkenhead are carried out by a fully qualified CSRT surveyor to provide you with the correct diagnosis and advice on treating and eradicating the Dry Rot fungus. When dealing with Dry Rot you should always use a qualified dry rot specialist surveyor and the survey should always be carried out by a CSRT surveyor. For a Dry Rot survey in Birkenhead, call us today to arrange and discuss a fully comprehensive timber survey by a qualified Dry Rot Specialist.

Damp-Proofing Specialists & Surveyors 

Many enquiry’s we have from clients throughout Birkenhead, is that they need a damp survey and quotation for damp proofing because they suspect rising damp and have been informed by a builder that they have rising damp and damp proofing is needed in the form of a chemical proof injection. This is usually not the case. Most of the time dampness is found to be present due to lack of maintenance, bridging of the physical damp proof course or another source of moisture.

If you notice tide marks on your walls, peeling paint, wet patches or damaged skirting boards, you may have a rising damp problem, which most commonly affects older properties. Rising damp occurs when porous materials, such as mortar, bricks and stone, soak up moisture, and the dangers include timber decay, wet rot, various health conditions and more. Whether it’s due to the damp-proof course in your walls being ineffective, poor ventilation or a drainage problem, it’s crucial to resolve the issue promptly for the sake of your comfort, finances and home’s condition.If you need a rising damp survey then simply call our rising damp specialists in Birkenhead . 

This is where our independent specialist damp and timber surveyors’ step in to provide you with an accurate and honest diagnosis. Initially, locating the damp proof course/level is the first procedure. Then identifying potential bridging issues of the damp proof course level, or in other instances other sources of moisture ingress that may present as rising damp to the inexperienced surveyor but in actual fact this is far from accurate. In most cases, simple general building works which can be carried out by general contractors can be carried out to resolve damp problems without the use of costly chemical damp proof courses/damp proofing.

An Adept UK damp survey in Birkenhead is carried out by a fully qualified CSRT surveyor to provide you with the correct diagnosis of any damp problems you may have. Once the damp problem has been diagnosed, an appropriate damp proofing recommendation can be provided in writing with our specially designed damp report.

Birkenhead Independent Damp Timber Surveyors, Damp-Proofing & Woodworm Timber Treatment Specialists In Birkenhead. Providing Damp Survey, Woodworm Infestation Survey, Dry Rot Survey & Specialist Damp and Timber Surveys, along with Damp-Proof Course Reports for Mortgage Lenders.

Birmingham damp & timber survey, Cheshire damp & timber survey, Chester damp & timber survey, Lancashire damp & timber survey, Liverpool damp & timber survey, London damp &  timber survey, Manchester damp & timber survey, North West damp & timber survey
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