Cheshire Damp and Timber Survey & Reports.

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

Damp and Timber Surveys Carried Out in Cheshire 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 & Fungal 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.

Independent Damp Surveyors in Cheshire. 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 timber treatment & damp proofing companies in Cheshire.

Damp Surveyors in Cheshire including: Crewe, Congleton, Sale, Altrincham, Hale, Bowddon, Haigh, Bramhall, Frodsham, Marple, Macclesfield, Middlewich, Nantwich, Northwich, Compstall, Thornton-le-moors, Runcorn, Warrington, Winsford, Wilmslow & beyond. Serving all postcodes: CH, CW, L, SK, ST, SY, WA

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

Independent Damp Surveys in (Cheshire). Approved damp control specialists & timber decay 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)

If you are considering or in the process of buying a property in Cheshire, it is always advisable to anyone buying a house to have a pre-purchase damp and timber survey carried out by damp proofing companies before exchange of contracts. If you’re looking to buy a property or you are currently selling your home Cheshire, then we are your ideal local independent damp & timber specialists who can investigate all damp-proof course & decay issues.

It is also advisable for any clients purchasing a house to have an in-depth pre purchase timber and damp survey report carried out by damp-proofing & timber treatment specialists based in Cheshire, especially if any wood rot, rising damp & woodworm problems have been flagged up and highlighted in a building surveyors 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 in Cheshire, 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 can cover any of the following;

Damp report & woodworm / timber survey 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.
Damp specialists will carry out an external inspection to locate the position of any damp course and for high ground levels which may lead to low level dampness.
A condensation damp mould survey in Cheshire involves damp and mould surveyors inspecting a property for visible signs of any condensation black mould and other related dampness issues.
Timber survey / inspection of wooden floors for dry rot, wet rot and active woodworm
Independent damp-proof course specialists 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 or other local damp specialists offering rising damp, dry rot & woodworm treatment services based in Cheshire area.
Woodworm treatment specialists in Cheshire 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 insure 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
If requested we can comment on the visible condition of external roof coverings and rainwater goods
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 do this, prior to exchanging contracts, so the cost of any damp and timber treatment works can be negotiated with the vendor. All of the services offered by Adept UK are to control and prevent rising damp, timber decay and woodworm infestation, which are the problems that cause most damage to homes & buildings. However you may not be buying a property ? then click on our homeowner trouble shooter survey.

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

CONDENSATION

Independent Mould & Damp Specialists in (Cheshire). Condensation is caused by poor ventilation and is the most common type of damp to affect UK homes. Condensation damp mould mostly occurs during the winter when the difference between external and internal temperatures is most dramatic. Signs of condensation problem include:

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

TIMBER ROT

If timber comes into contact with damp masonry, 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 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 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.

Adept UK independent damp surveyors in Cheshire have been under taking damp surveys, woodworm survey, dry rot surveys & specialist damp and timber reports for house purchase and homeowners for many years and are acknowledged as one of UK’s most established and respected damp specialists in surveying and diagnosing problems with rising damp, penetrating damp, condensation wood rotting fungi, woodworm, water damage, problems. We have carried out countless damp and timber surveys and preserved thousands of properties.

If a more in-depth survey has been requested by your lender, home buyer / 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 put you off buying a house. It is important for you to ensure that your new property is free from any damp and timber defects which could get worse.

We offer four survey options ~ click here to find the right one for you

With any building defect, it is essential that you get a correct diagnosis of the problem before any recommendations for dealing with it can be made. Adept UK surveyors deal with many problems arising from damp in a building as well as woodworm and timber decay. An initial inspection is carried out by a specialist surveyor to correctly diagnose the problem and provide the necessary recommended remedial measure to rectify it. Wherever possible environmentally friendly, cost effective solutions are provided for damp treatment avoiding chemical treatments unsurprisingly offered by other damp-proofing & timber treatment specialists based in Cheshire.

Some of our competitors use surveyors who are paid by commission. Adept UK does not. Our inspections are carried out only by surveyors qualified in remedial building problems, and whilst all damp-proofing & woodworm treatment companies need to make a profit, our damp surveyors are not motivated by commission based earnings and we do not need to find unnecessary work to quote for. If nothing needs to be done, we will say so.

A Potential Costly Mistake Due to Mis-Diagnosis (Example)
Tarporley Rd, Stetton, Warrington WA4

A damp-proofing and timber treatment specialist company in Chester, offering a free damp and timber survey, carried out an assessment of a Grade II listed property near Wilmslow, Cheshire, for a home owner who suspected they had a woodworm infestation in the loft. The following week the owner received a quotation for woodworm treatment to the roof void, along with the rest of the property, for the cost of £2,250.00 + vat.
Appalled at the cost for treating woodworm, he contacted us for a second opinion. Our surveyor visited the property and upon inspection to the roof space timbers found evidence of wood boring beetle attack to the waney edges in some of the timbers. The woodworm beetle was identified as one that is non-destructive and does not require treatment. Inspection to the exposed structural timbers to the remainder of the stone cottage revealed the presence of woodworm holes, however these were old holes indicating that the beetle infestation was non-active and historic. The cost of treating woodworm? Nothing – no treatment required!

Damp surveys

Depending on the instructions received, a damp surveyor will inspect all accessible walls at ground floor level for rising damp using an electric resistance meter and visible observations. (However, he will not normally move external obstructions or internal furnishings). The whole property will be visually inspected for signs of significant condensation, (backed up by measurements taken with a thermo hygrometer, if it is considered advisable to do so). External observations will be made and relevant comments on building defects such as rainwater goods, external render etc, will be made where appropriate, to the client or in the report if submitted. Any visual evidence of timber decay will also be reported upon.

Timber Surveys

Accessible timbers will be inspected by woodworm treatment specialists for wood boring insect attack or timber decay (dry rot, wet rot). Roof timbers will be surveyed if safe access is available. Floor timbers will be inspected where accessible. With occupied properties the inspections are usually limited. Fitted carpets will not normally be lifted (unless loose) or furniture moved. Floorboards will not be lifted unless they are loose enough to do so without causing any damage. Staircase timbers will be inspected, except where fitted carpets are present. Soffits to the underside of the staircase often prevent inspection of the timbers too.

So if you require a damp-proofing and timber treatment specialist surveyor to carry out a damp and timber survey, woodworm survey or timber decay survey in Cheshire, then call Adept UK who are property care specialists in Cheshire call us on the above number to arrange a survey. or fill in our contact form

Woodworm Treatment Specialists in Cheshire.

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 Cheshire 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 in your home, it is crucial to get qualified independent advice by damp and Woodworm specialists to avoid the wrong diagnosis and treatments. .If you need roof void timbers / floor joists & floorboards inspected in your house, then simply call our woodworm specialists in Cheshire.

Dry Rot Treatment Specialists.

Dry Rot is a serious fungal infection that can be found in buildings throughout Cheshire 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.

Dry Rot surveys & treatments by specialists 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.

Dry Rot Surveys in Cheshire.

All dry rot surveys in Cheshire are carried out by a fully qualified dry rot surveyors 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 Cheshire, call us today to arrange and discuss a dry rot survey by Dry Rot Specialist in Cheshire

Damp-Proofing Specialists in Cheshire.

Many enquiry’s we have from clients in Cheshire, state that they need to obtain a damp survey and quotation for damp proofing works because they suspect rising damp and have been informed by other damp-proofing and timber treatment companies in Cheshire that they have rising damp and damp proofing is needed in the form of a chemical damp-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.

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 Cheshire 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.

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.

Specialist timber and damp reports for home owners, mortgage providers / lenders & equity release companies in Cheshire, damp-proofing quotation and woodworm treatment are provided in the following areas

CALL – 0800 246 5668 – Adept UK – Surveyor

Cheshire Independent Damp & Timber Surveyors.