Damp and Timber Survey in Warrington

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

Covering the following areas:  Appleton, Burtonwood, Croft, Culcheth, Glazebrook, Glazebury, Great Sankey, Kenyon, Latchford, Lymm, Padgate, Risley, Sankey, Stretton, Thelwall, Winwick, & Warrington to name but a few places!

Need a Specialist Damp Report or a Timber Damp Survey Warrington? Call: 0800 246 5668 or Contact Us Here 

Independent Damp Surveyors Approved & Registered (C.S.R.T.) (C.T.I.S.) Damp, Woodworm & Timber Treatment Specialists. We Have Been Carrying Out Specialist Timber and Damp Surveys & Damp Report Services in Warrington 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 Warrington.

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 Warrington.

Independent Damp Surveys in (Warrington). Approved damp control specialists & timber surveyors are accredited damp-proof specialists 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 Warrington? It is always advisable to anyone buying a house to have a pre-purchase damp and timber survey undertaken by wood rot & damp experts 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-proof course & timber decay issues.

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

What is a Damp and Timber Survey?

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

• Damp and woodworm survey & report Warrington 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 Warrington including a specialist damp report is available to all residents for rising dampness, wood rot, timber decay & wood boring beetles (woodworm infestation)
• A condensation damp and mould survey in Warrington 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-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
• Timber inspection of floors & roof timbers in a property for dry rot, wet rot and woodworm
• Independent damp-proof course specialists in Warrington, 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 / companies or other local damp specialists offering rising damp, dry rot & woodworm treatment services.
• Woodworm treatment specialists / experts can also carry out an inspection to 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.
• 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.
• 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)

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. Our independent damp 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 Warrington, 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 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 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 is 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 damp 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.

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 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

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 damp 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 in bathrooms & kitchens 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, 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.

Timber Survey in Warrington

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 Warrington 

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 Warrington. 

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 independent damp and timber surveyors  are specialists in providing damp surveys, woodworm surveys, dry rot surveys & specialist damp and timber reports for   many years and are recognised as one of Warrington’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 Warrington.

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 Warrington 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 Warrington 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.

You may be enticed by the offer of a “free survey” by other damp-proofing & woodworm timber treatment specialists based in Warrington, 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 Warrington 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 damp 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 Warrington.

So if you live in Warrington 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 our contact form  where you are guaranteed a fast, friendly independent specialist damp & timber report service.

Book a rising damp survey Warrington

A damp survey in Warrington is available to all local residents living near and in Warrington. We do charge for damp surveys but the fee is usually deducted from any chemical damp-proofing & timber 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 types. You can book a damp survey for your home or commercial building. We work with home owners, landlords, designers, property developers, and local housing associations.

Visiting your property to carry out a rising damp survey

Damp surveys and diagnosing any 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 urgently, you can call on Adept UK Damp & Decay.

We are happy to arrange to 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.

If 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.

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 Warrington’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 Warrington.

Woodworm Treatment Companies in Warrington

woodworm treatment services in Warrington can vary quite significantly and, in most cases, not even be necessary. Woodworm can be found in many properties throughout Warrington; 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.

With over 40 years treating woodworm we are one of the most experienced and trusted woodworm treatment companies in Warrington.

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 in Warrington

Dry Rot is a serious fungal infection that can be found in buildings throughout Warrington 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 Warrington 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 Warrington, call us today to arrange and discuss a fully comprehensive timber survey by a qualified Dry Rot Specialist.

Damp Proofing Specialists 

Many enquiry’s we have from clients in Warrington who require a quotation for damp proofing because they suspect rising damp and have been told by other damp proofing companies in Warrington 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.

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 Warrington 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.

Covering the following areas: Appleton, Burtonwood, Croft, Culcheth, Glazebrook, Glazebury, Great Sankey, Kenyon, Latchford, Lymm, Padgate, Risley, Sankey, Stretton, Thelwall, Winwick, & Warrington to name but a few places!

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, North Wales damp & timber survey, Shropshire damp & timber survey,  West Midlands damp & timber survey, Wirral damp & timber survey & Yorkshire damp & timber survey