Damp Problems?

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is a Damp Survey?

  A damp survey is a visual inspection of a property to determine the type, extent and cause of dampness that is present and to make recommendations on how to best resolve the damp issue/s.

• What equipment do you use when carrying out a damp survey?

  The engineers will use a damp tester and infrared camera to assist in obtaining surface readings.  We do not drill or make openings in walls, ceilings or floors as part of a visual damp survey.

• Will the report advise me what is causing the dampness?

  Yes. On occasions, dampness may be caused by a few different and unrelated issues and the root cause may not be 100% clear.  In these cases, the engineer will advise you what should be done firstly, secondly or thirdly to better understand and remedy the damp issue.

• Will the report advise me on how to go about fixing the damp issues?

  Yes, the engineer will advise you what you should do in the first instance and what you may need to do long term to permanently sort out the damp issue/s.

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• Will the engineer tell me exactly what the repairs will cost.

  No. We are not a damp contracting company and do not carry out damp remediation repairs. Our report is an independent assessment of the damp issues and is not an estimate or schedule of cost for repairs. However, when you are speaking to the engineer during the survey, the engineer from experience of similar type issues can give you a ball park idea of what the costs are likely to be. The engineer’s assessment will be based on whether you fix the issues yourself or employ a small builder.

• Can I see an example of a damp report?

  Yes, you can download a sample of a damp report.  This will give you a good idea as to what is covered in our damp survey. All properties are somewhat different, so the details included in the sample report are likely to be different to the findings for your property.

• My apartment is within an apartment block, what does your damp survey cover?

  The damp survey is restricted to your apartment only and covers damps issues within your apartment, damp issues emanating from the apartment or roof above your apartment, rising damp issues, the outside walls, windows and doors and damp issues from the balcony.

• Does the damp survey cover ventilation and condensation issues.

  Yes, damp is as likely to be the result of ventilation and condensation issues as issues from water leaks or rising damp. If there are condensation or ventilation issues, the damp report will advise you of same and what remediation action you should consider.

• Why should I pay for an independent damp survey when some companies provide them for free?

  Our damp surveys are independent and call out the issues as they are.  Unfortunately, some companies that provide free damp inspections also sell damp proofing services or ventilation/condensation remediation services. Occasionally companies that provide remediation services do misdiagnose certain issues that can assist in the sale of their products or services.

• Can you guarantee me that your damp survey will exactly diagnose the damp issues in my property.

  No, from experience we can diagnose or point you in the right direction in about 99% of the time, based on a visual damp survey.  We have been successfully carrying out damp surveys for over twenty years and our understanding of damp issues is second to none.  We also use equipment such as damp tester/s and infrared thermal camera/s to assist us in our interpretation.  However, there are a small number of cases where the opening of sections/s of the building is required to correctly diagnose the exact cause of dampness or water ingress. An example that we found several years back was a structural steel beam which was supporting a flat roof and was concealed in the enclosed ceiling.  Water was leaking at the roof flashing on one side of the flat roof, dripping and catching on the steel beam flange and running along the width of the roof and discharging onto the ceiling on the opposite side of the roof.  In odd cases like this using damp testers will not show us the source of a leak and opening of some sections of the property may be required.

• How soon can you inspect the property?

  This is dependent on availability at the time of booking and accessibility to the property. However, a survey can usually be scheduled in approximately 3 workings days after the booking date. Customer Care will provide a more specific idea when a booking is made.

• How and when do I pay for the survey?

  Payment can be made by credit card, debit card, and Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). Customer Care will ask for payment details when the survey is booked in, however, credit or debit card payments are not actioned until the day of the survey. Payment in full is required on the day of inspection.