Welcome to the Dampbuster-Building Pathology website where we explain the need for accurate diagnosis of rising damp in order to avoid costly and unnecessary chemical damp-proofing.
Damp-proofing has become a big business in the last 50 years or so and
is largely driven by mortgage lenders demanding damp and timber surveys
after their surveyor has carried a Building Survey or Valuation Report
on behalf of the perspective house purchaser.
Dampness and timber decay are nearly always highlighted in a
pre-purchase survey by Building Surveyors working on behalf of mortgage
providers. Surveyors seem to be ultra cautious when undertaking
valuation surveys and they will often recommend that a damp and timber
report be obtained from a suitably qualified specialist or British Wood
Preserving and Damp-Proofing Association (BWPDA) or Property Care
Association (PCA) member firm, together with reports on the state of the
electrics and plumbing etc. Damp surveyors usually rely on hand-held
moisture meters which are not accurate on plaster but they are often
used as the sole diagnostic tool for measuring dampness and often leads
to unnecessary, expensive and disruptive damp-proofing works.
Most Property Care Association damp surveyors are usually paid on a
commission only basis and will have a vested interest in diagnosing
rising damp and therefore most PCA members’ damp surveys will invariably
be found and an estimate for carrying out the works will be included
with your report. This work will usually include chemical damp-proofing
together with associated plastering and other ancillary works.
Most of these works are not really necessary and some of their
effectiveness is debatable so we have compiled some information about
the various forms of damp-proofing which are used to combat rising damp
together with some more environmentally chemical free treatments.
Chemical free damp-proofing treatments such as French Drains and Wall
Base Ventilation are much more effective than traditional damp-proofing
if you require an independent advice about the suitability of which form
of damp-proofing is best for you then please call us on 020 8226 3101 or
contact us by e-mail on enquiries@dampbusters.co.uk
where will give you unbiased advice about how to tackle your damp
problem.