Damp Surveyor – London

Update;

Homebuyers, vendors, Landlords only.
We have stopped surveys with the client in person, until London is no longer declared a state of “State of Emergency”.
Essentially that means only homebuyer, vendor or landlord surveys where client interaction is by phone. Occupancy should be minimised, ideally vacant or only one person in residence, wearing a mask and standing more than 2M away at all times.We may be able to help you solve your damp problems without visiting, please do send an email with accompanying photos and details.

Damp Experts, independent of contractors, 11 years experience, over 2,000 damp issues solved, using a root cause approach to fixing damp without injecting chemicals.

Service

Surveys take 1 to 1.5hours. Occasionally we will need to monitor dampness or atmospheric humidity.
It is often useful to see the other side of a damp wall, such as in a neighbour’s property.
Most causes of damp are easy and quick to fix, once the root cause is correctly identified.
This is why most damp issues are misdiagnosed or over engineered by contractors.
 
Our role is to identify the root cause of damp. 
We often fix the primary cause of damp while tracing the root cause – this is not our role, but a consequential benefit, and is dependent on time and permission. Examples of on-survey solutions are: unblocking gullies, unblocking ventilation, optimising extractor fans and improving heat distribution.
We are not contractors. We never charge for repairs. We don’t install or replace equipment. 
Independence and eliminating conflicts of interest, is a key aspect of the service.

Fee

The fee is a fixed rate of £300 for the survey and standard PDF report (sent by email).
We send an invoice a few days in advance confirming the appointment time, with payment details.
The fee is paid in advance in the form of a refundable deposit. 
 
We charge an additional amount for an additional more complex report with photos, details of each issue and links to online resources (suited for Homebuyers who don’t own the property).
This can be chosen after receiving the standard PDF report.
 

Rising damp guarantee

We will repay the full fee, no questions asked, if we find rising damp is the root cause. It is that rare in London.
We would also like to be involved in ongoing monitoring, as data is important for the scientific study of this rare and illusive phenomena.
We have two fee refunded cases we are currently studying, both appear to be linked to effects in street-side surface water drains (penetrating damp not rising damp).

Satisfaction guarantee

We want you to be satisfied so that you would like to write an informative review for future clients.
The survey and report comes with a satisfaction guarantee. 
If you are unhappy with the service, just tell us within two weeks of the survey and we will repay the fee in full, within two weeks of being informed.
Please call and speak to someone to ask for a fee refund as we are often overwhelmed with emails.
 

How much should a damp survey cost?

Some rising damp proofing contractors make their surveys FREE, or charge and offer a refund from the profit they make from treatment.

So how contractors profit?

Some say it is by overstating the problem and therefore recommending a more disruptive and more expensive remedy than required.
What would you do if you were a contractor offering a low cost survey?

Damp from hygroscopic salts is a good example

Damp caused by hygroscopic damp is a good case in point. This is where water is bounded by salts, mainly calcium nitrate from chimney breasts. These salts are benign but an aesthetic concern, acting more like grease stains rather than damp.

But contractors and surveyors constantly misdiagnosed them as being caused by rising damp. The end result is damage to a wall, that does not necessarily fix the problem. The solution is simply to block these salts with an oil based primer.

Dry rot is another example

The only effective solution for Dry rot is to identify and eliminate the root cause of damp, yet many recommend a toxic box, a useless, expensive and destructive procedure.

Damp Survey Cost
The real cost of a Damp Survey is the cost of not finding and treating the source of damp!

What differentiates Damp Surveys Ltd?

We cover the whole of London;

  • Independent from contractors. Our only income is from Damp and Timber Surveys.
  • Extensive survey. Most surveys take 1 to 2 hours. We look at damp walls from every angle and if there are any doubts, will ask to see the neighbour’s side of the wall. After all rising damp rises evenly on both side of the walls.
  • We take a holistic approach, tracing damp back to it’s root cause.
  • Suitable qualifications with the RICS and PCA (Property Care Association).
  • Satisfied customers, see Which! reviews: https://trustedtraders.which.co.uk/businesses/damp-surveys-ltd/#reviews and
    CheckaTrade reviews: https://www.checkatrade.com/trades/DampSurveysLtd.
  • Simon undertakes expert witness reports (price dependent on complexity) for court case and dispute resolution.
  • We charge a fixed survey fee of £300 (no VAT payable).

Damp proofing against rising damp, condensation, penetrating damp and leaking pipes is almost always free to solve.

Damp Surveyor Qualifications

There are really only two forms of qualification for damp survey;

  1. A Certificated Surveyor of Dampness in Building; after passing written and orals exams by the Property Care Association (a trade body for the damp Proofing industry).
  2. By relevant experience evidenced by membership of the Institute of Specialist Surveyors and Engineers.

Robert Simon Hichens has both qualifications.

PCA Certificated Surveyor of Dampness in Buildings CSDB
Property Care Association – Certificated Surveyor of Dampness in Buildings C.S.D.B.

Your peace of mind is our goal. For you to be satisfied that the property will be properly protected against damp now and into the future, not just a short term fix.

Our charge is £300 (no VAT payable) – the average savings by taking our root cause approach is £7,500 – but we have saved over £35,000 of unnecessary, damaging treatment in the past (arguably £100,000 when including past failed attempts using chemicals).
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