misdiagnosis

FACT: Contractors mainly misdiagnose damp

The reasons are;

  1. It normally takes longer to identify the root cause of damp, than it takes to resolve it.
  2. Condensation is always part of any damp problem and should be addressed first.
    1. But the cost of resolving condensation is either zero (open windows more frequently), or very cheap (improve the bathroom vent).
    2. There is no money in a contractor saying condensation is part of the issue and should be resolved first before considering alternatives.
  3. Builders love to re-render and plaster walls in modern impermeable render.  It’s messy, disruptive and justifies a high charge and high profit. However, it’s not good for London period property which were built with permeable surfaces.
  4. It takes study, experience, an independent mind and obsession with the truth (root cause) to be a good at damp surveys – which few people possess – builder or otherwise.

Damp Treatment Fails

Yesterday we surveyed two properties both with damage caused by a large chemical damp proofing company. Here’s a snippet of the Plc’s failures. Damp treatment failure Ask for more details of what goes wrong when damp is misdiagnosed and why it causes more problems than it solves. Please add your comments.

Estate agent

24hr turn around Ask us for a Priority Urgent Damp Report (Damp and Timber Reports) Vendors Buyer are unhappy to spend additional money on a damp survey. Builders (damp contractors) offer quotes for works, which they call damp surveys, so what do you expect…. a £10,000 estimate for rising damp and renegotiation. Agents are seeing …

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Misdiagnosis condensation, as penetrating damp through chimney

Damp Surveys – problem damp in lower ground floor flat Misdiagnosis An independent surveyor missed the obvious signs of condensation. Sad, because you expect contractors to misdiagnose damp, after all “they are incentivised to sell”. A cold November day, 4 people living in a two bedroom lower ground floor flat, no extractor fan in kitchen nor bathroom …

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