There should  be no greater reason for doing your homework when searching for a damp specialist than this latest example.  A Coventry conman who conned elderly victims in the Midlands out of thousands of pounds for unnecessary damp work. Do your research and avoid the conmen, visit the PCA (Property Care Association) website http://www.property-care.org/ for a professionally recognised, approved, credible damp specialist and avoid the … read more

A MORTGAGE VALUATION IS NOT A SURVEY……….

Many homebuyers commit to buying a property based on a mortgage valuation report under the illusion the property has been examined through the eyes of a surveyor, not realising the mortgage valuation is not a building survey.  Only one in five purchasers actually commission a building survey and yet four out of five think they do, because they … read more

So four weeks later, we returned to the property to undertake a further inspection and compare our findings to our initial report, provide a diagnosis and repair specification.

As mentioned in our first blog post (Part 1), the building displayed symptoms of a severe damp issue which appeared to be affecting the majority of original ground floor walls within the building.  The walls displayed … read more

Imagine this scenario, you’ve bought, renovated and extend your property into the prefect home, damp proofed the walls, re-plastered and redecorated.  After a few years you start to notice symptoms of damp appearing very rapidly and within days the plaster is spoiling, salting and skirting boards are beginning to decay and warp. The kitchen floor starts to crack and move and the drains backfill with … read more

Most people in Britain are interested in finding new ways to increase the energy efficiency of their homes and spend less money on things like gas and home heating oil.

However, homeowners have been reminded to allow the water vapour that builds up during everyday tasks such as washing clothes and showering to escape, otherwise it can cause condensation and mould.

A study published earlier … read more

Bridged or failed damp proof course?

Another familiar story of a damp investigation for suspected rising damp on a property in York, North Yorkshire where a client contact us with regards to providing a survey and quote for a damp proof course.

The property is a 1960’s three bedroom right semi detached house constructed under a pitched roof with concrete roof tile covering and external … read more

Electrical moisture meters are invaluable tools which are used to aid surveyors in damp diagnosis. Moisture meters are a hand held device used to profile the distribution or pattern of dampness throughout a building and determine the quantity of moisture present in materials.

Electrical moisture meters are the ideal tool to use in pre-purchase surveys or where damage limitation is required as they are clean … read more

Calcium Carbide Meter – ‘Speedy Meter’

A calcium carbide meter is another moisture testing device used to aid surveyors in damp investigations and diagnosis.  Performing a calcium carbide test is however disruptive and for this reason these test are usually avoided in damage limitation surveys such as, pre-purchase inspections unless permission is granted prior. This does not mean the use of these meters in a … read more

This article has been reproduced with kind permission from its author Mr Graham Coleman and the Property Care Association (PCA).

Graham Coleman is a Chartered Biologist (C.Biol), Member of the Society of Biology (MSB), a Member of the Institute of Wood Science (M.I.W.Sc) and an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Specialist Surveyors and Engineers (F.Inst.S.S.E). He also has qualification in Chemistry and Botany.

Since … read more

Dryfix have recently just invested in some new specialist surveying equipment.  During our surveys we are often required to look into inaccessible spaces such as; floor voids, ceiling spaces or wall cavities. Faced with the difficulties of a non disruptive inspection on pre-purchase surveys which prevent our surveyors lifting floors, taking down ceilings and opening up walls to look for potential or suspected issues we … read more