Damp and timber report Wrexham | Damp and timber survey Wrexham
Wrexham damp proofing, woodworm and dry rot specialists
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Dampserve is an independent damp and timber survey report company in Wrexham. We provide specialist timber and damp reports for homeowners, buyers and for mortgage purposes. Our company specialise in all types of property for residential and commercial clients. We correctly diagnose rising dampness, condensation, woodworm, dry rot and all other timber and damp problems.
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Damp and timber report for mortgage purposes, homeowners and commercial buildings.
Specialist damp proof treatment contractors in Wrexham. Our damp surveyors conduct damp and timber surveys for homeowners, buyers and landlords. Carrying out damp proofing, woodworm treatment, dry rot treatment and rising damp surveys. We also carry out specialist condensation control surveys and treatments.
Looking for a specialist damp company in Wrexham? We offer expert advice on all dampness, woodworm, dry rot and condensation issues. We have been carrying out specialist damp and timber surveys in Wrexham and providing reports for clients for over 50 years. With the combined field experience of our top surveyors being over 150 years, you can have peace of mind that the advice you will receive is the best out there. Our main aim is to provide our clients with expert advice and correctly diagnose any form of damp proofing, dry rot or woodworm across Wrexham and the rest of the UK.
Damp and timber report Wrexham
We are a damp and timber report company in Wrexham. Providing damp and timber reports for mortgage purposes and anyone selling a property. We offer full damp and timber reports on homes people sell, commercial buildings and tenanted properties. All our damp and timber reports are carried out by fully qualified damp surveyors and are accepted by all lenders.
Are you in the process of buying or selling a house? The banks have now asked you to instruct a damp and timber treatment contractor to carry out a timber and damp survey and provide a report. This is where we can help, we specialist in timber and damp surveys for this situation.
Damp and timber survey Wrexham
We are a damp and timber survey company in Wrexham. If you need a damp report or timber report, you first need a timber or damp survey carried out. We carry out full damp and timber surveys in Wrexham. All surveys are carried out to PCA standards and all our surveyors are fully qualified. Our damp specialists will correctly diagnose any damp problem you may have. All our specialist surveyors are fully trained to diagnose woodworm and dry rot problems.
Free damp and timber survey Wrexham
Free damp and timber report Wrexham. Is a damp and timber survey really free? Damp proofing companies in Wrexham offering free damp proof surveys will just sell you a new chemical damp proof course. The best damp proofing companies in Wrexham will also charge for a damp proof survey. The cost of a timber and damp survey would be £190-£490 depending on the size of the property and what needs checking
Check out our damp proof course myth page and see for yourself that you don’t need a new damp proof course and you don’t have rising damp. The damp and timber treatment contractor is trying to sell you something that you don’t need.
How Much Does a Damp Report Cost in 2024? | How Much Does a Damp Survey Cost in 2024?
How Much Does a Damp Survey and Report Cost in 2024?
The damp and timber report cost is £190 – £490, and the damp and timber survey cost is the same as you need a survey for us to provide a report. Is your home suffering from damp walls, condensation, timber rot, penetrating damp, dry rot, or woodworm? Do you need damp proofing, dry rot treatment, woodworm treatment or do you need a damp and timber report to sell your house? We can help with all these problems.
Key Takeaways:
- Why is a damp survey important? damp is known as a scary thing in UK homes and buildings. You can read about how it causes asthma and other health issues on Google, most of which is not true. Damp can cause serious structural issues and lead to floors collapsing and walls falling down. However, if you have damp walls, 9 times out of 10 the issue is most likely condensation. Condensation is a simple fix and will not cause serious issues.
- Below, we will explain the damp survey process and how our surveyor carries out the survey.
Structural dampness is the presence of unwanted moisture in a building structure, resulting either from infiltration from the outside or condensation from within the structure. A large proportion of damp problems in buildings are caused by factors dependent on the ambient climate, such as condensation and rain penetration.
The capillary penetration of liquid from bottom to top through concrete or masonry is known as “elevated humidity” and is determined by the shape and porosity of the building materials through which this evaporation-limited capillary penetration occurs. Another cause of dampness is thermal bridging. Because of thermal bridges, mould is most likely to appear in the corners of walls and at the floor-wall junction. A thermal bridge is a point or linear area that exhibits a change in thermal resistance in the building envelope. Structural dampness, regardless of the mechanisms by which it occurs, is exacerbated by higher moisture levels.
Moisture control is fundamental to the proper functioning of any building. Humidity control is important to protect occupants from adverse health effects and to protect the building, its mechanical systems, and its contents from physical or chemical damage.
Find out the average cost of a damp survey and prevent costly repairs in your home. Our guide covers everything you need about damp surveys and their associated costs. Talk to our damp. specialist today.
The mention of “damp” often causes discomfort for numerous homeowners. Even though it is a prevalent issue in the UK, dealing with it is never a pleasant experience. It looks destructive and poses serious health risks if exposed to damp for long time periods.
You should get a professional damp survey done if you discover any signs of damp in your home or a home you’re buying. Damp problems can range from minor damage, such as a few penetrating damp patches of water stains or mould, to significant damage, such as structural decay and crumbling plaster.
So let’s get into the details surrounding Damp Survey Costs…(How Much Does a Damp Survey Cost)
What is a Damp Survey?
A qualified damp specialist conducts a damp survey to discover any damp areas on your property. They will include a comprehensive inspection of the property and utilise specialised equipment to assess the severity of the issues.
Various forms of damp may be captured in the survey. Each one necessitates a somewhat different treatment approach. A damp survey will determine whether you have damp, what type of damp you have, and how to treat it.
You should ensure the surveyor is a certified surveyor of Timber & Damp in Buildings or CSTDB qualified professional. You can then be confident they will inspect the property for symptoms of damp and assess the extent of damage caused, and estimate the cost of any remediation work that may be required.
A general property survey will look at the overall state of the structure, whereas damp surveys will look at the type of damp present and the damage it has caused to the property.
What Does a Damp Survey Involve?
A damp survey aims to map the moisture patterns within the walls and other building elements. The resulting survey will show how moisture moves through the damp walls, floors or other areas to identify which areas need treating and which areas need protecting from future potential damp issues.
The damp survey report developed will enable the client to understand the damp issues in technical detail, along with the severity of the issue and how it should best be treated.
The damp surveyor will use a damp meter to inspect the house and search for visual clues. They’ll look for areas of wet plaster, wood rot, rising damp issues, around windows for condensation, and other areas of potential damp problems.
Finally, they’ll prepare a report that includes treatment recommendations.
How Long Does a Damp Survey Take?
Typically, a damp survey can take anywhere from 2-3 hours to complete.
The time of a damp survey, on the other hand, is determined by several factors, including the type of damp that is prevalent, the size of your home, and the severity of the issues discovered, including broken roof tiles, faulty guttering, wet skirting boards or other signs of water damage.
Nonetheless, the survey will always cover the entire property to investigate potential hidden signs of damp, not merely focusing on the known areas of concern.
How Much Does a Damp Survey Cost?
The size of your home will determine the cost of a damp survey. The more rooms and the larger the home, the longer the damp survey will take to survey and the higher the cost.
Equally, consideration has to be taken for specifics relating to the business carrying out the damp survey – for example; distance travelled and any other fixed costs they may have to build into their fee. Some indicative costs are below…
A damp survey for a two-bedroom property will start at around £200, but it may be increased to £300-400 if you have a four-bedroom house. And depending on the conditions, a damp survey for a larger 4-bed detached house may cost around £500-600.
Apart from the size of your house, other factors influence the cost of the damp survey. Certain parts of the UK are more expensive than others, and where you live will have a significant impact. For instance, Wrexham and the South East of England will be more expensive.
A damp and timber survey is also available, which some mortgage lenders may require you to complete. The damp and timber survey cost will set you back roughly £200 to £300.
Based on the figures mentioned, you could be forgiven for supposing damp surveyors get paid so much for one or two hours’ labour. Fortunately, this is not the case. The damp surveyor will spend several hours producing a damp survey report once they get the information from the survey itself.
The Bottom Line on Damp Survey Costs
You should now know the damp survey costs and the process involved. The key thing to identify is that an accurate diagnosis of the type and severity of damp your property is experiencing is key to ensuring correct damp treatment can be undertaken.
Contact a damp-proofing company for a free quote to gain an accurate price on the cost of a damp survey for your property. A damp proof course should be installed if there are damp issues, as this will ensure the problem is fixed and your house is no longer vulnerable to moisture intrusion.
The expense of repairing serious damp issues can run into thousands of pounds depending on the type of work needed, so the earlier you act, the better off you’ll be.
Navigating Damp Survey Costs: Frequently Asked Questions Answered
- Is a damp survey worth it?
Yes, a damp survey is worth it, especially if you suspect your property has a damp problem or are purchasing a new one.
A damp survey can help identify the source of any damp problems in your property and the extent of the damage. The surveyor will usually examine the walls, floors, and ceilings for signs of damp, such as discolouration, staining, and peeling wallpaper or paint. - Can I do a damp survey myself?
You can identify some signs of damp, but doing a complete damp survey yourself is not recommended as it requires specialized knowledge and equipment.
Damp can have many causes, and a professional surveyor will have the necessary training and experience to diagnose the problem and recommend appropriate solutions accurately. They also use specialist tools such as moisture meters and thermal imaging cameras to detect damp that is not visible to the naked eye. - How much does a damp survey cost in Wrexham
The cost of a damp survey in Wrexham varies depending on the type and size of the property. Here are the estimated prices for different types of properties:
Damp Survey, 5-bed detached house: £400 for 2-3 hours
Damp Survey, 3-bed terraced house: £250 for 1-2 hours
Damp Survey, 4-bed semidetached house: £300 for 1-2 hours
Damp Survey, 2-bed flat: £200 for 1 hour
It’s important to note that these are estimated costs, and the actual cost may vary depending on factors such as the location of the property and the specific services included in the survey. Getting a quote from a professional damp surveyor is always a good idea before proceeding with the survey. - What are the factors that determine the Damp Survey cost?
The cost of a damp survey depends on different factors, including:
Type of property: The property’s size, layout, and construction can all affect the cost of a damp survey.
The severity of the damp problem: If the property has severe damp issues that require extensive repairs, the cost of the survey and subsequent work will be higher.
Location: The cost of a damp survey can vary depending on the property’s location.
Type of survey: There are different types of damp surveys, ranging from a basic visual inspection to a more detailed survey that uses specialised equipment.
Experience of the surveyor: More experienced surveyors may charge more for their services and provide a more thorough and accurate assessment.
Additional services: Some surveyors may offer other services, such as mould testing or thermal imaging, which can increase the overall survey cost.
How much does a timber and damp report cost?
A damp and timber report costs £190 – £490. This price can increase for commercial properties and larger buildings. The cost for a damp and timber report is based on having a specialist damp surveyor correctly diagnose your damp problem. Our surveyor will then provide a detailed damp and timber report for mortgage purposes and disputes.
What does a damp and timber report involve?
How long does it take to get a damp and timber report?
Should I be worried about damp on survey?
You shouldn’t be worried about damp on your survey. Most of the time when damp is picked up on a homebuyers report or building survey, it is not correctly diagnosed. The most common damp problem in homes in Wrexham is condensation. Condensation is a very easy damp problem to fix. You just need to have a specialist damp survey carried out to find out if you have damp walls or if you have a condensation problem.
How much is a damp survey in Wrexham?
The best damp proofing companies in Wrexham will charge for a damp proof survey. The cost of a damp survey would be £190-£490 depending on the size of the property and what needs checking. Damp proofing companies in Wrexham offering free damp surveys will just sell you a new damp proof course.
How to get a damp and timber report?
It’s very easy to book and damp and timber report, but it is very hard to find the right company and surveyor. Firstly, you need to avoid anyone offering a free damp and timber survey in Wrexham. You need to make sure they won’t sell you unnecessary chemical treatments like a damp proof course. You also need to void the proof treatment contractor looking to make easy money by recommending treatment that is not required.
We are damp specialists in Wrexham, we don’t look for work and don’t recommend chemical treatment like most other damp contractors in Wrexham. We charge for all our damp and timber surveys, which means we’ve made our money so there’s no need to recommend unnecessary damp proof treatments on our surveys.
Is it worth paying for a damp survey?
It is definitely worth paying for a damp survey. Houses aren’t cheap and damp proofing isn’t cheap. You need to know if the house has a damp problem before buying. We would highly recommend paying for a survey as damp companies offering free damp surveys will just recommend damp proofing no matter what. How do you think these companies make money?
PRE PURCHASE REPORT
Damp and timber survey for a mortgage | Pre-purchase damp and timber report for mortgage
Pre-purchase damp and timber survey or damp and timber report. Are you in the process of buying a property, remortgaging your home, or trying to get equity release in Wrexham?
So you’re in the process of buying a property, and you’ve agreed on a price with the seller. Your mortgage lender wants to send a valuation surveyor out to conduct a valuation survey. You received the valuation report and it told you to have a specialist damp and timber survey carried out. They will also ask you to obtain a quotation for any damp proof works found necessary.
The report that you will receive from their chartered building surveyor will be very brief and vague. Building surveyors are not damp and timber specialists, they would have not gone into detail about potential damp problems or how to fix the damp problems. Usually, these comments will follow a similar template: “High damp readings were picked up, please instruct a specialist damp and timber contractor to inspect for dampness and check the condition of any timbers in contact with damp walls”.
The specialist damp and timber report that you’ll receive from our company will be much more detailed. It’ll have our surveyors findings, recommendations, and added photographs if necessary. Our damp and timber report will be accepted by your bank, building society, or mortgage lender.
Found a cheaper price from a damp company in Wrexham? Beware!
There are many damp contractors in Wrexham that offer cheaper surveys for £90 or less. This survey price seems amazing as you’ve been quoted triple that for the same service. But is it really the same service? Absolutely not, the majority of cheap or free damp and timber surveys in Wrexham are carried out by contractors. These damp companies will look for unnecessary work to make their money. Many contractors don’t even provide a damp and timber report and all you will receive is a one-page quotation.
We are proud to be an honest, expert damp company in Wrexham, offering detailed damp and timber reports. Our focus is to correctly diagnose any damp and timber issues in a property and to recommend the best solution to prevent the issues from ever returning.
For example…
You’ve had a timber and damp survey carried out by a damp company in Wrexham that cost you £50. They provide you with a damp and timber report that states that the property requires thousands of pounds worth of treatment. This would include a new chemical damp proof course. Your mortgage lender will not give you a mortgage or may even put a retention on the property.
Just what you didn’t need. Here is what could have happened instead:
You instruct a specialist damp and timber company in Wrexham, like Dampserve, to carry out the survey. We provide you with a detailed damp and timber report that has correctly diagnosed the issues in the property. The issues have turned out to be minor fixes that a general builder or even the homeowner can carry out themselves. It is extremely likely that you will not need a damp proof course injection (this is a huge money-making scheme and does not work!). If the property was built after 1875, then it is very likely that it already has a physical damp proof course in place – and this will still be doing its job.
Don’t let a dodgy damp contractor in Wrexham (looking to make easy money) take advantage of you by injecting a chemical damp proof course.
How much is a specialist damp and timber survey in Wrexham? Our specialist surveys and damp and timber reports can cost between £150 & £500 depending on your report requirements and the size of the property.
What is involved in a damp and timber survey Wrexham?
On a typical full damp and timber survey, we will inspect the whole property for any dampness. We will start on the ground floor, looking for signs of rising damp, penetrating dampness, high ground levels, and bridging. Once we have found the location of the existing damp-proof course, we will be able to correctly diagnose any damp issue inside the house. We will also investigate how adequate the ventilation is in the property to prevent condensation from occurring. Our surveyor will also carry out visual inspections for dampness on any upper floors of the property and test any chimney breasts for salt dampness.
We carry out an inspection on all of the structural timbers in the property, from the ground floor right up to the roof void, for signs of wood-boring beetle (woodworm) infestation and decay (i.e. wet rot, dry rot). In a pre-purchase situation, surveyors cannot cause any damage to properties. Therefore, any Wrexhams covered by large obstructions / fitted floor coverings cannot be inspected. In properties with no basements, we will be able to access the sub-floor timbers if the current owner provides written permission, and only if the coverings can be lifted without causing damage (e.g. carpets). We will inspect all accessible Wrexhams and exposed structural timber in the house: timbers in the sub-floor void, upstairs timber flooring, rafters in the roof void, and the underside of the staircase. We inspect all accessible roof timbers in the roof void. However, if insulation or boards are present then this will limit the accessibility of the inspection.
During this timber inspection, our surveyors also investigate the sub-floor ventilation where possible. This involves making sure that there are air bricks installed in the correct place and noting the condition of any existing air bricks. Sufficient sub-floor ventilation is key to preventing damp conditions in the sub-floor void and subsequent decay/infestation of sub-floor timbers.
INDEPENDENT SURVEY
Independent damp and timber survey and report Wrexham
We are a specialist independent damp and timber survey report company in Wrexham. We can offer fully independent damp and timber reports for mortgage purposes, disputes and for your peace of mind. If you’ve had several damp companies and damp contractors out recommending a new chemical damp-proof course, or treatment you feel is unnecessary, get in contact today.
We don’t look for work, and we always recommend the correct treatment required in a property (if any). Over 90% of the time, our surveyors recommend treatment that can be done by a general builder or even by the client themselves. For paying a small fee for a report from specialists like us that correctly diagnose any damp and timber issue, you could be potentially saving thousands of pounds for unnecessary treatment that was quoted in your free report by a dodgy damp contractor.
Request an Independent Damp and Timber Survey Wrexham
If you are thinking of buying a property or you own a property that is suffering from dampness or timber decay issues and would like to know the extent – contact us. You need someone to take a look that knows about dampness and timber decay/infestation. The key to getting your timber rot or damp problems fixed is to have a damp expert take a look. Our specialist damp surveyors not only correctly diagnose the issue but they will not look for work.
- How much is an independent timber and damp survey Wrexham?
- Do we offer free damp and timber surveys in Wrexham?
- What’s the cost of a damp and timber survey in Wrexham?
We charge for an independent damp and timber survey and report. It costs money for specialist advice and there are plenty of people out there who will recommend unnecessary treatments to make some quick money (see our blog on the Free Surveys Con). Our specialist surveyors will provide you with the correct diagnosis of any damp or timber decay/infestation issue your property may be suffering from.
HOMEOWNER / LANDLORD
Damp and timber surveys for homeowners or landlords in Wrexham (peace of mind)
Domestic timber and/or damp surveys in Wrexham – These surveys are for homeowners, pre-purchase, buyers, estate agents, and anyone needing an inspection on a domestic property.
We’re a specialist damp and timber survey report company in Wrexham. We provide full written damp and timber reports for homeowners, pre-purchase, buyers, estate agents, banks, and commercial investors. Our reports can be used for buying a new home, remortgaging, helping with mortgage retentions, and equity release. These surveys are required to find out if the property has any major timber decay or damp issues.
Damp Surveys – Timber Surveys – Damp and Timber Surveys – Mortgage Surveys – Landlord Surveys – All surveys are accompanied by a specialist report
Pre-purchase Buyer Wrexham: So you’ve just had a Homebuyer’s or Building survey carried out on a property you want to buy. They have provided you with a report that isn’t detailed enough or doesn’t explain the problems in the property. They may have recommended that you get a damp and timber survey carried out. The quote is usually “instruct a damp and timber treatment contractor to investigate the presence of dampness to the ground floor walls and inspect timbers in contact with damp masonry”. Dampserve can provide you with a fully detailed specialist report including a sketch plan and photographs, detailing every damp and/or timber issue in the property (if any!). This report will satisfy your mortgage lender.
Homeowner: You’ve sold your property and have now taken it off the market. The new buyer is now getting several surveys carried out. One of the surveys they may get is a free timber and damp survey. This free survey and report would have been done by a contractor that needs to make money somehow, usually in the form of recommending rising damp treatment throughout the property without actually investigating the root cause of any high readings.
If this is the case – it is time to get a second, and honest, opinion.
This is where we can help. We provide a fully independent damp and timber survey on your property and correctly diagnose any issues – if there are any present! We then provide you with a full written report on all our findings. If there are no damp issues or very minor fixes, this is exactly what is stated in our reports. The report can be used to pass on to potential buyers and prevent them from pulling out of the sale or trying to lower the asking price of your property.
What is a damp and timber survey?
A damp and timber survey is an inspection of a property for dampness and timber decay. Surveyors will carry out certain tests using specialist equipment to test for things like rising damp, penetrating damp, condensation, salt dampness, bridging, low-level ingress, and many more. Our surveyors will then inspect all accessible timbers on the day of the survey for things like dry rot, wet rot, and woodworm.
If any issue is picked up, our surveyors will then inspect the Wrexham more thoroughly to determine the root cause of the problem. Our surveyors are not there to look for work or to try and make money from unnecessary treatments, such as a new chemical damp-proof course. We make our money by charging for the survey, so this should give you peace of mind and confidence that what we say on the survey is the correct diagnosis.
Our surveyor can inspect the same property that several other damp companies in Wrexham have inspected and achieve completely different findings and results. This is because many damp companies in Wrexham will recommend carrying out a chemical treatment as it can secure an income for them, knowing that clients can’t do it themselves or get a general builder to do it.
What is the damp and timber report?
A damp and timber report is something you will receive once a damp and timber survey has been carried out. In the report, there will be all the surveyor’s findings, recommendations, a site plan and a quotation only if work is required. Our reports are a lot more detailed than something you will receive from a mortgage company or a general builder/contractor. The report will tell you exactly what sort of damp, decay or woodworm your property has. It will also tell you exactly where the issues are and how to resolve them.
For example: if there is a small Wrexham of penetrating damp in the front bay Wrexham of your living room, our report will tell you it’s penetrating damp and you’ll see exactly where it is on the attached sketch plan. The report will also tell you what you need to do to fix the penetrating dampness and prevent it from returning. If the property is suffering from timber decay, the report will state what kind of timber decay it is and the location of the decay in the property. It will also tell you why the timbers have become decayed and advise you how to prevent the timbers from decaying in the future.
How much does a damp and timber survey cost?
The price of a damp and timber survey will depend on several factors, including the size of the property, what is required, if you need both a damp and timber inspection and the area in the property you would like inspecting.
Landlord timber and/or damp surveys in Wrexham – this survey is for landlords that have a damp and/or timber decay issue with a rental property.
Landlord surveys are for problem tenants, disputes, or if your property has a damp issue and you want to rectify this for the tenants. We are experts in the correct diagnosis on any damp issue; condensation, rising damp, penetrating damp, salts dampness, and low-level ingress. If your property is suffering from damp then we can help. We carry out a lot of damp surveys for landlords. Over 90% of the damp and condensation issues that our surveyors have come across in rental properties are caused by tenants not ventilating the property or not heating the property sufficiently enough.
Dispute Survey Wrexham – Condensation Survey Wrexham – Damp Survey Wrexham – Timber Survey Wrexham – Looking after the landlord with problem tenants
We offer surveys to help prevent condensation from occurring in all tenanted properties. Specialist solutions to fix the issue for good and prevent mould growth. Our surveyors also help the tenants understand the importance of heating the property and ventilating it. All of this will reduce the likelihood of condensation occurring again.
Condensation solutions: Do you have proper ventilation in the rental property? If so, do the tenants have access to the switch to turn it off? Our surveyors commonly come across tenants who have turned their extractor fans off in an attempt to save on electricity, without understanding why the ventilation system is there in the first place. The best and most cost-effective way to prevent condensation from occurring in a tenanted property is to install humidistat fans with no kill switches in the kitchen and bathroom Wrexhams.
Do you rent out a property and the tenants are complaining about damp problems? There is mould growth in the bathroom, kitchen Wrexham, and even in the bedroom. It is most likely to be condensation affecting the property. Condensation is one of the most common causes of dampness in buildings. Around one in three properties in the UK suffer from condensation. Condensation is the result of warm air filled with water vapour coming into contact with any cold surface. This warm air will then condense on these cold surfaces and turn into water droplets. If left untreated, condensation can lead to the spoiling of wallpaper, black mould growth, musty smells, and unhealthy living.
If your property is suffering from condensation then this can be a simple fix. There are several DIY solutions, along with some professional condensation solutions, to solve the more severe condensation problems. One of the easiest ways to get rid of condensation is to improve heating in the property. This will warm up all cold surfaces and help prevent condensation from occurring. Another simple fix is to make sure you ventilate the property correctly, make sure tumble dryers are vented outside, and dry clothes outside whenever possible.
What are the main causes of condensation in homes across Wrexham?
The number one cause of condensation in homes is inevitably down to poor ventilation. We create condensation by breathing, boiling the kettle, washing the dishes, taking a shower, drying clothes, etc. If the property is poorly ventilated, all the humidity that is created will be trapped inside the property. This humidity comes into contact with cold surfaces and turns into condensation. Most modern homes and new building materials have made our homes more energy-efficient. However, these more energy-efficient building materials (insulation, double-glazed windows, etc) will trap moisture within the property. This is why it is so important to have good ventilation, especially in the high-humidity Wrexhams such as the kitchen and the bathroom.
In addition to poor ventilation in a property, our lifestyles and behaviors will inevitably contribute to condensation issues. We undertake unavoidable daily tasks that create condensation: showering, cooking, washing, etc. If these tasks are left unventilated it will result in condensation and subsequent mould growth.
What happens on the condensation survey we undertake in Wrexham?
On a condensation survey, our surveyor will inspect the entire property looking for signs of mould growth. We’ll carry out several tests to determine if the issue is condensation or not. Our condensation specialist will inspect all existing modes of ventilation in the property to determine if it’s adequate. All our surveyors keep up to date with evidence-based research and are always equipped with the latest technology. The MMS2 moisture meter has a condensation sensor that will determine whether condensation is occurring on the day of the survey
It is extremely common for the tenant to attempt to disagree with our surveyor’s findings when carrying out a condensation/damp dispute survey. If the tenant is at fault for the issues present, our surveyor will run through their findings with the tenant. Our surveyors spend time educating tenants on what is causing the issues in the property and what steps they can take to prevent condensation from occurring. Most of the time, the condensation issue is caused by the tenant not ventilating properly or turning ventilation systems off completely.
What can happen if you don’t fix a condensation problem?
If condensation is left untreated for a long time, it can cause visible damp patches on wall plaster, peeling wallpaper, damage to fabrics and clothes, timber decay in the roof void, severe patches of black mould and more. If left untreated, condensation can create permanent damage to timbers, plasterwork, and decorative finishes.
Click here – To book a survey.
DAMP AND TIMBER REPORTS Wrexham
What is a damp and timber report and how much does a damp and timber report cost Wrexham?
A damp and timber report in Wrexham is a document that you’ll receive after you’ve had a timber and damp survey carried out. If you instruct a damp and timber treatment contractor to carry out a survey, you’ll only receive a quotation. If your lender, home buyers surveyor or structural surveyor has asked you to get a specialist survey, you’ll need a damp and timber report for a damp specialist in Wrexham. In the specialist report, you’ll receive all our surveyors findings, recommendations and the correct remedy to fix damp problems or timber decay/infestation issues.
In a damp and timber report, you get all our surveyors findings on the day of the survey. Our damp surveyor will look for signs of rising damp, penetrating damp, woodworm, dry rot and condensation. If any timber decay or damp problem is picked up, our surveyor will investigate the issue further.
Why do I need a damp and timber report? Your mortgage lender often asks you to get a damp and timber report carried out on the building you wish to purchase. They need to know that the building is structurally ok and free from damp problems, dry rot and woodworm infestation. Most building and structural surveyors will recommend a damp and timber report once they pick up one damp reading in the property. They will also recommend getting a damp and timber report once they see signs of timber decay or wood boring insect attack. The lender will also recommend that the company carrying out the survey should be a member of the property care association. Being a member of the Property Care Association (PCA) isn’t a must but you need to make sure that the surveyor is qualified and has had many years of experience in the damp industry.
Do I need to get a damp and timber report before I buy a house?
It takes a qualified damp surveyor to find damp problems in a house. Your builder or property service contractor can’t test correctly for damp issues without the proper equipment. All our surveyors have years of experience in the damp industry and will have all the necessary tools to correctly diagnose your damp problem. Would you ask a shopkeeper for advice on a health issue as they don’t specialise in that industry, you would talk to a doctor with the correct qualifications and years of experience. You shouldn’t buy a house without knowing exactly what’s wrong with it. You don’t want to buy a house and have to spend thousands of pounds on damp proofing when you could have avoided it with a damp and timber survey.
Will we check the damp proof course on the survey?
Finding the damp proof course is one of the first things our surveyor will do when carrying out a survey. Most houses building in the UK will have a damp proof course and it will still be working and will stop rising damp affecting your walls. Once the damp proof course is located, our surveyor will look for high external ground levels and anything bridging it. If the damp proof course is bridged, this can cause damp problems on your walls and lead to timber rot. All these damp proofing and timber decay issues can be prevented by lowering the external ground levels.
What’s in a damp and timber report?
Our surveyor will check the property for timber and damp related problems. They will recommend damp proof treatment, woodworm treatment and timber rot treatment (wet and dry rot). All accessible walls will be inspected for rising damp, condensation and salt dampness. Carpets can be pulled back if necessary to inspect subfloor timber for woodworm dry rot and decay. It is important to try and find out the condition of the subfloor timber where possible. The exterior of the building will be inspected for signs of defective rainwater goods, high ground levels and subfloor ventilation will be checked. We will also inspect the rest of the building for any signs of water ingress that can cause a damp problem or timber decay. The roof void will be inspected for signs of woodworm beetle infestation. dampness and timber rot.
Once the damp and timber survey in Wrexham has been carried out, our survey will then put together a full damp and timber report. In the damp and timber report, you will get all our surveyors findings, recommendations, a site plan and a quotation if found necessary.
DAMP AND TIMBER SURVEY Wrexham
Wrexham damp and timber experts. We offer specialist damp and timber surveys in Wrexham for pre purchase and homeowners. We carry out woodworm, dry rot, condensation and rising damp surveys on many different types and ages of buildings. Our damp surveyors will inspect the entire property for signs of dampness, woodworm infestation, timber rot and condensation. All surveys will recommend a range of treatments to fix your damp, dry rot, woodworm problem or control your condensation.
Has a valuation survey picked up dampness to the ground floor walls or has it identified woodworm or dry rot? Dampserve can help by carrying out a full specialist damp and timber survey on the property. We will correctly diagnose timber and damp problems that the property may have.
Buying a property is going to be the most expensive purchase you make in your lifetime. It’s vital to protect yourselves from expensive damp proofing and timber decay treatment. This is why one of the most important things you need before purchasing a home, is to have the property inspected by a damp proof specialist.
Specialist pre purchase damp and timber survey Wrexham for damp problems, dry rot, condensation & woodworm
What’s included with our damp and timber survey in Wrexham:
- A professional expert inspection of the entire property.
- Inspection for damp problems, woodworm infestation and wet/dry rot.
- Our surveyor will look at external defects that are causing damp issues or that could damp problems or timber decay in the future.
- We will move small items and lift carpets where we feel necessary to inspect for woodworm or timber decay (with vendors written permission).
- Our damp surveyor will locate the original damp proof course
- We will inspect all accessible internal walls for signs of a damp problem.
- Our timber surveyor will also, inspect the roof void for woodworm and timber decay.
- Once the damp and timber survey has been carried out, we will provide a full damp and timber report.
- The report will have all findings, recommendations and a quotation if necessary.
During the timber and damp survey, our surveyor will look for signs of woodworm, dry rot, penetrating dampness, rising damp and condensation. If any issue is found in the property, our surveyor will then find the root cause and not just say it’s rising damp like most damp and timber treatment contractors in Wrexham.
Landlord survey – condensation
We offer a landlord survey for problem tenants. Is your tenant complaining about damp, mould and water running down the walls? Our condensation specialist can carry out a condensation survey to determine if the problem is caused by the tenant or if there is a damp problem in the house.
If any chemical work is carried out by our company, you will receive a long-term guarantee. This guarantee can be passed on to any new owner if the property is sold.
DAMP PROOFING AND RISING DAMP TREATMENT
Damp proofing Wrexham
We are a damp proofing company in Wrexham. We provide specialist damp proofing solutions to fix your damp problem, if you have damp walls then we can fix your damp problem. If our damp specialist finds damp in your house, we can offer the correct treatment to fix your damp. That might be the removal of salt contaminated wall plaster to something as simple as clearing out a blocked gutter. We are one of the cheapest damp proofing companies in Wrexham that offer the correct treatment to fix your damp properly.
Fully eco-friendly damp proofing company in Wrexham. We have a sympathetic approach to damp on walls in historic and modern buildings. Our surveyors don’t just recommend a new chemical damp proof course when our surveyor finds damp. We’re well known in Wrexham for diagnosing damp problems correctly and recommending the best treatment to treat damp walls. Dampserve are constantly researching and developing new techniques to treat dampness.
We are a professional damp proofing company with many years of diagnosing and treating damp in homes and commercial buildings. We’re one of, if not the best damp proofing company in Wrexham. We do not recommend any damp proof treatment that doesn’t need doing. If there is nothing wrong with the house, that’s what we will state in our report.
Rising Damp Wrexham
Firstly, what is rising damp? Rising damp is the upward movement of moisture through a material like brick, concrete and stone.
Most houses in the UK will have a damp proof course to prevent rising damp affecting their walls. These damp proof courses don’t break down over time and don’t need renewing. How does a piece of slate break down when it’s between two bricks and mortar? Plus slate has been sat on this planet for many years and then dug up and used in buildings.
Don’t get conned by a damp proof treatment contractor in Wrexham that will sell you a new damp proof course when it’s not needed.
You may think your house has rising damp but you will probably find that it’s just bridging, condensation or salt contaminated plaster.
Penetrating Damp Wrexham
What is penetrating damp? This is a term that is used when water is penetrating into your property through the walls. It can be caused by defective rainwater goods, driving rain, cracked render and high ground levels.
You also get penetrating dampness if the gardens are above internal floor levels and in basements as there are normally below ground levels. If you don’t have a tanking system in place then your walls will become damp and damp proof treatment will be required.
Not fixing your penetration dampness problem can cause problems like damp walls, wet rot and dry rot issues internally. If timber gets damp, this puts it a risk of timber rot and woodworm infestation.
It is important to get the damp problem accessed by a damp proofing professional to determine the source of moisture. Once the source of moisture has been identified, we can then recommend the correct damp proofing treatment needed to fix your damp.
Damp Proof course Myth
Click here to read our DAMP PROOF COURSE MYTH PAGE.
80 YEAR OLD DAMP PROOF COURSE
DRY ROT FUNGUS
DRY ROT TREATMENT SPECIALISTS
Dry rot Wrexham
What is dry rot? Dry rot is a type of timber rot that affects timber in properties suffering from dampness and lack of ventilation. The source of damp for the dry rot to occur can sometimes be in a different room. Dry rot can find a source of moisture that is not localised to the area. Wet rot is a localised damp issue. If you have wet rot affecting your joists, the damp problem is right where the wet rot is.
Dry rot and wet rot are very hard to diagnose correctly and are misdiagnosed daily. Dry rot will have large cuboidal cracking along the timber it’s attacking. There will be a white film across the timber surface and you will find large fruiting bodies in the area. The strands “roots” of the dry rot can work their way through walls and behind panelling to find moisture and spread like wildfire.
It is very important to have the timber decay looked at by a dry rot specialist in Wrexham. This will prevent you from spending thousands of pounds on unnecessary dry rot treatment. Dry rot in Wrexham is found in houses with damp problems and poor ventilation.
Dry rot treatment Wrexham
Treating dry rot in Wrexham
To treat dry rot effectively and prevent it from coming back, you will need to use a dry rot specialist in Wrexham. A dry rot treatment specialist in Wrexham will use the correct chemicals and techniques to get rid of dry rot properly.
Removal of all dry rot affected timber 1 meter past the last sighting.
Removal of all plaster 1 meter past the last sighting of the dry rot.
All material is bagged up and carefully disposed of.
The walls are then drilled and irrigated with dry rot treatment fluids.
New timber joists are protected with our sleeve system.
New and all old timbers are treated and receive a deep kill paste treatment.
All walls are then replastered using a dry rot preventing plaster.
The site is always left clean and tidy before handing back to the client.
Dry rot survey Wrexham
We are a dry rot treatment specialist company in Wrexham. We carry out dry rot surveys for mortgage proposes, homeowners and commercial clients. You will first need a timber decay survey to determine if you have dry to or wet rot. These too timber rots are misdiagnosed daily. If you instruct one of our dry rot surveyors to carry out a survey for you, you’ll receive the correct diagnosis and method to get rid of dry rot or wet rot.
WOODWORM TREATMENT SPECIALISTS
Woodworm Wrexham
What is woodworm? Woodworm is a wood boring insect that can cause severe damage to structural timbers in a property. You commonly find them in older houses that suffer from damp problems. You will normally encounter a woodworm problem once it’s too late and they have already caused damage to timbers in your home.
Are you a homeowner in MaWrexham and suspect you may have a woodworm problem? You may have noticed small holes in your timber joists, floorboards or roof timbers. This is very common in the UK. Most houses in the UK have woodworm or may have had woodworm but they were treated many years ago. Instruct a woodworm specialist in Wrexham to carry out a woodworm survey for you. Our woodworm surveyor will correctly diagnose your infestation and recommend the correct woodworm treatment necessary.
Woodworm treatment Wrexham
How to treat woodworm in Wrexham. Firstly you need to find out what kind of woodworm is infesting your house. The most commonly found woodworm in the UK is the “common furniture beetle”. This woodworm requires a chemical spray treatment to kill it and prevent it from causing further damage. It is important that when you find an outbreak of woodworm it is treated as soon as possible. Timbers that are heavily infested may require removing and replacing.
Most cases with woodworm in Wrexham only require a spray treatment. All wodworm treatments in Wrexham should be carried out by a woodworm specialist and you should receive a full guarantee only completion.
Woodworm survey Wrexham
Are you buying a home or have you found woodworm in floorboards or timber joists at home? We offer a woodworm survey in Wrexham that will provide the correct diagnosis on your woodworm problem and tell you if you need woodworm treatment or not. All our woodworm surveys in Wrexham are carried out by fully qualified woodworm specialists with many years of experience.
WOODWORM INFESTATION
CONDENSATION
CONDENSATION CONTROL SPECIALISTS
Condensation Wrexham
Condensation is a common cause of most damp problems in Wrexham. Condensation occurs when warm air comes into contact with a cold surface. So if you have a cold house, you will probably have a condensation problem on your walls.
How to fix condensation Wrexham
The most common form of dampness our surveyors come across is condensation. This is a simple fix and most other companies with over complicate the solution to get rid of condensation.
You will need to make sure your property is well-ventilated and kept warm. you will need fans in the kitchen and bathroom areas. Do not open windows and doors to get rid of condensation. All you will do there is let the cold in and blow steam around your house. You need adequate fans to suck the humidity out of your house and this will aid and prevent condensation.
Condensation survey Wrexham
Condensation is a common cause of most damp problems in Wrexham. Condensation occurs when warm air comes into contact with a cold surface. So if you have a cold house, you will probably have a condensation problem on your walls.
Is condensation mould bad for you?
We get this all the time when we visit a tenanted property and the tenants are saying the mould is causing breathing problems and I’m ill because of the mould. There is no scientific evidence that mould on your walls will cause these problems. Unless you are going up to the walls are licking the mould off then it will not cause you any harm.
Yes, it’s not nice being on the walls and will cause a musty smell, but all you need to do is clean it away when it appears.
If you have the correct ventilation in your high-humidity areas and keep your home at a nice temperature, you will not get mould on your walls.
Dampserve have been operating for over 30 years. With a combined experience of our surveyors of over 100 years, you can rest assured we have seen it all and fixed it all.
Why choose us for a damp survey or timber treatment?
- We offer complete peace of mind when it comes to carrying out damp and timber surveys in Wrexham.
- All our surveys are fully independent and we don’t look for work like most damp contractors in Wrexham. That’s why we charge for our timber and damp surveys. We make our money from the survey fee, so if there is nothing wrong with the property, that’s exactly what we will state in the report.
- How much does a damp and timber survey cost? The cost of a survey will depend on what needs inspecting and the size of the property. A specialist survey will range from £190-£590+.
- All our specialist damp surveyors in Wrexham are fully trained and qualified with many years of experience carrying out damp and timber surveys.
- Our surveyors will correctly diagnose the damp or timber decay (dry rot) issue. Our surveyors will not just say the problem is rising damp and try to sell you a damp proof course. WE CORRECTLY DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM.
- Again, this is why we charge for the damp and timber survey. You will be getting a specialist diagnosis and our surveyor will find the root cause of the damp problem.
- We don’t just say everything is rising damp and recommend rising damp treatment like most damp contractors in Wrexham.
- We carry out many surveys after other damp companies have been into the property. They always recommend a new damp proof course to fix the damp problem. The first thing all our surveyors will do when conducting a damp survey is find the original damp proof course. Every house in the UK built after 1875 will have a physical damp proof course. Your house will not need a new one (check the age of your property first).
- Once the damp proof course has been found, our surveyor will look for bridging (most damp problems are due to bridging). Bridging is where plaster, flowerbed, a concrete floor has bridged the damp proof course. This will allow moisture to jump over it and penetrate into your walls.
- Hopefully from reading the small comments above you will realise that we are not damp and timber contractors looking to make easy money by selling you an unnecessary damp proof course. We are specialist damp consultants that correctly diagnose any timber decay, infestation, and damp problem in Wrexham.
Damp and Timber Surveys In Wrexham
If you need honest, beneficial and comprehensive advice on all aspects of the eradication & prevention of rising damp, damp proofing, woodworm treatment & eradication of dry rot, then look no further. We have made it our family business for over 30 years to provide excellence throughout the damp and timber industry throughout Wrexham, the North West and the UK.
As a member of the Property Care Association (PCA) formerly known as the British Wood Preserving and Damp-Proofing Association (BWPDA) and a truly Independent CSRT surveyor, you can be assured that you are in safe hands.
Or if you would like a Damp and Timber Survey Quotation please fill in our Survey Inquiry form by clicking here and we will provide you with a damp and timber survey quotation.
Enquire today to discuss your damp and timber report survey.
Independent damp and timber survey report in Wrexham
Our independent surveyor registered through the Property Care Association has no links to any damp and timber treatment contractor therefore our damp and timber surveys are truly independent with no vested interest in selling you anything. Our surveys are conducted to establish the root of the problem(s) and recommend correct and appropriate treatments if necessary at all. As we do not carry out damp proofing and timber treatments we are completely impartial.
Should you choose to instruct Damp Pro’s independent CSRT qualified damp and timber surveyor you can be assured that we do not carry out our damp and timber surveys for further financial gain. We are not damp proofing and timber treatment contractors, neither do we have any commercial links to any damp proofing and timber treatment contractors. This provides our clients with peace of mind that you are dealing with a truly independent damp and timber surveyor.
Our main objective is to save our clients’ money on unnecessary damp proofing and timber treatments by taking a sympathetic and holistic approach to our damp and timber surveys. Our overall goal is to provide a clean bill of health on buildings surveyed and when and where necessary, recommend appropriate remedial actions. This may involve increasing ventilation, de-bridging damp proof course levels and general maintenance/repairs to name but a few.
The Property Care Association (PCA) is the only governing body in the damp proofing, Woodworm and Dry Rot industry which flagships the industries elite. All members are either fully qualified damp and timber Surveyors, Contractors or Manufacturers. Whomever you instruct, please ensure that you are dealing with a PCA Member, as anyone who is not a member has not been vetted or may not be qualified to carry out the survey.
Be Certain that you are dealing with a PCA Member and a CSRT Surveyor.
Why Customers Choose Dampserve?
- To receive an Independent Damp and Timber Report
- Fully Qualified CSRT Surveyor
- Full Members of the Property Care Association (PCA)
- A True Independent Surveyor
- A Recommended Company
- Sympathetic Approach to Older Buildings
- Quick Turn Around on Surveys and Reports
Please view our damp and timber survey options page
What is an independent damp and timber surveyor?
An independent surveyor is a person who has no link to damp proofing and timber treatment contractors or a vested interest in achieving damp proofing and/or timber treatment contracts. Rest assured, every damp and timber survey carried out by Dampserve is carried out by an independent surveyor whose number one goal is to provide accurate diagnosis and save our customers money overall.
Why have an independent damp and timber survey?
If you are looking for honest advice without the link to any damp proofing and timber treatment company, this may be the main reason. However, you may have had a few free damp and timber surveys carried out with all varying opinions. Another scenario could be that you may have underlying damp problems in your house or a damp wall that no one can get to the bottom of.
Whatever it may be, your surveyor at Dampserve is there to help you and provide honest advice.
What is a damp and timber report?
A damp and timber report is a document that is compiled after carrying out a damp and timber survey. Within the damp and timber report, it will detail references from the damp and timber survey about a property.
What is typically detailed within an Independent damp and timber Survey Report?
Company name, address and contact number
Reference number
Date of Report
Client(s) Name
Property address
Date of survey
Name of Surveyor
Instructions – A damp and/or timber survey to specific areas in correlation to your instructions and survey scope.
Observations
Weather
Property Description
Limitations and Restrictions
External observations
Internal observations
Recommendations – Explaining what damp and timber treatments are needed. Maybe none at all!
Estimated costings for Damp and Timber Related Treatments if necessary.
If necessary, a Ground Floor Sketch Plan – A floor plan indicating where problems are present.
Our overall goal when carrying out damp and timber surveys throughout is to provide a clean bill of health. We do not have any internal or external influences to achieve sales targets or even sell products; neither do we look for work.
We have adopted an attitude that chemical damp proofing is not usually required as there is a physical damp proof course present within most properties post 1875. In most cases, the properties we survey do not even suffer from rising damp and are purely suffering from the damp proof course being bridged or affected by another source of moisture.
Timber decay and infestation can also be found to be isolated to a small area or even historic and in most cases require no treatment at all. Therefore, the use of inappropriate chemical treatments is not usually needed. Saving our clients hundreds even thousands of pounds. Also, most Woodworm infestations discovered are historic and suspect Dry Rot outbreaks usually end up being Wet Rot which inevitably saves our clients hundreds even thousands of pounds in unnecessary remedial treatments.
By choosing a Property Care Association damp and timber specialist member you are in safe hands as this means you are using a fully qualified company which is vetted to high industry standards annually and reviewed meticulously by the PCA to ensure high standards across the board.
Can an independent damp and timber survey save you money?
From feedback from our clients, we have seen an increasing trend that our damp and/or timber surveys have saved clients hundreds, even thousands of pounds on damp proofing and timber treatment works recommended by damp proofing and timber treatment contractors.
We have had instances where chemical damp proof courses have been recommended by a specialist damp and timber contractor due to the presence of Rising Damp which has turned out to be either bridging of the damp proof course level causing the damp problem or condensation due to insufficient heating and ventilation. Both of which didn’t require a new damp proof course injection.
Another common occurrence is the recommendation for Woodworm treatment from a timber treatment specialist contractor who has found Woodworm within a building. Upon our independent timber (Woodworm) survey our inspection has found the infestation to be historic, requiring no treatment at all.
Therefore, it is very common that our damp and/or timber surveys save our clients a significant amount of money and upheaval on unnecessary damp proofing and timber treatments.
How to choose an independent damp and timber surveyor?
This can be done by looking out for credentials. The important and only qualification to look out for is the CSRT qualification. This credential is gained through the Property Care Association (PCA) and is a nationally recognised qualification within the building industry. As well as the CSRT qualification you should look out for Property Care Association membership. This can be crossed reference at the PCA website and everyone who is a member is listed on their site. It is important though to cross-reference whether they are independent surveyors or contractors/freelance surveyors as this can differ.
Therefore, to have complete peace of mind and know that you are dealing with a qualified company/surveyor you should ensure that the organisation you instruct is a member of the Property Care Association and that the surveyor carrying out the damp and timber survey holds the CSRT qualification.
Rest assured that we are fully qualified, so please feel free to contact us today to speak to a member of our friendly team.
What qualification should a specialist independent damp and timber surveyor hold?
The only qualification to state a person is a damp and timber specialist surveyor is the CSRT or CSTDB qualification. CSRT stands for Certified Surveyor in Remedial Treatments and has been recently rebranded to CSTDB Certificated Surveyor of Timber and Dampness in Buildings for newly qualified surveyors. CSRT and CSTDB both have the same qualifications but the introduction of CSTDB has been introduced to ‘re-brand’ the qualification to help the consumers understand the surveyor’s expertise.
Typically, a surveyor holding the CSRT qualification has been in the damp and timber industry longer and usually has more experience within the specialist field. Therefore, you may wish to seek advice from a more experienced surveyor.
What does a damp and timber surveyor do?
A damp and timber surveyors job (subject to instructions) is to investigate the possible presence of internal dampness within a building and investigate the possible presence of Woodworm, Dry Rot and Wet Rot. These investigations quite commonly are a result of further investigation recommended after a building survey report.
What is a damp and timber survey scope document?
When booking in a damp and timber survey, it is important to clarify what and where you would like inspecting as our damp and/or timber survey will be carried out subject to your instructions. These instructions will be formally written and sent out to you in a document called a Survey Scope.
This document will detail the limitations and restrictions of our survey and importantly clarify your instructions before the damp and/or timber survey is carried out. You will also get the opportunity to ask questions and/or clarify the scope of the survey before the inspection, to ensure that it meets all your requirements. If at any point before the survey being undertaken you have any queries, a member of our team will happily discuss anything with you to put your mind at ease.
The Simple Guide Through The Damp and Timber Survey Report Process…
Your first step, call your local telephone number or use the online damp and timber survey enquiry button. A friendly and helpful Dampserve member will then advise and recommend the appropriate damp and/or timber survey that’s right for you and your needs.
After a few quick questions, you will be given a damp and timber survey quotation over the phone with no obligation or pressure to go ahead with us.
After you have considered all your options and should you decide to go ahead with the survey, you will be provided with the earliest possible date and time that suits all parties involved i.e. Vendors, Estates Agents, Tenants and You our client. We can be flexible with our damp and timber surveys and will try to please all parties involved however will always put our customers first.
An appointment will be arranged with our Specialist Remedial Surveyor who will either meet you at the property or organise to pick up a set of keys to access the property whenever convenient for the vendor/agents.
Before our damp and timber survey, usually a survey scope will be sent out to you via email detailing our inspection for you to confirm or inspection instructions. At this point, if any instructions have been misinterpreted you should contact us immediately for clarification and amendment.
The damp and timber survey would then be carried out at the agreed time and date following your instructions detailed within our damp and timber survey scope.
At this point, the survey notes will be prepared and passed into the office. The report will then be compiled describing the observations made on the day of the damp and timber survey after which recommending any relevant works/treatments. Should you have any questions once you have received your damp and timber report the surveyor’s contact details will be present on the report for you to contact him directly with any questions relating to the damp and timber report.
This whole process of carrying out the damp and timber survey, finalising notes, passing the notes on to the office and compiling the damp and timber report usually takes up to five working days. Once the report has been finalised the damp and timber report will then be sent to you via email.
Who Does Dampserve Carry Out Damp and Timber Surveys for?
Our specialist damp and timber surveyor carries out damp and timber surveys throughout Wrexham, guiding homeowners with damp and/or timber problems or through the selling/re-mortgaging of their property. People looking to purchase a property, first time buyers, clients moving up the property ladder, investors, landlords, property professionals such as architects, surveyors, housing associations and English Heritage to name just a few. All of which benefit from our damp and timber survey reports.
How to choose the right Damp Proofing, Woodworm Treatment and Dry Rot Eradication Company in Wrexham?
Two Important Credentials a damp and timber specialist should have…
- Independent Damp and Timber Specialist Company Registered through the Property Care Association (PCA).
- A CSRT Surveyor Carrying out your damp and timber survey. CSRT stands for Certified Surveyor in Remedial Treatments.
Avoid the pitfalls of unqualified advice…Please check the company and surveyor credentials.
Why Damp and Timber Surveys are needed?
- Mortgage Purposes – Pre Purchase of a Property.
- Re-mortgage Purposes – Equity Release Schemes.
- Tenants complaining of dampness.
- Restoration of a building.
- Spontaneous damp, timber decay and/or infestation problems.
- Conflicting Advice from Damp and Timber Contractor Quotations.
- Reoccurring damp and timber problems… Getting to the root of the problem.
- Wanting expert advice from a damp and timber specialist, not a builder.
Damp Proofing in Wrexham
A common enquiry we have from clients all over Wrexham is that they need a quotation for damp proofing because they suspect rising damp or have been told by a builder that they have rising damp and damp proofing is needed in the form of a chemical injection.
This, in a nutshell, is usually not the case. Most of the time dampness is found to be present due to lack of maintenance, bridging of the physical damp proof course or another source of moisture.
This is where our specialist damp and timber surveyors step in to provide you with an accurate and honest diagnosis. Initially, locating the damp proof course/level is the first procedure. Then identifying potential bridging issues of the damp proof course level, or in other instances other sources of moisture ingress that may present as rising damp to the inexperienced surveyor but this is far from accurate. In most cases, simple general building works which can be carried out by general contractors can be carried out to resolve damp problems without the use of costly chemical damp proof courses/damp proofing.
A Dampserve damp survey in Wrexham is carried out by a fully qualified CSRT surveyor to provide you with the correct diagnosis of any damp problems you may have. Once the damp problem has been diagnosed, an appropriate damp proofing recommendation can be provided in writing with our specially designed damp report.
Call our office today to enquire about specialist damp proofing surveys in Wrexham by a Qualified PCA registered damp and timber specialist company.
Woodworm Treatment in Wrexham
Treatment for woodworm in properties can vary quite significantly and in some cases not even be necessary. Woodworm can be found in many properties throughout Wrexham; however the key to treating woodworm infestations is to actually know whether or not the woodworm evidence is historic or active. Or if the beetle infestation requires any treatment at all!! When these two simple points are determined by our qualified CSRT surveyor, it could result in saving you hundreds, even thousands of pounds on unnecessary woodworm treatments. Woodworm infestations can be isolated to one room or can become well established throughout the whole of a building and can cause significant structural damage. Therefore, if you find evidence of a suspect Woodworm Infestation, it is crucial to get qualified advice by a Woodworm specialist holding the CSRT qualification to avoid the wrong diagnosis and treatments.
When having a Woodworm survey carried out, three simple questions need to be answered…
1) “Is the woodworm infestation active or historic?”
2) “Does the woodworm species require treatment?”
3) “Is there any structural damage?”
For more information regarding woodworm surveys and treatment in Wrexham, please feel free to contact our office on 01244 490252 to speak to a friendly, helpful member of our team.
Wet rot and Dry Rot Diagnosis & Treatment in Wrexham
Dry Rot is a serious fungal infection that can be found in buildings throughout Wrexham and the UK. Timber decay can have a devastating effect on buildings and can be very costly to treat and eradicate.
Dry Rot is a serious fungal infection that can spread throughout buildings, through masonry and behind plasterwork. It feeds on timber and can remove all structural integrity from timbers.
Specialist Dry Rot treatments are required to eradicate the fungal infection following strict specialist protocol. Any person(s) dealing with the infection should hold the CSRT qualification (Certified Surveyor in Remedial Treatments) to ensure that the relevant and specialist Dry Rot Treatment procedures are being carried out. If the essential procedures are not carried out, the Dry Rot fungal infection is likely to reoccur.
When a Dry Rot outbreak has been identified treatment must be carried out as soon as possible to avoid further damage and further expense.
All Dry Rot surveys in Wrexham are carried out by a fully qualified CSRT surveyor to provide you with the correct diagnosis and advice on treating and eradicating the Dry Rot fungus. When dealing with Dry Rot you should always use a qualified PCA member company and the survey should always be carried out by a CSRT surveyor. For a Dry Rot survey in Wrexham, call us today to arrange and discuss a fully comprehensive timber survey by a qualified Dry Rot Specialist.
What is a damp and timber survey?
A damp and timber survey is an investigation into dampness, timber decay and woodboring insect attack within a building. Subject to your instructions, a CSRT surveyor would conduct a non-destructive damp survey, taking moisture meter profiles from accessible areas of walls within a property. These meter readings would then be assessed onsite to determine whether or not dampness is present and the root of the issue.
A moisture meter in the right qualified hands is an invaluable tool to aid in the diagnosis of dampness in a building. In pre-purchase scenarios the use of sampling procedures, an intrusive method is usually not possible. Therefore an experienced qualified surveyor with a moisture meter can identify the source of dampness and pinpoint the root of the problem without intrusive measures.
Once the source of dampness has been identified within the survey you will receive a full written damp and timber report providing observations and if necessary any recommendations to be carried out.
The timber side of the survey would investigate all readily accessible surfaces of timbers for any signs of timber decay and/or beetle infestation. If any defects are found then the structural integrity of the timbers would be assessed to determine whether or not timber treatments/replacement is needed.
If further investigation is needed i.e. an exposure survey to open up concealed areas, then this would be detailed in your report for you to evaluate and request permission from the vendor, if the survey was a pre-purchase damp and timber survey.
Once again all relevant observations and recommendations if necessary, will be noted and detailed within your damp and timber report.
Why is a damp and/or timber survey needed?
Usually, these survey requests crop up during the selling and buying of a property, however is not uncommon to be requested from a property owner looking for accurate advice regarding damp, timber decay and/or beetle infestation.
Common phrases used in valuation and homebuyer reports:
- Instruct a Property Care Association Member Damp and Timber Specialist to report on all internal dampness and timbers of the property.
- Instruct a damp and timber specialist to inspect and report on dampness to the ground floor and sub-floor timbers.
- High meter readings were recorded to ground floor walls, timbers in contact may be defective. Instruct a PCA registered damp and timber specialist to survey the property for rising dampness and further investigate timbers in contact with the walls for evidence of timber decay and/or beetle infestation.
These phrases are commonly used by lenders surveyors which can result in retentions being added onto mortgages until further investigation has been carried out by a damp and timber specialist. This is where choosing the right specialist comes in to avoid unnecessary treatments and hopefully remove the retentions on the mortgages.
What do you receive within a damp and timber survey report?
- Description of property
- Clarification of instructions
- Full written report detailing observations of dampness and timber defects of the survey.
- Recommendations if necessary for works to be carried out
- Sketch Plans and Photographs if necessary.
- Costings for works if requested and needed.
- Contact number of the surveyor for further questions.
- Assurance of using a qualified damp and timber specialist.
Specialist PCA Registered Damp and timber survey reports were carried out in the following areas.
Dampserve carries out down-to-earth damp and timber surveys daily across all of Wrexham and surrounding areas.