Services:
Type of surveys available -
Different surveys are designed to answer different questions. If, for example, you are buying or have bought a house and you want comfort that all is well then a building survey would be most appropriate. A building survey is also a very useful document to have as it can be referred to for the planning and costing of works as repairs which are necessary are set out in order of their priority.
A defect survey - most often a dampness survey and often referred to as a 'timber and damp survey' is just that. It allows for the inspection of all elements that could be contributing to the defect or dampness and focusses on them. That said, other defects would not be ignored during this type of survey but neither would they be closely inspected.
A timber and damp survey allows for the identification of the causes of dampness and an assessment of the subsequent condition of affected timbers whether it is woodworm or decay like wet or dry rot or any on-going risk to vulnerable timbers.
The Home Report and Single Survey
The Home Report is a legal requirement but just how much useful information are we getting? I read Single Survey reports almost every day and most are useless. Where one may identify something worth-while, it fails to provide any guidance other than 'seek further advice' and often, the memorable phrase: "Instruct a timber and damp survey".
This is akin to having wet rot in a 200 years old window frame and being referred to a double glazing salesman for a solution.
This is akin to having wet rot in a 200 years old window frame and being referred to a double glazing salesman for a solution.
Damp specialists... you have been warned!
Search for the phrase "timber and damp survey" and you will be faced with pages upon pages of damp proofing companies like Wise Property Care (they don't care a thing about your property) or Richardson & Starling (feeding our fears for 75 years) or Peter Cox (one of the most fraudulent), Bromac, Apex...the list goes on.
There is so much money to be made from mis-diagnosing dampness or treating woodworm flight holes with no evidence of infestation that even small building companies, joiners and plasterers are going on the 3-day course to become damp 'experts' as they are able to make more money that at their own trade.
Yes, after 3-days they are self-proclaimed experts and supposedly able to diagnose problems with your house that the 4-year university degree chartered surveyor carrying out your Home Report couldn't (or wouldn't) diagnose.
Damp proofing is a great business if you have no conscience. It is a sales-based industry, nothing to do with preservation or property care. Damp proofing companies are not paid to provide sound advice, they are paid to persuade you to accept injected chemicals or to hack off lime plaster to apply membranes and waterproofing plaster.
This ignores the many defects that can occur, destroys old buildings and keeps them wet.
There is so much money to be made from mis-diagnosing dampness or treating woodworm flight holes with no evidence of infestation that even small building companies, joiners and plasterers are going on the 3-day course to become damp 'experts' as they are able to make more money that at their own trade.
Yes, after 3-days they are self-proclaimed experts and supposedly able to diagnose problems with your house that the 4-year university degree chartered surveyor carrying out your Home Report couldn't (or wouldn't) diagnose.
Damp proofing is a great business if you have no conscience. It is a sales-based industry, nothing to do with preservation or property care. Damp proofing companies are not paid to provide sound advice, they are paid to persuade you to accept injected chemicals or to hack off lime plaster to apply membranes and waterproofing plaster.
This ignores the many defects that can occur, destroys old buildings and keeps them wet.