Timber and Damp Survey
Our Timber & Damp survey in Scotland is the type of survey most often requested as it is the one most often recommended by home report surveyors however searching specifically for "timber & damp survey" will give you pages upon pages of damp proofing companies and you really don't want to get involved with them...
We are highly trained, educated and experienced heritage building surveyors. We are not 3-day damp proofers or licenced valuation surveyors or other 'heritage consultants' who also offer building surveys - we are building surveyors - we only survey buildings!
What is a Timber & Damp survey?
A timber and damp survey from us encompasses assessing the condition of accessible timbers - below floors and in roof spaces - and causes of dampness; things that often go together whether it is woodworm or wet rot decay.
A timber and damp survey from a damp proofing company will diagnose rising damp, as this is what you expect, and recommend they carry out damp treatment. None of them look outside for defects. This is where the real issues are.
So why do they not look outside?
They would not be able to persuade you to have the inside of the wall covered in plastic if they told you that your drain was blocked or the ground level was too high.
Remedying these would have been the answer.
A timber and damp survey from a damp proofing company will diagnose rising damp, as this is what you expect, and recommend they carry out damp treatment. None of them look outside for defects. This is where the real issues are.
So why do they not look outside?
They would not be able to persuade you to have the inside of the wall covered in plastic if they told you that your drain was blocked or the ground level was too high.
Remedying these would have been the answer.
What defects are investigated?
To allow us to assess moisture in old properties and provide diagnoses, we inspect and test all accessible fabric that is considered to be contributing to instances of water ingress. This includes a drone survey of parts of the roof - including chimneys, flat roofs, flashing, valleys, abutments, gutters among many other elements.
Bridging material at joist end. Replacement joist decayed
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Step down into house from outside is clearly wrong
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Water droplets below damp-proofing caused by damp proofing
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Water penetration forcing failure of plaster below wallpaper
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How much does a timber and damp survey cost?
Only the damp industry (PCA affiliated but most are not even that) companies can afford to provide free surveys as they can recommend that they, themselves, get lots of work. Typically one of their 'free' surveys ends up costing you anything between £1,500 to £6,500 and upwards of £50,000 or more. Not so economic after all!
Our surveys start at £495.00 for small properties (plus return mileage) and, once the fee is agreed, it is fixed no matter how long it takes to carry out the survey. Generally a survey can take a couple of hours or more, depending on ease of access and defects to inspect and record then at least a full day or more assessing notes, measurements, drone footage, thermal imaging and photographs and compiling the report. If there is access to the roofspace or below floors, we come dressed for the occasion.
A recent survey of a house in Carluke found localised dampness in a back room caused by a bridged damp proof course. This was despite a Home Report surveyor reporting dampness and decay throughout resulting in a £50,000 mortgage retention and a repair bill for damp proofing from Bromac for over £18,000.
It was either outright fraud or total incompetence.
I cannot comment on which it was but I am sure you have an opinion.
The cost of that survey and release of the £50,000? Just £595.
Our surveys start at £495.00 for small properties (plus return mileage) and, once the fee is agreed, it is fixed no matter how long it takes to carry out the survey. Generally a survey can take a couple of hours or more, depending on ease of access and defects to inspect and record then at least a full day or more assessing notes, measurements, drone footage, thermal imaging and photographs and compiling the report. If there is access to the roofspace or below floors, we come dressed for the occasion.
A recent survey of a house in Carluke found localised dampness in a back room caused by a bridged damp proof course. This was despite a Home Report surveyor reporting dampness and decay throughout resulting in a £50,000 mortgage retention and a repair bill for damp proofing from Bromac for over £18,000.
It was either outright fraud or total incompetence.
I cannot comment on which it was but I am sure you have an opinion.
The cost of that survey and release of the £50,000? Just £595.
Measuring moisture on timber soleplate
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Original stone pier supporting joist mid-span
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Timber joist on soleplate surrounded by damp material
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How long does the survey take?
If there is a hatch on the ground floor, great, we love crawling around old sub floors. They provide such a detailed view of the overall condition of your home. Where a vague musty smell is apparent or a soft floor is noted, the sub floor has all the answers why. This takes time as does crawling through your roofspace/attic, so depending on the size of your property, it can take at least a couple of hours for a smaller property.
Why Choose Us?
I would ask you why not? We are a married couple, both of us have experience of much more than buildings and this adds great depth to our understanding of buildings as well as their owners. We work from our home office so overheads are lower, we are prepared to travel to surveys - a 6 or 8 hour return journey or overnight is not unusual.
Our reports are completed very quickly, often only a couple of days after the survey and any fee, however small, includes ongoing access to us with no additional charge and with no time limit, which itself is invaluable. Having been writing high level professional reports for all our careers, our reports are very readable as well as being factual, evidenced and extremely useful.
Our reports are completed very quickly, often only a couple of days after the survey and any fee, however small, includes ongoing access to us with no additional charge and with no time limit, which itself is invaluable. Having been writing high level professional reports for all our careers, our reports are very readable as well as being factual, evidenced and extremely useful.
