When you want to know what a dampness survey does and how your local expert surveyor gets to work, you’ve certainly come to the right place.
Here at Advanced Damp we don’t believe in fancy sales pitches and pushes for sales — we believe in lending an expert helping hand and providing education.
It’s how we’ve made a name for ourselves as the dampness surveyors you can trust, and it’s how we give you the peace of mind that only comes from knowing you’re working with the right people on day one.
As with any home care service that no one really wants to be spending their money on, opinion is often divided online. For every thousand people any reputable damp company helps, there will always be a tiny vocal minority who claim that the whole service was unnecessary from the beginning.
While we don’t want to get drawn into a heated argument here folks, we do want to highlight what we do, why we do it, and how it will give you the peace of mind that truly does make all the difference.
So, without further ado, let’s talk you through the 10 or so key questions that are bound to be on the tip of your tongue right now.
What is a dampness surveyor?
Let’s start as we mean to go! A dampness surveyor is an experienced professional — often a team of professionals — who understands the subtle causes of various types of damp, how to measure them, and most importantly, how to get rid of them.
Damp is one of those issues that you often don’t spot until it results in damage to your property and pronounced mould growth, but it doesn’t have to get to that stage. The role of a dampness surveyor is to make sure you spot the signs early so you can take remedial action without delay.
Not only will this protect the integrity and market value of your property, it will also save you money in the long term.
By catching potential issues as early as possible, rather than waiting until they grab your attention and cause you stress, you can take small corrective actions and measures that really will make all the difference.
When you hire a damp surveyor they will be able to give you detailed advice on all things damp, and they’ll certainly do a lot more than just tell you to open your windows and add a dehumidifier.
For example, would you know how to tell if your home has sunk into the surrounding ground? Or know how to measure by how much it has sunk?
Maybe you could think you could, but could you then also recommend and carry out the correct path of corrective actions in the right window of time?
This is specialist work and, although no one wants to be spending their money defeating dampness, it will make all the difference to the quality of life you enjoy at home.
DIY is great for hanging wall paper and installing some tongue and groove flooring, but dampness is something that really does require the expert touch if you want to get it right.
Why do you need a dampness surveyor?
While any general builder can offer to waterproof your basement or add a damp treatment to a wider remodelling project, only a dampness surveyor has the skills and experience needed to get to the bottom of things once and for all.
This isn’t to talk down the work of all the other skilled tradesmen and women you need to keep your home looking its best — it just means we have our own specialist set of helping hands to lend too.
A dampness surveyor is an expert when it comes to checking for and highlighting the signs of dampness. These include visually obvious markers like mould, mildew, and stains from water as well as more subtle issues like poor ventilation and slow dripping leaks.
The latter two issues on our list can be much harder to spot and pinpoint within your property because they build up gradually over a period of time.
In time you will, of course, find them yourself, but typically this is only possible for those with an inexperienced eye when something seismic or catastrophic has happened.
Also read; What is involved in a Damp Survey?
At this point it will cost you 10 times as much to put right than it would have if you had had the benefits of an expert dampness surveyor on day one.
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Isn’t a free quote the same as a dampness survey?
Unfortunately not folks, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up hope. If you get a free quote from a tradesman it makes you feel good because you think you know your options and you can start figuring out how to tally up your household budget for the months ahead.
While these prices and quotes will hold for common jobs like laying paving, fixing a hole in the roof or some painting and decorating, dampness is very much a different animal altogether.
The problem here is that while a painter can gauge the level of work involved and give you a price based on the number of days in just a couple of minutes, a damp prevention company often can’t.
Damp is a subtle, nuanced and complex issue that has several potential causes and more possible remedies and fixes.
It’s also something that’s really easy to misdiagnose and rush under the false assumption that you’ve found the true root cause of the issues.
While a dampness survey will take anywhere from 2-4 hours to complete, it will actually give you the information you need to make a considered decision about where to go next.
If your property gets a clean bill of health then you’ve saved yourself money on unnecessary damp treatments while also getting to enjoy the peace of mind that only comes from speaking directly to the experts.
And if you find that fixes and improvements are needed, you’ll know specifically what’s needed to put things right.
Rather than a generic, one-size-fits-all treatment applied with nothing but goodwill and a little hope, a dampness survey will tell you exactly what’s needed, when and how to do it. Ideal if you want to sleep easy knowing that everything is in order for years to come.
What happens if you opt for a free quote instead of a dampness survey?
The problem with a free quote is that it’s just not as specific as a dampness survey, which is not surprising when you consider the work that goes into each.
Free quotes are only really useful when the causes and origins of the damp are already well-established.
At this point you would then expect to be given a free quote that outlines how much it will cost to put things right, as well as how long it will take and when you can be fitted into the company’s schedule.
Pushing for a free quote may seem like a savvy move if you want to save the cost of a dampness survey (more on that number in the next section) but it’s largely self-defeating.
If you want ballpark figures for general damp proofing, a free quote will give you that.
But general treatments aren’t what will ensure your property is well looked after, safe to live in and maintains its market value for many years to come.
What you actually need, and this probably comes as no surprise to you if you’ve read this far, is a quote specifically covering the work needed on your home.
Without one, you won’t be able to know what’s actually needed to put things right.
Think about it like this: would you go ahead with work that you weren’t sure would fix your dampness problem solely because it came off the back of a free quote and a quick walkthrough of your property?
Or, as we would, would you rather spend your hard-earned money on a treatment that a professional dampness surveyor has already signed off on as needed, necessary and adequate? When you put it like that, there really is only one choice folks!
How much does a dampness surveyor cost?
We told you we’d get to this one sooner rather than later, so here we go. If you have a bungalow of a two-bedroom home, you’re looking at around £200 for your survey.
We can provide a custom quote specific to the exact layout and needs of your home once you reach and get in touch.
If you’re living somewhere with a third bedroom, expect to pay a little more at around £300-£400, with this increasing to around £500-£600 for properties with 4 or more bedrooms.
Like we say, these aren’t fixed price bands — we just want to give you an outline so you know that this is something that truly does offer value for money while also providing peace of mind. And don’t worry, we’ll only begin your survey after agreeing a definitive price for the work once we arrive on site.
That means no corners will be cut, everything will be looked into and highlighted as needed, and there’ll be no nasty surprises when you look at the invoice later that day.
Why have dampness surveyors never been more important?
Rising Damp is often misdiagnosed because in today’s world everyone thinks they can turn their hand to complex issues like damp just because they appear simple at first glance.
While general builders and home maintenance companies are no doubt skilled and experienced at what they do, dampness surveyors have a unique set of skills you simply won’t find anywhere else.
A misdiagnosis of rising damp is one of the most common complaints we hear about from customers who have previously hired amateur or general purpose contractors.
As well as causing stress and anxiety to the homeowner, a misdiagnosis will also potentially waste thousands of pounds.
Missing a few tell-tale signs and venturing down the wrong path can soon lead to costly repairs and treatments that were simply never needed in the first place.
The disruption, stress, loss of money and impact on family life can quickly turn the whole experience into a nightmare. Our experts are always on hand to make sure this is never an issue for you and your family.
Another key reason dampness surveyors have never been more important is the state of the housing market.
A combination of properties being left empty in lockdown and the cost of living crisis squeezing the income of buyers and sellers means the home buying market is more unpredictable than it has been in decades.
By hiring a surveyor and spending a little extra upfront, you can sleep easy knowing that you’ve avoided any potentially devastating dampness issues that will come back to bite you not long after you move in.
What methods does a dampness surveyor use?
One of the main tools of our trade is the predictable named damp meter. This simple device works by placing a small pair of electric probes against your inner wall connected to a handheld battery.
If there is unwanted moisture present it will conduct the tiny amount of electricity put out by the battery and connect the circuit.
This tells the dampness surveyor that something is in need of attention, at which point they will conduct further measurements and use their experience to get to the bottom of specifically what’s going on.
We’ll go through all of this in a little more detail now…
What tools does a dampness surveyor use?
As well as a damp meter, our surveyors will typically arrive with the following tools and pieces of equipment:
- A hygrometer and a all-in-one meter help us conduct further measurements
- A thermal camera (used for thermal imaging surveys) is essential to get to the root causes of the issue
- A digital camera is a great tool for documenting and recording issues
This gives us instant access to the complete range of tools we need to conduct a detailed survey and shows we’re doing far more than simply pricing up a job.
The role of a dampness surveyor is to pinpoint the causes of dampness, such as poor ventilation or a home that’s sunk, and to make specific recommendations on what’s needed to put things right.
This is so much more useful and far-reaching than simply giving a free price so you can do your budgeting. Without this in-depth measuring and analysis, how can you hope to know specifically what’s needed to remedy the problem?
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Get a no obligation FREE quote now. Our team is here to help. Take the first step towards a guaranteed solution by filling out our form below.
How can you hire a dampness surveyor?
Contact the Advanced Damp team on the contact details below and we’ll guide you through everything you need to know.
We completely understand the stress and uncertainty that this type of work can sometimes cause, so we will always do our very best to give you a quick and convenient slot that doesn’t leave you waiting.
It’s one of the reasons we’ve become the UK leaders in providing expert dampness surveys to homes and buildings of all shapes and sizes.
When you want to make sure everything gets sorted in double quick time, why would you ever want to settle for anything less?
When is the best time to hire a dampness surveyor?
A dampness survey will typically take 3-4 hours to complete, with larger or complex properties usually taking a little longer.
Don’t worry, no matter how long it takes, we’ll work tirelessly to get to the bottom of the issues you’re facing right now.
It’s the only way to make sure you don’t have to face the stress and frustration that comes from finding out you’ve spent thousands on unnecessary treatments and damp proofing off the back of a free quote that seemed like a money saver at the time.
Due to the nature of damp and how it spreads, there’s really no reason to put off a survey to a certain point in the year.
If you want answers, help and support with one of the more complex home issues out there, connecting with our team today is always the best way to go.
Once we hear from you, we’ll start guiding you through everything you need to know so nothing is missed or overlooked.
Final thoughts on dampness surveyors
Now that you know what we do, why it matters and how to get in touch with us, all you have to do is make the call at a time that suits you. You’ll find our experts are polite, personable and professional at all times, and considerate and tidy when working inside your property.
After all, we’re homeowners and family people ourselves, so we know just how important it is to get everything done right the first time, every time.
When you want an expert helping hand that protects the value of your home in a way that’s fast, efficient and affordable, we’re always right here.
FAQs
1. What is a Dampness Survey and Why Do I Need One? A dampness survey is a detailed inspection conducted by professionals to identify the presence, causes, and extent of damp issues in a property. This survey is essential to prevent potential structural damage, health risks, and to ensure the longevity of your building.
2. How Do Dampness Surveyors Detect Damp in Buildings? Dampness surveyors use a combination of visual inspections and specialized tools, such as moisture meters and thermal imaging cameras, to accurately detect areas affected by damp. These methods help in identifying both obvious and hidden damp problems.
5. What is a Damp and Timber Report, and When is it Necessary? A damp and timber report is a specialized document that provides a detailed analysis of dampness and any related timber decay issues in a property. This report is crucial when buying or selling a property, renovating, or when noticeable damp issues are present.
