Should damp have been picked up in survey

Yasmin02

hELLO

Oh right i did not reliase that...so moving the decking is robably a better bet then? But i have got a bit of bubbling in the ktichen i assume that is from the damp...thanks for the information about the beeping i did not realise that all walls had mosture in them. But when he was utting the beeping thing towards above the skiting boards there was ar red light and it was beeping more...

Yasmin

clutton_2

moving the decking would be a first cheaper option. of course his meter will beep there is damp in your kitchen - the bubbling tells you that - what i suggesting is that you try a cheaper possible solution first. unblock the air bricks, if there are any, and then see what happens.


i would also get a local builder in to ask him - damp companies always find damp and tell you it will cost a lot - there is often a cheaper solution.

Yasmin02

Hello

Where are the air bricks? Are they are ithey below the decking? No i agree with you of course they are going to tell me doom and gloom as if the whoole flat is bad!!!! Good point about a local builider i did not think that of that either.. thanks very much for your help..i just find it so difficult when you do not know how to trust!!

Thansk once again

Yasmin

marybishop

Can I suggest a chartered surveyor rather than a builder to check out the damp problem. A builder will probably find as many problems as the damp 'expert'. Or if you go down the builder route (or indeed the damp company route) don't just get one quote, get at least three so that you've got some comparison and please make sure they belong to the relevant 'professional' body - anyone can stick an advert in Yellow Pages.

Yasmin02

Hello

Thanks very much for your adivce. So a chartered surveyor would be better? Even if I get a builder in what profesional body are they part of I did not even know they were rgulatted? Does anyone know of any good ones in East London?

Thanks ever so much

Yasminm

olly300

If you go outside and look at near the bottom of the wall you should see air bricks. They shouldn't be covered by the decking and the decking should be below (at least 2 brick heights) the damp course.

marybishop

If they are using the FMB logo they are claiming to be members of the Federation of Master Builders - so check with them. Basically if they are claiming to be members of something check with that organisation to make sure they are. A chartered surveyor will be able to tell you exactly what the problem is and how to rectify it. It's called a defects inspection. At least that way you wont be ripped off by dodgy builders/damp proof companies. For chartered surveyors go to the RICS website https://www.rics.org/findasurveyor.

Yasmin02

Hi Olly and Mary

Thanks very much for your advice. Olly i will have a look at the wall tommorow adn try to have a look at what you are taling abiout. Thanks very much

Mary thanks for the advice in relation to regulation really interesting and will get an survey done from RICS.

I have had a look today and it loosk as thought it is drying out now maybe becuase we have had little rain over the past few days.

Yasmin

clutton_2

i am sorry to say that membership of the federation of master builders can very often tell you nothing about the quality of the tradesmen who pay hundreds of pounds per year to be allowed to be a member - other than that they can afford the joining fees.

there is no "test of proficiency" to pass in order to join.

if i was Yasmin - i would get a male friend to be in the house when the builders come and get him to do the talking - i really dont mean to be unkind, but, it is very clear that building is not your skill, and workmen will often take advantage of the innocent. ask 3 builders first - they will do quotes for free and then come back and tell us how you got on.

as we have been saying all along - let the air bricks do what they were invented for - to circulate air through the walls and this damp may disappear on its own.

good luck

marybishop

But if she gets professional advice from a surveyor she can then get 3 quotes from builders knowing exactly what needs doing and so if they try to tell her loads of other stuff needs doing as well she'll know they're talking rubbish. She could get 3 builders round now who will possibly tell her 3 different things so what's she going to gain from that?

Another way to find reputable builders, etc is to get in touch with Trading Standards and see if they have a list of tradesmen.