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Where can I find an impartial damp specialist?

ripplyuk
Posts: 2,911 Forumite


I know there are lots of companies who offer free surveys etc but they generally want to sell something and I’ve heard lots of stories about people spending a fortune on work that didn’t need done or was incorrect. I’m looking for someone who can come out and tell me what the problem is (for a fee obviously) but is unbiased. Does anyone know where I can find someone? I’m in Northern Ireland.
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I used Abbey Independent Survey. Found on google.
i would highly recommend. They are not based in NI but may be able to point to you a similar expert surveyor. I found them to be very helpful.1 -
I’ve just paid £60 for a rising damp survey - refundable if work carried out. Local company trading over 20 years with excellent feedback (not just on checkatrade). I avoided the big names and have gone local and found nextdoor neighbourhood app (not sure if app available in NI) to be a good starting point for recommendations.
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I can't help you find someone but you might want to have a look at this website which has lots of info about causes of damp in buildings and explains how and why there is no such thing as rising damp and that chemical treatments are a con.
The Fraud of Rising Damp (heritage-house.org)
uss_tish said:I’ve just paid £60 for a rising damp survey - refundable if work carried out. Local company trading over 20 years with excellent feedback (not just on checkatrade). I avoided the big names and have gone local and found nextdoor neighbourhood app (not sure if app available in NI) to be a good starting point for recommendations.
Sorry I can't think of anything profound, clever or witty to write here.3 -
My husband was a builder before he retired and he would chase off "damp specialists" if he ever discovered one on site. He said bricks don't wick moisture even if you stick one in a pan of water. We had a damp survey commissioned on our last house by a potential buyer. The "surveyor" used the same gadget to measure the moisture content of plaster and wood with no recalibration between the two. I also saw him press it against the stair carpet!
"Cheap", "Fast", "Right" -- pick two.2 -
I've tried a few different blocks and bricks in water, and some of them wick water quite quickly. A Thermalite block sucked water up to the top in just over a day. An LBC Fletton got near the top in a couple of days. Engineering bricks are much less absorbent.
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uss_tish said:I’ve just paid £60 for a rising damp survey - refundable if work carried out. Local company trading over 20 years with excellent feedback (not just on checkatrade). I avoided the big names and have gone local and found nextdoor neighbourhood app (not sure if app available in NI) to be a good starting point for recommendations.I recommend the Heritage House link, also.I've actual had one of the Heritage House Consulting team out and he was absolutely brilliant. Not cheap at all, but I learned an awful lot.Everything that is supposed to be in heaven is already here on earth.
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Thanks everyone will have a rethink. I can actually see the damp patches on the walls surrounding my hall. The house is edwardian and the hall is quite large - more of a large lobby and has original terracotta tiles that were laid without a waterproof membrane and it has always caused issues.The house is built into a chalk hillside and the torrential rain has made it worse. Not had the quote back yet but will look at the links provided.0
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The Period Property Forum is a goldmine of useful information along with some very helpful members - Worth dropping by if you need some specialist advice.
Her courage will change the world.
Treasure the moments that you have. Savour them for as long as you can for they will never come back again.1 -
Thanks will look at that forum too. As I say period property with quarry (sorry not terracotta) tiles and having gone round with my own damp metre can see that I have two problem spots with damp up the walls. Would a de-humidifier help? The tiles are mainly uncovered and just a couple of rugs but think I will lift these temporarily to let it evaporate
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uss_tish said:Thanks will look at that forum too. As I say period property with quarry (sorry not terracotta) tiles and having gone round with my own damp metre can see that I have two problem spots with damp up the walls. Would a de-humidifier help? The tiles are mainly uncovered and just a couple of rugs but think I will lift these temporarily to let it evaporateSorry I can't think of anything profound, clever or witty to write here.1
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