Paid £350 for Damp and Timber Survey – Report Lacks Key Details and Justification – Seeking Advice

dtnwf

Hi all,

First-time buyer!

I recently paid £350 for a damp and timber survey as requested by my lender. I have some concerns but am not sure what I should have expected from this type of report. I’m hoping to get some advice on whether this is standard practice or if the survey falls short in certain areas.

 The property is a detached 2-bed bungalow (pre-1950s), which has been vacant for a few months.

 

Concerns

Moisture levels: The report mentions high levels of moisture throughout all internal walls. We knew of damp in one area that was visible. This was tested with a moisture meter, but no actual readings were provided, and we were not told the cause of the damp. 

DPC Cream and Tanking: The report recommends applying DPC cream and tanking to all internal walls, but it doesn’t explain why this treatment is necessary or what tests were conducted to confirm it’s needed for all walls.

Loft-Mounted PIV System: There’s a suggestion to install a loft-mounted PIV system to address condensation, but no explanation of why this is recommended or how it ties into the issues found. The report includes a digital pamphlet with information about how the system works.

Recommendations for exterior work include:

Spraying and sealing with a solvent-based sealer.

Replacing gutters, soffits, fascia, and downpipes around the property.

Replacing the front door and frame (which are deteriorated) with a new PVC door.

Removing a concrete plinth to allow better water drainage and replacing it with clean stone.

Installing a vertical DPC between the garden wall and the house to prevent damp in the lounge walls.

Additionally:

Replacing the kitchen and bathroom (which we had already planned for).

Missing signature and qualifications: The report does not include a signature of the surveyor, nor does it list their credentials or qualifications. The surveyor is the owner of the damp proofing company and also runs a development company. They are a member of the RCIS.

No guarantee: There is no guarantee provided for the recommended work, which is a concern as the mortgage lender has requested one.

The company has quoted £9k for the recommended work.

 

Questions I Have

Is it standard for a damp survey to omit specific locations of damp, moisture readings, and important diagnostic tests?

Should the report have provided more justification for the DPC cream treatment and explained why it’s suggested for all internal walls?

Are guarantees and signatures typically required in damp survey reports?

I feel like the report doesn’t provide enough information to justify the £354 cost, and I’m not sure if the recommendations are based on thorough findings. Any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Albermarle

Is it standard for a damp survey to omit specific locations of damp, moisture readings, and important diagnostic tests?

Not sure but what does seem standard, is that they recommend a lot of expensive work, most of which is either useless or will make things worse.

dtnwf

Thank you for replying!

This is all so new to us and I'm trying to learn as much as possible now but it's like another language to be honest. 

Coincidentally we recieved the amended report today with the guarantee for the treatments but one person carried out the survey and the receptionist is the one who stated her name at the bottom. The guarantee certificate is only given once they've been paid. 

I just had an expectation that there would be a type of damp named in the report (rising damp, penetrating damp, condensation etc) or at the least a breakdown of costs. I've been suspicious since I saw the report and didn't know if i was justified in this or not. 

theartfullodger

There's no such thing as a  standard for these things..  Amazing to relate but different people & organisations write different reports! Who'dav guessed that eh??

Years ago (1970s or '80s - those were the days) I was (mid-30s) thinking of buying a 3-story Edwardian  house, tatty, been split up, badly maintained.  I paid for a survey - and specifically asked for investigation of dry-rot and wood-worm.

I got a bland general report and then 2 detailed pages explaining why it was not possible to say for definite what the dry-rot and wood-worm position was.


btw I bought.  Found a patch of dry-rot in the cellar: Paid a boy £25 to treat it, no written contract or invoice or receipt.

Worked out a very good deal.

With ALL property it's a gamble.  Do you do any lotteries or any betting??

youth_leader

I bought this bungalow without a damp/timber survey to my cost - and six months later found out that every floor was covered in black mould and wet and had to be replaced. My neighbour in the bungalow across the driveway also suffers with damp - it is a very high water table here.  When I had an independent damp/timber surveyor in, he said ideally concrete would be best here - but tremendously expensive.  I had all the floors replaced at great expense and inconvenience - and nearly damaged myself varnishing it all, three coats in each room, afterwards.  

I cannot comment on the other issues, but do recommend the PIV unit.  My first autumn here the double glazed windows were dripping with condensation. Unfortunately for me I could also see that three of them had 'blown'.  More expense.  I spoke to my semi detached neighbour who recommend I buy and use the 'window Karcher'.  I did it every day for about three weeks and it was tedious.   I had spoken informally to my surveyor who recommended the PIV unit and I bought one on Screwfix, my local electrician fitted it for me.  Works like a dream, I get about 2.5 cm of 'wet' at the bottom of the windows now, if that.  Also important to ventilate - I have trickle vents in the two smallest windows which I keep open, plus I try to open the windows every day for a short period.  I also paid for the local roofer to put two big 'ventilation tiles' in the roof, the loft space was also dripping with condensation.  Hopefully the two things together will avoid rot.

youth_leader

I should add that having had all the floors replaced, I couldn't afford to have the place carpeted again, I just bought some cheap rugs. 

I did have my old wool rug under my bed, with Ikea bags on top containing my bedding - I went to get a sheet out about six months after the work, I think it was February,  and the bag was wet underneath.  All of the bags were wet and the carpet was wet, and smelled of mould.  I got all of the bags out and moved the carpet away and there was a layer of thin mould where it had been.  I got back in touch with the company as the work was guaranteed and they did send 'Tom', who had laid the floors ... he said I'd have to continue running the dehumidifier in the bedroom and elsewhere.  He confirmed that they'd opened the air bricks and cleaned them out, but because of the concrete floors in the extension, my 'air flow' was limited.  Nightmare bungalow, but the neighbours here are nice, I shouldn't grumble

FreeBear

dtnwf said: Moisture levels: The report mentions high levels of moisture throughout all internal walls. We knew of damp in one area that was visible. This was tested with a moisture meter, but no actual readings were provided, and we were not told the cause of the damp.

Any readings from a protimeter are worthless, and should never be relied upon to give a quantified level of damp. These things will only give a reliable reading on untreated timber. Anything else, salts, paints, and even the material being tested will give bogus readings. In the right hands, and with a modicum of inteligence, they can be used to isolate areas that need closer inspection.

DPC Cream and Tanking: The report recommends applying DPC cream and tanking to all internal walls, but it doesn’t explain why this treatment is necessary or what tests were conducted to confirm it’s needed for all walls.

Simple. It is an easy "fix" to mask the problems for a few years, and makes them loads of money.

Loft-Mounted PIV System: There’s a suggestion to install a loft-mounted PIV system to address condensation, but no explanation of why this is recommended or how it ties into the issues found. The report includes a digital pamphlet with information about how the system works.

A PIV system is one way to improve ventilation and manage humid air (which can lead to condensation).

Recommendations for exterior work include:

Spraying and sealing with a solvent-based sealer.

Profitable job for them. Does burgerall to cure any damp. It may lead to bricks spalling over time.

Replacing gutters, soffits, fascia, and downpipes around the property.

If the gutters are knackered and sofits/facias beyond repair, it might be worth doing. Downpipes, if they need replacing, should be done in conjunction with maintenance or repair of underground drainage & soakaway.

Replacing the front door and frame (which are deteriorated) with a new PVC door.

Worth doing as it will cut heat losses and improve security.

Removing a concrete plinth to allow better water drainage and replacing it with clean stone.

Cut back any hard paving up against the wall and install a french drain 75-150mm below the DPC. Removing the concrete plinth is likely to leave you with several rows of damaged bricks.

Installing a vertical DPC between the garden wall and the house to prevent damp in the lounge walls.

Another worthwhile little job IF it can be done neatly.

Additionally:

Missing signature and qualifications: The report does not include a signature of the surveyor, nor does it list their credentials or qualifications. The surveyor is the owner of the damp proofing company and also runs a development company. They are a member of the RCIS.

So, it wasn't an independent and unbiased survey. A nice little earner for the damp proofing business.

No guarantee: There is no guarantee provided for the recommended work, which is a concern as the mortgage lender has requested one.

Even if you did get a guarantee, it would be worth less than the paper it is written on. And should it be insurance backed, be rest assured it will be so full of cop-out clauses, it will be worthless.

You could go back to the salesman "surveyor" and demand a more detailed report to justify the fee you have paid. However, I suspect you'll get fobbed off with waffle and BS. Perhaps a complaint to RICS if he has made claim that he is registered with them within the report. Not sure if it will do you any good. But you might get some of the fee refunded.

Oh, and if you do go ahead with any of the work, find yourself a local double glazing installer for the door (they might even be able to do the facia/soffit/gutters too). A local builder would be able to help with the french drain, wall, and any underground drainage that might need doing. Ask the DG installer for recommendations. Just don't waste your money on creams, tanking, or any of the other dubious "cures" that have been "recommended".

newsgroupmonkey_

A few things here.

First of all, who recommended them? The Surveyor? Because if they're getting a backhander, this isn't allowed.

Ensure they're PCA registered. It's the first thing a surveyor should be telling you.
If they're saying they're RICS, then check - it's free https://www.rics.org/networking/find-a-member
If they're not, you have a number of choices. You can ask for 100% of your money back. You can report them to both RICS and trading standards.

As above, this is just a salesman. The fact that they haven't even bothered to sign it sounds very dodgy.

dtnwf

With ALL property it's a gamble. Do you do any lotteries or any betting??

I'm prepared to take calculated risks, but not quite ready to 'bet a fiddle of gold against my soul' The house appeared to be in reasonable condition compared to any other houses we looked at but I am coming to learn that looks can be deceiving. The other houses we looked at were ones we'd have to 'settle' on for a time, renovate then eventually sell on in a few years. This house though ticked every box - size, location, land, parking, garage. We could imagine living there indefinitely and are willing to fix it up over the years. 

I cannot comment on the other issues, but do recommend the PIV unit. and I bought one on Screwfix, my local electrician fitted it for me.

Thank you for mentioning that, I admit my instant reaction to seeing this in the report was 'sales tactic' but it's good to hear your perspective on how useful it's been. Also very useful to know they can be bought from screwfix and is definitely something I would look into!

However, I suspect you'll get fobbed off with waffle and BS

I agree - we had to chase up the report for 10 days before it was given to us - each time we were given different names on who actually carried out the survey.

Oh, and if you do go ahead with any of the work, find yourself a local double glazing installer for the door (they might even be able to do the facia/soffit/gutters too). A local builder would be able to help with the french drain, wall, and any underground drainage that might need doing. Ask the DG installer for recommendations. Just don't waste your money on creams, tanking, or any of the other dubious "cures" that have been "recommended".

Thank you, thats really good information. I feel quite naive to all of this but every piece of information is helping me make more informed decisions. It has jogged my memory and I know the exact DG installer I would approach!

dtnwf

First of all, who recommended them? The Surveyor? Because if they're getting a backhander, this isn't allowed.

We searched online for a Damp and Timber Survey and found them - the lender requested this be done. The surveyor owns the company who carries out the work to be done and also owns a development company. 

Ensure they're PCA registered

I've looked and they aren't listed in the PCA website search results

If they're saying they're RICS

Although the surveyors full name isn't listed on the report, I looked on companies house and got the full name so I searched the RICS website and they are listed.

The fact that they haven't even bothered to sign it sounds very dodgy.

The surveyor didnt sign but the receptionist I spoke to put her christian name at the bottom - no surname.

I'm so new to all of this that I dont know if my mistrust is completely misplaced. 

stuart45

The bungalow should already have a damp proof course, so doesn't need another. Does it have cavity or solid walls?