Find A Local Damp Surveyor

What is a Damp Survey?

Every year across the UK, millions of homes suffer from some level of damp.  Discovering damp in your property can be worrying, and in some cases, it will require extensive remedial work to prevent the ingress of water.  But this isn't always the case.  Surprisingly, in reality, the most common form of damp isn't from water leaking into the property (penetrating damp) or being drawn up from the ground (rising damp), most damp is due to a build up of condensation from activities such as bathing or cooking.

Before contacting a damp surveyor to assess your property it is important to understand which type of damp your property is suffering from. If you can work out which type of damp you are suffering from using the information below then you will know what is necessary to treat the damp problems in your property.

Three Common Kinds Of Damp:

Rising Damp

Rising damp is caused by ground water which is moves up the walls by capillary action - effectively soaking up into your brickwork.

If your damp patches are appearing on your first floor or high up on a walls then it is unlikely that the problem is due to rising damp. There is a limit to the height above the ground that water can be drawn into your walls.  As a result, rising damp normally presents as large patches up to about 1 metre above floor level on the ground floor of your property.  The damage will usually start around skirting boards.  Paint may become discoloured as a result of the underlying plaster, and wallpaper may peel away from the wall.  Mould can start to colonise damp walls quickly.

Every wall is likely to retain some water but usually it is stopped by a protective barrier called a damp-proof course. If this is missing or ineffective from your building then the walls may start to suffer from rising damp and you should seek assistance from a damp proofing surveyor.

Penetrating Damp

Penetrating damp is caused by water leaking through the walls rather than rising up from ground level. This type of damp is usually caused by structural problems in a building such defective roofing, guttering or brickwork.

You can usually spot penetrating damp problems through the presence of watermarks that appear on the walls, damaged plaster, salt deposits, powdery surfaces and blistering or bubbles appearing on the plaster.  You may notice stains on ceilings if water is coming in through your roof, or on the walls around windows.

Condensation Damp

By far the most common form of dampness found in the home, condensation is caused from the moisture that is present in the air from cooking, cleaning, washing and breathing.

This moisture enters the warm atmosphere and turns to condensation on contact with cool surfaces, or as it loses heat in cooler surroundings. Condensation problems can be exacerbated by poorly installed or inefficient ventilation, and heating that comes on and off which allows warm, damp air to condense.

What usually starts off as water droplets on windows and walls can soon turn to streaming windows and mould growth. The problem can quickly spread throughout a property and can cause serious damage to the structure.

Unlike rising and penetrating damp, left untreated, condensation can be seriously harmful to your health.

Local Damp Surveyors

The above information should hopefully give you the basic information required to be able to make a decision regarding which type of damp surveyor you need to contact and what type of damp problems you are suffering from.

If you need further help to identify the source of the problem or you would like to speak to a local surveyor to discuss your problems and get advice then call 0345 27 27 807.

Arranging a Damp Survey  

At EnviroVent, we believe that what truly makes us different is a unique set of values that have grown out of our philosophy and long‑standing heritage for delivering sustainable products that are designed for the life‑cycle of a building. We are specialist damp surveyors that can recognise and resolve any damp or ventilation issue.

When you choose EnviroVent, you can be sure of receiving a professional service from your first call with your local ventilation specialist through to installation with our qualified ventilation engineers. We pride ourselves on the quality of our ventilation products and offer long term warranties to protect your home and your health.

No two properties are the same which is why it is important to ensure the right product is specified and installed correctly. This is why we offer a free home survey as standard to ensure the correct product is installed.

During a free home survey your local expert will assess any condensation, damp and mould problems that you may be facing in your property and take readings of the relative humidity levels throughout the property.

All our ventilation specialists are highly trained in carrying out home surveys to identify any underlying problems and make recommendations to ensure the correct solution is provided, all complying with current Building Regulations.

Click here to arrange your free home survey.