Damp Check: The Importance of Regular Home Inspections

Let’s face it, your home is probably the biggest single investment you have made to date and building maintenance is part and parcel of home ownership. The importance of regular inspections cannot be overstated; smart homeowners ask a local roofing company to carry out a detailed inspection, which comes with a written report on the status of the roof. As the roof cannot be seen from the ground, it makes sense to ask a tradesman to carry out a visual inspection, which would include checking for missing or broken roof tiles, cleaning out of guttering and a close look at the fascia and soffit boards.

Penetrating damp

Thanks to the wet UK climate, a lot of properties are at risk of penetrating, or rising damp, when moisture from the ground comes in contact with the building foundations, which can cause thousands of pounds of damage. At London Damp Specialists, we have a range of damp surveys, from a free damp check that includes a quote for recommended work, to a thorough, independent damp survey that includes testing plaster for signs of moisture.

Proactive building maintenance

Rather than waiting for signs of property damage, be proactive and arrange regular inspections; early detection can literally save you a fortune of building repairs. Penetrating damp can infect old and new properties and without carrying out moisture tests, you won’t know whether dampness is damaging your home. If the survey reveals damp damage at an early stage, you have remedial work done there and then, which should resolve the issue.

Causes of penetrating damp

Penetrating or rising damp can be caused by the following:

• Defective guttering
• Cracks in masonry and rendering
• Brickwork damage
• Poor quality mortar and bricks
• Blocked drainage systems

There are other potential causes of penetrating damp, while extended periods of heavy rain can accelerate damp issues.

Homebuyer damp survey

If you are looking to buy a property in London, it makes sense to have a few tests carried out by industry professionals.

There are three types of homebuyer damp surveys to choose from;

• Level 1 survey – A close inspection of all external and internal walls and floors, looking for signs of dampness & leakage.
• Level 2 survey – This includes everything in level 1, plus a detailed inspection of all timber structures, looking for woodworm, dry and wet rot.
• Level 3 survey – Includes level 1 and 2, plus thermal imaging, air humidity measurement, borescope cameras and a ventilation flow test.

There is an add-on service that tests for moisture in plaster, which is an additional cost to the survey.

Annual damp surveys

The majority of UK property owners choose to have the home checked for the presence of damp every year and should moisture be present, the surveyor can recommend a solution to nip it in the bud, so to speak. When the signs of timber rot are detected, the damage has already been done and regular inspections ensure that you have an up-to-date report on the structural integrity of the property.

Call us on 020 8528 3864 and book your survey now.