The Survey

Quite often I speak to people who really can’t understand why I don’t do ‘free’ damp and timber surveys, after all, lots of firms do; and the idea of paying for something you can get for free seems strange to some people.

But therein lies the rub, because when you pay for a survey, you are getting just that: an unbiased, professional appraisal based entirely on the needs of your property.

Accordingly it will only highlight any genuine problems the property has, or it may, as is often the case, sound the ‘all clear’. Quite often too, if there are problems, it will present an alternative to the ‘standard’, but usually expensive remedies that are often suggested at the conclusion of a ‘free’ damp and timber survey provided by a contractor.

This latter scenario arises because most firms find it difficult to spend the necessary time on a thorough examination of a property only to find its problems can be addressed cheaply, or without further input from themselves.

A damp and timber survey on the average three bedroom property can take some considerable time to carry out. It will start on the outside of the property with the roof, chimneystacks, flashings, and rainwater goods. It will then consider the joinery (windows and doors etc), the drainage and sub-floor ventilation and also the surrounding ground levels. The presence, or otherwise, of a damp proof course is obviously of major importance. The orientation of the property will be also noted, as will any other factors, such as the close proximity of other buildings that may cause shade, and thus cool some walls more than others. After all these things are considered and noted, the survey can then move inside.

The first place to start is usually the loft because this is where any defects in the roof covering or flashings will usually show. The size and condition of the roof timbers must be noted as should their moisture content and the presence or otherwise of other problems such as woodworm or rot. If there has been an insect infestation or outbreak of rot it will be necessary to make a judgment on whether that infestation or rot is current or extinct. Under COSHH regulations, it is incumbent upon the surveyor to decide whether treatment, using chemicals, is justified.

There will be many properties in the U.K. that have had two, three or even more chemical treatments carried out in their lofts because no one took the trouble to check on a problem’s history; the easier, but more expensive and environmentally damaging option of re-spraying was employed instead.

Other items that must be brought to the client’s attention are the thickness and quality of the loft insulation, whether water tanks are covered and insulated or if any of the timbers are damaged and could have the potential to cause a structural problem. If the latter were the case, a structural engineer would need to be consulted.

Finally, care must be taken to confirm or dismiss the presence of bats, because these fascinating little creatures are - quite rightly - a protected species. If you have them as loft guests, a great deal of care must be taken to ensure they are not disturbed, otherwise the law will have a say in the matter.

After the loft space has been inspected, it is customary to move to the next level down - usually the first floor. If any algae have been seen growing on the external walls because of blocked gutters or leaking pipes, the problem often shows on the upper walls of first floor bedrooms. Naturally this can be a source of serious problems and great care should be taken, especially in older houses where wooden lintels may have been used over window openings.

Probably the main problem that affects bedrooms in domestic dwellings is condensation, especially in corners, behind beds and inside wardrobes. The presence of moulds, especially the black mould called Aspergillus Niger, should be confirmed or discounted (see ‘Condensation’ page on this website). Note should be taken of heating sources and, especially in the bathroom, ventilation. Also, whilst in the bathroom, special attention should be paid to the area around the bath and lavatory as these areas often get wet and can sometimes suffer from problems with rot. Similar problems can also occur in airing cupboards with header tanks, especially the older, galvanised metal tanks, which often develop leaky joints where the pipes pass in and out.

Last, but not least of course, the presence or otherwise of wood boring insects must be confirmed.

And then we get to the ground floor. Often this is where the unsuspecting client is told he has ‘Rising Damp’! Whether there is Rising Damp is a matter of great concern to most clients because if there is, then a highly disruptive and very expensive interventionist technique is probably going to be employed. And before you embark on that, you really should know whether it’s necessary or not.

If you’re in the process of selling or buying a house, a building society surveyor has probably surveyed the property already. Whilst carrying out his survey he will have used a small electronic meter to see if the walls were damp. When doing this, it is most unusual for the building society surveyor to take more than a few, sample readings at the lower levels of the walls. For reasons dealt with on other pages on this site, these regions of the walls very often give high moisture meter readings, which lead people to believe that the property is suffering from ‘Rising Damp’; when in actual fact, it’s doing no such thing!

A damp and timber surveyor will also use a moisture meter but he will employ it in a much different manner than the cursory way the building society surveyor does. He or she will carry out what is known as ‘profiling’, which involves taking many readings at different locations in order to determine the pattern of any dampness. This is because the various kinds of dampness each display their presence in different ways.

Rising Damp for instance gives consistently high readings up to its highest level above the floor; at that point they suddenly stop. Condensation will cause a more even distribution with less of a 'sharp' cut-off and it may be more obvious in triangular patterns in corners of rooms.  Penetrating moisture is often visible in the middle of walls, and its profile can have provide many different patterns or shapes.

Other factors need to be considered too, such as any effect on wall coverings, paintwork or skirting boards etc. The slavish copying of the building society surveyor’s actions by the ‘free’ survey exponent will not give a true picture of the causes of dampness at all, and there are thousands of homes in this country that have undergone very expensive and disruptive treatments to cure nothing more serious than high moisture meter readings!

The vast majority of diagnoses can be based on visual observations plus the judicious use of an electronic moisture meter; but only if it’s used correctly and to its full potential. Merely taking readings at the base of a wall is not the correct way to achieve this.

After the cause of any dampness in the walls is diagnosed, then any timbers, such as floor joists, which may be in contact with these walls, must be examined carefully. To do this it is usually necessary to gain physical access by lifting floorboards.

Unless by prior agreement, a damp and timber surveyor will not normally lift floorboards that require any kind of cutting: either across the board or along the tongue of tongue and grooved boards. This isn’t because he can’t be bothered, it’s because very often the client for whom the survey is being conducted does not own the property, it’s still owned by a vendor; and vendors are quite naturally loath to allow their homes to be defaced. Let’s face it, the sale may fall through and then where would they be!

However, if the owner’s permission can be obtained, and the work does not involve extensive building operations, I personally will lift floorboards where possible, although there is usually an extra charge for this service, as it can take some considerable time. If I feel this work is too involved, as for instance when the floor has a laminate or tile overlay, I will say so, and other arrangements, perhaps involving a joiner, can be arranged.

If you have a damp and timber survey carried out and the sub-floor timbers are not inspected, then you are running the risk of future problems. Some people accept this; others insist the boards are lifted.

Other potential problems to be considered on ground floors include insect attack, dampness in solid floors, ventilation (including the airways via any flues), heating and, once more, condensation problems throughout.  The effects of poor sub-floor ventilation are also supremely important.

The above is not by any means a conclusive list of things to be done in a survey - each one will have its own variations; but it may give you an idea of why you should pay for one as opposed to accepting a ‘freebie’.

A chargeable survey is a genuine exercise in problem solving whilst the ‘free’ kind is very often simply a marketing exercise designed to encourage you to spend money at a very vulnerable time.

Finally, there’s one other thing you might like to consider; if you employ a qualified surveyor, especially one who is a BWPDA member, you will have the peace of mind which comes from knowing that his conclusions will be backed by Professional Indemnity Insurance. In other words, if you lose money because he tells you the floorboards are naturally springy, when in fact they’re springy because dry-rot has set in, well, you’ll probably have a remedy…can you say the same for a ‘free’ survey?