How to avoid paying for unnecessary treatment (Part 2)

Last time, I explained the difficulties faced by mortgage applicants when their property survey revealed issues relating to dampness or timber problems. In particular the superficial attention the survey pays to these problems can lead the applicant into believing, usually wrongly, that they have a problem that can only be resolved by employing a contractor.

Unless a problem is very obvious, the survey can only indicate that there may be a one, not that there definitely is, and the number of properties in the UK that have had an injection damp proof course installed to try and cure nothing more innocuous than high readings on a moisture meter must run into thousands.

Similarly, infestation by woodworm can very often be extinct, but the perfectly adequate timbers are still subjected to unnecessary spray treatment simply because no one took the trouble to examine them carefully. COSHH regulations (control of substances hazardous to health) specifically prohibit the use of insecticides unless there is good enough cause because their long-term effects are unknown, and even though modern insecticides are considered extremely safe, the environment should not be the subject of an unnecessary gamble!

So, what can you do to ensure that you don’t have needless and expensive chemical treatments applied to your property? The answer, though relatively simple, unfortunately involves expense. But it’s very often your only one in the matter and it is invariably a lot less than you would pay for wasted treatment.

A very seductive element employed by some remedial treatment companies appears in the guise of a ‘free’ survey. Another approach is to say that the survey has to be paid for but the costs will be refunded if any work needs to be done! The attraction of the words ‘free’, or ‘refunded’ in this context should never be underestimated, especially at a time when people are probably at the end of their financial tether anyway. Having just paid out for one survey, the prospect of paying for another, especially one that may in itself prompt further expense, is not an appealing one.

As I said in the earlier article, a lot of people think that there must be a problem anyway; otherwise the surveyor wouldn’t have even mentioned it. The temptation to go straight to the horse’s mouth and seek the advice of a contractor, especially when it’s ‘free’ advice, is just too much to resist. So they contact one, book an appointment for a ‘survey’ and – well, let’s see what happens…

In such cases, the contractor is pushing on an open door already provided by the building society surveyor. The client already believes that some sort of work is going to be required and the truth of the matter is; they’re probably looking for the cheapest estimate anyway, not for an intelligent resolution of their problem. It’s almost as though they believe they have to do something physical in order to do something positive. As I said last time, the fact there may be nothing wrong with their property just doesn’t enter into it and, as the financial institutions have ‘left it up to them’, it seems the natural thing to do.

Furthermore, the contractor they ask, unless he’s a member of the British Wood Preservation and Damp proofing Association (BWPDA) who must employ surveyors qualified to CSRT standard, is unlikely to be qualified at all because there’s no requirement for this in order to provide remedial treatments. Anyone can call himself or herself a surveyor when in essence they are a salesperson.

To expect such a person to carry out a qualified and objective assessment of problems such as dampness in the lower reaches of a wall, only to tell the client that opening the windows more often is a more effective cure than an injection damp proofing course, is expecting too much. Equally, the factors involved in determining whether an insect infestation is current or extinct can also be beyond their capabilities. Probably of more importance, it is placing them in a situation where their interests conflict with yours.

The difficulty the clients face is that of employing a qualified surveyor who is also independent. And that can be quite a challenge because presently the UK only has around half a dozen independent qualified surveyors who are affiliated to the BWPDA. Don’t despair though; if you can’t find an independent surveyor in your area then you can rely on the fact that BWPDA contractors all employ qualified surveyors as part of their requirements for affiliation. To take advantage of this you should do the following:

Contact a BWPDA affiliated company and instruct them to carry out an independent survey. You should stress that whatever the results of that survey, there will not be an invitation to tender for any work that may be required. In other words, you’re asking for a ‘stand-alone’ survey. Naturally, you should expect to pay for this, just as you would if you employed a freelance surveyor, but, as there will be no conflicts of interest, you should achieve an unbiased opinion that is quite likely to give your property a clean bill of health or at the very least present you with more holistic, and probably less expensive methods of solving your problems.

If any work is recommended by the surveyor then you can approach as many companies as you wish and obtain estimates based on a ‘like-for-like’ basis instead of the ludicrous situation that often occurs when one man thinks that two walls need treatment while another thinks three! This way you’ll know exactly what needs to be done and get the best possible quote for doing it. You’ll very likely save more than you’ve spent on the survey!

If you can’t find a BWPDA affiliated company in the phone book, go to the BWPDA website at www.bwpda.co.uk and navigate your way to contractors. You can also find a list of freelance surveyors on my website.

Getting an independent survey carried out is your only protection against having unnecessary work done to your property. Any company who offers you a ‘free’ survey is going to have to recoup that cost somewhere along the line and you really shouldn’t be the one to fall for it - you could try getting them to buy you lunch though!

Next time I’ll look at condensation, it’s causes, symptoms and cures. It’s the number one cause of dampness in the UK and the one most often mis-diagnosed as ‘rising damp’.

© P Doyle CSRT 2005

Patrick is a BWPDA affiliated remedial treatments surveyor, qualified to CSRT standards, and is a Member of the Institute of Remedial Treatment Surveyors. He has had many years experience in the built environment having spent his working life renovating older and period properties as well as building new houses. Whilst carrying on these activities he also owned and operated a joinery company, a remedial treatments company and, laterally, an estate agency. He has achieved the coveted ‘Best Candidate’ award, which is given by the BWPDA and IWPD to the surveyor who has achieved the highest marks, nationwide, in examinations. He has also received awards from the National House Energy Ratings authority for excellence in energy efficient construction. He lives in Holmfirth in West Yorkshire and can be contacted via his website www.pdoyle.net, where further information and advice is also available.