RISING DAMP LARNE

Rising Damp Larne

Rising damp in your property is nightmarish enough, but when confronted with such a large number of remedial damp proofing companies to choose from, and undoubtedly a diverse range of solutions and prices, how can you be sure of choosing the right damp specialist to solve your rising damp problem?

The most important thing to remember is to get more than one opinion when it comes to both diagnosing your damp problem, and quoting for the remedial work. I have put together some guidelines to help you know what questions you should be asking to make sure you choose the right specialist remedial damp treatment company who can solve your rising damp for good.

1. The Company

How long have the company been trading? Are they members of trade bodies the BWPDA (British Wood Preserving and Damp-Proofing Association) and/or the PCA (Property Care Association)? If they have a long history of remedial damp-proofing work they should be rather good at it. Do they have case studies and customer reviews you can see? Reputation says a lot in business. How did you hear about them?

2. The Survey

Nobody can diagnose rising damp without seeing your property, so if you've been quoted for remedial works over the phone, be wary! A full damp survey will need to be carried out in your home.

When the damp surveyor arrives, he or she should tell you what they're looking for, carry out the damp inspection, and communicate what results they've found, giving you an indication of the problem, before preparing a full written report for you. It may be that there is no rising damp issue at all! Ask them how they have discounted other possible causes of damp such as: Condensation & Black Mould caused by high humidity levels, Penetrating Dampness, high external ground levels bridging the damp proof course, guttering and downpipe leaks and even the dog peeing against the wall!

3. The Report

You should get a full written report specifically detailing your rising damp problem, and not just a generic "one-size fits all" solution. Have you actually got rising damp in your home or is it actually penetrating damp, wet rot, or is that mouldy wall in your bathroom actually a condensation issue? A new Damp Proof Course isn't going to fix that, and could be a massive waste of money. Carefully read through the details of your damp report, and if you are unsure of anything, ask for further clarification.

4. The Quote

If after your damp survey you get a remedial quote that's excessively cheap, there may be a reason! Have they underestimated the extent of the problem? What corners might they be cutting? A cheap damp quote is not necessarily a good quote - especially if it's much cheaper than the competition. That's not to say you can't get a good deal. Just compare all of your reports and quotes to understand if anything is missing.

5. The Work

Understand fully what work is going to take place. Workmen are likely to need to access the inside of your home. Will they be using any hazardous damp proofing chemicals? Will they be making good any invasive work or will you need to budget for a third party to finish and decorate? Make sure you know exactly what you're paying for.

6. The Guarantee

Not worth the paper it's written on? If your damp company are reputable, they'll have no problem in guaranteeing their remedial work as standard. How long is acceptable for a damp proof guarantee on expensive works? Two years? Five? Ten? How about Thirty? Do they offer an insurance-backed guarantee from GPI (Guarantee Protection Insurance), and if not, why not? Make sure your guarantee is worth the paper it is written on.

7. The Service

Once your reputable damp company has treated your property and guaranteed it, they're still there to answer any queries. If they've worked properly, your rising damp will be cured, and you'll never need to use that guarantee.

8. Payment Terms

Where possible, always pay for your remedial damp work by credit card. Credit companies offer added assurance and consumer rights for your purchase, so never pay for rising damp work by cash because once the deal is done, you may never get it back if there's a problem.

These points should have helped you know more about how to choose a rising damp specialist. Remedial damp work can be stressful, but if you are taken care of by a good, reputable damp company, you will never have to be worried about rising damp in those walls again.

It doesn't sound like a particularly interesting topic, however a quick search on the worlds favourite internet search engine will show that in some circles rising damp is a very hot topic indeed. The trouble is that it appears that it could indeed be some type of religion or god; does it exist, or doesn't it? The truth of the matter is that rising damp does indeed exist in one form or another, but it is often misdiagnosed, or you can often pay for expensive treatment that really isn't necessary.

Rising damp in buildings may be defined as the vertical flow of water up through a permeable wall structure, the water being derived from ground water. The water rises through the pores (capillaries) in the masonary by a process loosely termed "capillarity." In other words the masonry acts like a wick The common causes are deterioration due to age and bridging of a damp course with internal concrete floors, renders or external paths and earth levels (a damp course is specifically designed to avoid the possibility of rising damp- it is built of a matter of course in all new buildings).

If your house does have a problem (something we will discuss later) then it can cause the following symptons:

For inside walls

• Paint does not adhere to the wall.

• Wall paper lifts and stains appear on the walls.

• Plaster flakes away, feels soft and spongy, bubbles and white powder or crystals appear.

• Skirting boards and floor boards rot.

For outside walls

• Mortar frets and falls out between bricks and stonework.

• Stains or white powder appear on walls.

These problems are mainly aesthetic problems only, however it is conceivable that structural damage could result from extensive rising damp, and of course a damp mouldy environment could pose a health risk to people.

Obviously if you have any of the above symptoms then it is possible that your home is suffering from rising damp, and it would be advisable to get an 'expert' in to look at your home. However this is where you will face a major problem; who is an expert , and who is just a 'cowboy' out to diagnose you with the "worst case of rising damp that he has ever seen, which can only be solved with the most expensive treatment on the market"? Unfortunately there are a lot of companies out there who have targets to meet and profits to make, and the way they do this is by over zealous diagnosing, and charge you hefty fees for carrying out work that may, or may not, fix the problem.

The major problem is that any damp-proofing salesman that you employ to look at your home will use a 'rising damp meter'. These meters are supposed to measure the moisture in materials, however what they actually do is measure the electrical conductance. The idea being that the better the conductance (the ease at which electricity flows) the higher the water content. However these meters can only be calibrated for one material, and that is usually timber. So they will give reasonable results for wood and possibly some plasters, but for bricks, wallpaper and concrete they will give readings that are way too high. Thus they can be used (by unscrupulous salespeople) to indicate that you have rising damp "because the meters says so" when in fact you have a perfectly normal wall.

In summary if you can visibly see a problem with your wall, with obvious signs of damage due to water or salty tide marks then you may have a problem with rising damp, and you will need to try to find a reliable expert to come in and look at your problem. However be very, very wary of any 'expert' who has been employed to do a general survey of your house, or indeed comes around offering a free check up of your building. If they pull out one of these moisture meters, jab it into the wall a few times and declare that you have a major problem, then it is entirely possible that they are a commission based salesperson trying to extract money from you.

Generally, if the wall looks okay, it is okay. If it looks like it is damp, mouldy or has tide marks on it, then you have a problem with moisture, condensation, or rising damp in your home, and you need to investigate things further.