General Questions

I think I have damp in my property

Please read through our information on Rising Damp and Condensation. This will give you a better indication of what the problem in your property is. This helps better prepare our surveyors, meaning a quicker turnaround on sorting the problem in your property.

I have had a survey done, and it has come back saying I have damp

When buying a new home, or having a home condition report carried out, if a surveyor picks up any trace of damp, they will more than likely recommend that you instruct a specialist to view it. There could be many reasons for the damp, and it doesn’t necessarily mean you have rising damp. Please contact us to arrange a survey.

I have black mould in my property

Black mould indicates the problem is less likely to be Rising Damp. The most likely cause of black spot mould is condensation.

I think I have a condensation problem

Please view our Condensation information page.

Could you give me an estimate without surveying the property?

Unfortunately not. We do not estimate on a rates basis – there are a number of other factors we must consider. We must also ensure we are treating the correct problem – meaning we would require one of our surveyors to diagnose it.

What is a bore test/shale test?

The use of hardcore in house construction first became common in the immediate post-war period, when construction materials were in short supply. Solid floors, comprising a concrete floor slab over hardcore, largely superseded suspended timber floors that were typically used in the 1930s. Also, waste materials, such as burnt colliery spoil and blast-furnace slag were promoted by government as being appropriate materials for use.

Unfortunately, little or no guidance on the selection and use of suitable materials was available in the early post-war years and there was some use of deleterious materials.
Hardcore, derived from many industrial by-products, was included in the construction of hundred of thousands of domestic properties from the 1940's to around the late 1970's / early 80's.

The legacy has been a continuing occurrence of damage to floor slabs and abutting walls due to deleterious hardcore. (Hardcore is a fill material used in building construction to raise ground levels and provide a dry, firm and level base on which to cast a concrete ground floor slab or ‘over-site’ concrete beneath suspended floors).

Remediation of such damage is rarely covered by household insurance, as the cause is deemed to be a latent construction defect. Thus, in most cases, owner-occupiers have had to pay (typically £10-20k) out of their own pockets for repair.

Reactions between shale and the concrete slab can cause the slab to expand, causing cracking, expanding, lifting, in effect, heaving.

If you have been asked for a test to be carried out, you will need to arrange for a surveyor to visit the property. The test involves breaking out an approximately 6 inch area of concrete, and removing a sample of hardcore. We will then refill the section removed and make good. The sample is sent away to a testing lab by our surveyor. The test takes on average about 2 weeks, and when returned, you will receive a written report with the results of the test, stating whether or not repairs are needed. There is a charge for this type of survey to be carried out, which will be agreed in the initial enquiry stage.