The types of Survey we carry out.
-
- Building Surveys
- Damp and Timber Defects Reports
- Structural Reports
- Condition Reports
- Schedules of Condition & Dilapidations Scott Schedules(housing disrepair)
- Specific Defects Inspection
Building Surveys
If you require a building survey in Liverpool, Cheshire, Manchester or Merseyside in general, then look no further, that’s what we do.
HCS (NW) Ltd specialises in residential and commercial Building Surveys in Merseyside and beyond.
Buying a property is probably the biggest financial investment you are ever likely to make.
It’s a big commitment to a property that you probably have never seen before or never lived in, some people go headlong and purchase the property, and think! It looks ok; nothing obvious to me!
Sometimes you can get away with that, and sometimes it can cost you a lot of money in unexpected repairs; some of which you could well have got a reduction in the selling price; if you had a Building Survey done, which pointed out all of the properties defects.
Whilst a property can be a lucrative asset and investment, it can also come with substantial liabilities that you ought to be aware of before making your decisions.
Recent RICS research found that 1 in 5 home buyers who did not have a survey carried out on their property later uncovered defects that cost £5,750 on average to put right. The research also found that 17% of buyers had to spend more than £12,000 to make their homes habitable after failing to appreciate the condition the properties were in. You do not want to realise these costs when it’s too late to change your mind.
A Building Survey helps you to make an informed choice before purchasing a property, it also will point out the defects in the property and costs to put them right, this is a good bargaining tool when negotiating the price of the property.
The Building Survey Report is the most popular survey on the market today and is suitable for all properties, it covers all elements of the building, from external brickwork, deflection and movement, to internal inspection of the loft areas for unacceptable movement of rafters and purlins, including defects and movement to floors, out of alignment of door heads and defects to plaster work. Rising and penetrating dampness to walls and solid floors. It is a complete inspection without causing damage to a building, that is, no opening up of walls, ripping up floorboards etc, this has to be done with the owners permission.
If you have found us on the Local Surveyors Direct website you can get some feedback on the services that we provide by logging onto the Local Surveyors Direct Website which provides feedback on surveys recently carried out by us; please feel free to log on and view them. https://www.localconveyancingdirect.co.uk/directory-of-members/hcs-building-surveyors
Damp and Timber Defect Surveys and Reports
What Is a Damp and Timber Report?
A damp and timber report is the process of a survey being carried to confirm or reject the possibility of dampness, which is suspected to a property, sometimes prior to a property purchase.
The survey will also entail the surveyor looking for the presence of timber issues such as dry rot or woodworm infestations.
A frequent request from customers is for a damp and timber report which is one of the most common specialist reports for older buildings and is often requested as part of the home buying process.
Mortgage lenders/building surveyors often ask for a damp and timber report so that you and they can be satisfied that the structure of the building is free from excessive moisture, wood boring insects or wood rotting fungi that can attack the walls and timber within the building.
A majority of building surveyors will recommend a damp and timber report, as soon as their moisture meter highlights that moisture is present in the fabric of the building or there is evidence of a woodworm attack.
Dampness and Timber Defects in Buildings Dampness and timber defects in buildings ae two of the most difficult and expensive defects to deal with, there are many different types of dampness and timber defects, including the causes and remedial treatments of each.
Penetrating Dampness Probably the easiest form of dampness to detect and diagnose; and is typically caused by moisture constantly dripping or running down exterior brickwork. This could be the result of a blocked or broken gutter or drainpipe, fractured or split piping in interior walls, leaks or holes in your roof or material built up against your outer walls. Open joins in solid brickwork is a typical cause of dampness to mid and lower wall sections.
Although each case is unique, to investigate the cause and carrying out the repair, usually solve the damp problem. Penetrating damp is often the least expensive damp problem to treat, however, if left unchecked, it can lead to greater issues including the aforementioned lateral penetrating damp and both wet and dry rot.
Rising Dampness A lot of so called experts say rising dam does not exist, there are other organisations experts who say it does, including the BRE the Building Research Establishment to name but one, this is the leading organisation to whom all other organisations refer to including Local Authorities Building Control departments, when confirming the procedures for the diagnosis and treatment for rising dampness in buildings, Including Codes of Practice and many other issues which need professional accreditation.
The code of Practice BRE Digest 245 ‘Rising damp in Walls: diagnosis and treatment is always referred to when carrying out damp investigations in buildings.
It should also be noted that damp proof courses became mandatory in buildings in London in 1875 to control rising dampness in buildings. Many houses before that were also built with Damp Proof Courses including the workers cottages in Knowsley Village on Merseyside, built in 1845 which all have bitumen damp proof courses.
Rising damp occurs when groundwater gradually rises up the brickwork, eventually seeping through to internal walls and causing unsightly problems like rot and cracking to skirting boards, cracking and staining on wall plaster.
Unlike moisture carried by penetrating damp, rising damp carries other chemicals and salts in the water solution. These deposits can be left on walls, making them unattractive but more concerningly, increasing the draw of moisture up from the ground into your walls.
Rising damp occurs when the damp-proof course or membrane built into your walls becomes compromised or damaged, including bridging of the damp course by cavity wall infill, high soil levels outside, wall plaster in contact with concrete floors which will allow damp in the floors to rise up the wall.
All of these defects are common occurrences in buildings and need the correct diagnosis to enable the correct treatment of the problem.
Rising damp is one of the most commonly misdiagnosed forms of damp as penetrating damp shares many of the main symptoms. By employing a qualified Building Surveyor with the correct qualifications, you can be assured of the correct diagnosis and recommended treatment.
Wet Rot When penetrating or rising damp is left untreated or is out of sight and allowed to spread, your property is at risk of developing wet rot. When penetrating or rising damp is left untreated or is out of sight and allowed to spread, your property is at risk of developing wet rot, a destructive type of fungus that works its way into saturated timber fibres and gradually weakens the structure. Without proper treatment, entire rooms can become infected which can be an expensive repair when the wooden structures require replacement.
The chance of wet rot can be drastically reduced with ample ventilation through extractor fans and adding additional wall vents to exterior walls, although once wet rot takes hold, the timbers will need to be taken out and replaced to ensure there is no delayed spread of spores. We will also check and ensure the cause of the damp is taken care of before removing a wet rot infection.
Dry Rot Similar to wet rot, but much more invasive, dry rot also needs dampness to occur, despite its name. It can occur when the timber has a certain level of moisture caused by leaks or poorly maintained plumbing. Unlike wet rot, dry rot has a rapid expansion and in a very short time can quickly spread through timbers, leaching spores into the fibres, where you might not see the damage until it is too late.
Treating dry rot requires both treatment of the damp affliction and then removal or sterilisation of affected timbers and all those surrounding them. Any leftover dry rot spores will quickly take root and begin the cycle all over again, even if the original damp problem has been solved. Any remaining moisture makes the perfect home for exploitative dry rot spores, so care needs to be taken to ensure the issue is fully resolved. Dry rot also requires sterilisation to the masonry and plaster it often infects.
A damp and timber report is the process of a survey being carried out to check for the presence of damp problems that may be present before purchasing a property. The survey will also entail the surveyor looking for the presence of timber issues such as dry rot or woodworm infestations.
A frequent request from customers is for a damp and timber report which is one of the most common specialist reports for older buildings and is often requested as part of the home buying process
Damp Diagnosis and Testing Tests will be made for evidence of dampness, whether rising or penetrating, including condensation. The surveyor will report on evidence of wood rot and wood infestation which is visible during the normal surveying activities; if found, these will be examined a diagnosed to determine the extent of dampness or infestation. Then determine the cause of any dampness and remedial works necessary.
If insect infestation is discovered the surveyor will determine the type, and level of damage caused, including any treatment needed.
Tests for evidence of rising and penetrating dampness; will be carried out using a Protimeter MMS2 damp meter in search mode which is none invasive and tests for damp up to 20mm below the surface in none-timber materials and calibrated from 0-999.
Tests will also be carried out using the electrical impedance pin probe method, on the surface of none timber materials, which is calibrated from 0-100. This is an invasive moisture reading method; also, deep probes may be used to test below the wall surface and into the brickwork or mortar joints with the required permissions of the building owners, as this entails drilling 4mm holes in the walls to determine if damp is occurring within the brickwork.
Moisture readings in wood give the actual % MC Moisture Content readings if set to the particular timber type, these are accurate. All other readings give the % Wood Moisture Equivalent ‘WME’ when used in none timber materials, which would read Low Medium or High damp levels.
The readings are subjective and open for interpretation; therefore, they will not be used to indicate actual moisture content but can determine if the material is dry, damp or wet, and will be evaluated with other factors, such as humidity and temperature, moisture profiles, and damp patterns.
These machines are extremely accurate, however the variations achieved depend on the density of the material tested; for this reason, the damp meter is divided into three sections.
Dry, where no dampness is recorded; Risk, which some damp is recorded from very low upwards; Wet, which records high damp from low level to maximum on the meter.
Further Dampness testing can also be done by using a speedy meter; (Calcium Carbide meter) this will test for the actual amounts of dampness in the wall. However considering all of the above, will not prove the cause of the dampness, it will just let the surveyor know damp is the problem.
The only sure way od determining where the dampness is coming from is to have samples taken for laboratory analysis to test for various salts which may be Hygroscopic, which means that they will attract moisture to the wall or floor surfaces.
These salts and water can be separated out to determine what is causing the dampness in the walls or floors, which are produced in definitive reports.
HCS Building Surveyors principal surveyor is W J Higham who is an expert in the diagnosis of dampness and remedial treatments in buildings. Is also has a great deal of experience in the diagnosis of insect attack, wood rot, mould and treatments of these conditions.
Understanding the intricacies of dampness, and the different types of damp, has its own challenges, and solutions.
Formal training is essential to the understanding of dampness, what causes it and its correct diagnosis. Penetrating dampness through external walls is probably the easiest to diagnose; dampness in internal walls and chimney breasts are more difficult and can lead to wrong diagnosis and expensive repairs. There are so many variables to dampness, and to the diagnosis, and to the correct method of diagnosis.
Experts gain knowledge from experience, and when not to take things for granted.
Ensuring the right diagnosis for the damp problem Carrying out a a thorough damp survey and applying the correct diagnosis to the problem, is key to generating accurate results. From, then, coupling that with having the right amount of knowledge and experience to ensure that the right solution are applied to the causes.
There are various different types of damp, and some of them may show similar symptoms. However, they all have the same results – damage to your property and potentially serious health risks.
An expert will ensure that the right solution is being applied to the right problem. It is very rare that experts misdiagnose damp problems, this results in time and money wasting, not good for the Surveyors reputation, or a duty of care which always puts the client first.
Periodic Maintenance Keeping on top of repairs and maintenance is the easiest way to ensure that your property doesn’t become afflicted by damp, however, sometimes things happen that are beyond our control. Keep an eye on your roof for loose or missing tiles that could lead to a leak or moisture ingress, in addition to occasionally checking over exterior brickwork for missing or damaged pointing which can lead to water seeping into brick pores and through to interior walls. This is especially important after bad or particularly adverse weather including high winds and increased rainfall.
If you suspect damp, don’t put off calling out a qualified contractor. The longer that water and moisture are allowed to seep into your property, the more involved and costlier your repairs can become, especially when moisture leads to troublesome dry or wet rot.
When a damp and timber surveyor is called out, he/she will identify the cause of the dampness and possibly the resulting insect attack, and recommend any remedial works needed to resolve the issues to prevent any recurrence of the problem.
