Damp and Timber FAQs

While the two problems often go hand-in-hand, just because you have damp in your property, that doesn’t necessarily mean that your timbers have been affected too. However, because some types of rot can’t be readily seen by a simple visual inspection, you won’t know if your timber is suffering unless you have a survey conducted by a qualified damp and timber expert.

Most people are honest and hard working just like the rest of us. However, there are exceptions and of course – cowboy damp and timber experts will not announce their dishonest intentions on a web site. This is why it is better to use pre-vetted surveyors. Property Care Association approved contractors like us and CSRT qualified surveyors like ours, are bound by a strict code of conduct and have received the relevant training to make an accurate diagnosis. The CSRT is a qualification awarded after written and aural examinations. The failure rate for CSRT examinations is over 40%, which demonstrates how rigorous it is. Our damp and timber surveyors are not paid on the level of sales they make to you – the incentive they have is to win customer satisfaction and loyalty; there’s no extra pay to be had by just selling a DPC or timber treatment of any kind. This commitment underpins our 30 years in this business and we wont put our reputation at risk for short term gain. Remember that even if we do quote for work, it will only be for work we feel will benefit you AND. You are not under any obligation to accept a quote from us.

We invest heavily, on an ongoing basis, in state-of-the-art diagnostic tools, training and equipment – we even have Yorkshire’s only in-house damp diagnosis laboratory. This allows us to complete a thorough assessment of your damp and timber problems, so that any diagnosis is accurate, and the right treatment/repair is recommended. Our damp and timber expert surveys are not free – the small fee we charge does cover our survey costs and we ensure that your faith in us is validated, by making sure we are thorough, diligent and above all – ethical.

Of course! Our team of timber and damp specialists understand how important it is to leave things as they find them, and they will always lay dust sheets, protect your belongings and work with respect for you and your property at all times. Respect for others is a key part of our philosophy, we treat you as we would expect to be treated if work were being done on our own homes. We try to keep waste to a minimum, but there will always be some. This may include rotted timber, plaster we have removed or surplus materials. All of this is carefull taken away, we are registered waste carriers so that you know that your contractor is not harming the environment by fly-tipping or failing to recycle waste properly.

 Not at the survey stage, but if we need to treat a woodworm problem, you’ll need to vacate the property for a short while, so we can safely apply the chemicals needed to solve the issue. Also, for health and safety reasons, any structural repairs to your timber will require you to pop out for a while so we can work quickly and safely. We’ll talk you through everything before we come to do the damp and timber work. If in doubt call us and speak to your damp and timber expert surveyor. Our office staff are also qualifed Property Care Association technicians (PCAQT), so they can help you if a surveyor is not immediately available.

Yes, it’s all part of the damp and timber service if required, and we’re pretty good with a trowel. Our technicians Ryan Shann, Luke Dimetriou and Darren Roberts have excellent trowel skills. We’ll make good all affected walls, ensuring you have a clean slate for decorating once your advised drying-out period is over. Types of plaster used by us depend on the nature of the damp and the type of construction. These range from site mixed sand and cement or sand and lime materials, through to pre-mixed specialist products for waterproofing work. There really is no ‘standard’ job and each property receives the most appropriate material for success.

We will never put you, your family or our employees in danger. Health and Safety is paramount to us. Our use of chemicals is governed by strict health and safety regulations, which we follow carefully. This is one reason why it is so important for remedial technicians working in damp proofing’s and timber treatment to be properly qualified. Our damp and timber experts and technicians are examined on their knowledge of health and safety surrounding our work, we carry out a risk assessment for every project we undertake. Only once we’ve agreed a safe system of working, will we proceed to carry out the work. You can request a copy of the combined risk assessment and method statement(RAMS), before we start the work. Only chemicals approved by HSE and specified for the use we require are applied by us and then, in strict accordance with he manufacturers instructions. We are members of the Construction Health and Safety Assessment Scheme (CHAS), which is a government sponsored body, overseeing and regulating safety in construction – read about CHAS here. If you have any concerns about your safety or the safety of others please get in touch.