Damp Detectives is now certified with Exor Management Services Ltd which is the national creditation service which Councils, Housing Associations and Schools turn to when they wish to employ a Damp Surveyor.
Remember we are also registered with the Property Care Association (formerly the BWDPA)
Why not call us now if you have a condensation or mould & damp issue.
Sunday, 26 September 2010
Monday, 19 July 2010
Mould and Asthma
There are some interesting articles out there on health problems being caused by mould in the home. Here are a few examples of a theory linking mould and asthma
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6396455.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/6979787.stm
So if you or anyone else in your home has asthma and you have mould in your home why not call us for an independent mould survey and we can tell you what's causing it and how to get rid of it.
visit our website at www.dampdetectives.co.uk
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6396455.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/6979787.stm
So if you or anyone else in your home has asthma and you have mould in your home why not call us for an independent mould survey and we can tell you what's causing it and how to get rid of it.
visit our website at www.dampdetectives.co.uk
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Condensation - Symptom not problem
There has been a lot of leaflets being handed out recently showing people how to control condensation. In fact some people when they complain about mould are given a leaflet on condensation and told to open their window. As I've said before most of the time people are not the problem (unless there are for example 7 people in the house with fish tanks everywhere, drying laundry indoors and pets running around). Sometimes a person's lifestyle can make the problem worse but there is almost always a problem elsewhere to begin with.
In cases where a person has condensation on their windows then opening them will help to remove it temporarily, but it does not solve the problem and after the windows are closed again it will reappear. Saying that condensation is the problem is like saying to a patient that has a bad cut that the problem is they have blood on their shirt.
This is why Damp Detectives has such a high success rate, we look for the source and not just a way of covering up the problem.
If you think of air as like a bucket full of water, as the air is heated up the bucket grows in size and can carry more water. As the air cools the bucket shrinks and therefore it can't hold as much. If there is more water in the air than it can hold it will condense resulting in condensation on any surface cold enough. Now, you can't say that warming up everywhere will solve the problem because the air is still wet, it might stop condensation but it will probably just happen somewhere else. After all it would be unrealistically expensive to continually warm every surface in your house. The question has to be asked where did this water come from? There must be another source!
So the next time someone tells you the problem in your house is that you're breathing too heavily; or you find that condensation reappears after you close your window, then give Damp Detectives a call! We will happily talk to you about your problem and how we can help.
We work with a rapidly expanding range of housing agencies, agents, letting agents and councils so why not ask them to contact us.
In cases where a person has condensation on their windows then opening them will help to remove it temporarily, but it does not solve the problem and after the windows are closed again it will reappear. Saying that condensation is the problem is like saying to a patient that has a bad cut that the problem is they have blood on their shirt.
This is why Damp Detectives has such a high success rate, we look for the source and not just a way of covering up the problem.
If you think of air as like a bucket full of water, as the air is heated up the bucket grows in size and can carry more water. As the air cools the bucket shrinks and therefore it can't hold as much. If there is more water in the air than it can hold it will condense resulting in condensation on any surface cold enough. Now, you can't say that warming up everywhere will solve the problem because the air is still wet, it might stop condensation but it will probably just happen somewhere else. After all it would be unrealistically expensive to continually warm every surface in your house. The question has to be asked where did this water come from? There must be another source!
So the next time someone tells you the problem in your house is that you're breathing too heavily; or you find that condensation reappears after you close your window, then give Damp Detectives a call! We will happily talk to you about your problem and how we can help.
We work with a rapidly expanding range of housing agencies, agents, letting agents and councils so why not ask them to contact us.
Friday, 5 March 2010
Damp Detectives has joined the Property Care Association!
Fantastic News, we have joined the Property Care Association! This allows us to work with a wide range of insurance companies to provide more people with our highly effective services.
The Property Care Association (PCA) was part of the BDPA (British Wood Preserving Association) and is a rapidly growing trade body of fully trained and insured specialists.
For more information visit their website: http://www.property-care.org/
The Property Care Association (PCA) was part of the BDPA (British Wood Preserving Association) and is a rapidly growing trade body of fully trained and insured specialists.
For more information visit their website: http://www.property-care.org/
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
Common misconceptions about mould and damp
There is plenty of information on the Internet nowadays but how do you know what is reliable? When anyone can post information about mould and damp how can you know what is true and what isn't?
Well in this blog I thought I would tackle a few of the common misconceptions about mould and damp used by businesses to sell their products or services, but will not stop your mould or damp problem.
Why listen to me? well Damp Detectives has over 20 years of experience in dealing with mould and damp and we have had an almost 100% success rate over the last 3 months. some of these have had recurring damp problems that others have not been able to solve, so we must be doing something right. If you are lucky enough to live in the South West why not call us for a survey
1. Firstly one of the most common misconceptions, mould will only grow on wet or rotten surfaces. This is false! there are many complex reasons why mould and damp grow where they do, but they do not need a wet surface to grow on. Mould needs constant moisture and food to survive so the air could be providing the moisture, and the wall could be dry. Quite often in past surveys there has been damp elsewhere and this has given off enough moisture into the air to provide the conditions needed for mould to grow on a dry surface (less moisture is needed than you think). If you don't believe me look at this page from the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification website http://www.certifiedcleaners.org/mold_remediation.shtml. I should point out the I.I.C.R.C. website is American and this website is directed more towards wooden construction houses. However, the point is still valid for a brick house as moisture being released elsewhere can provide the conditions for mould to grow. My point for raising this is that the problem is not always as obvious as "there's mould growing around my window therefore the window is the problem". You should always pick your surveyors carefully as many of the free surveys are provided by firms that have an interest in selling a particular product or service and will look for a reason to sell you this. Therefore look for an independent surveyor I.e. one that only does surveys. They will most likely charge for these but at least you can be sure they will give you an honest opinion of what needs to be done.
2. Mould doesn't grow on painted walls. Again this is false. The main source behind this theory is that by having the painted wall there is no food source on the wall. Well this is correct when you have just painted it and you have cleaned the brushes. BUT as you live in your home you will add the food source to the wall. Let me explain, if you are cooking and for example frying some food, the fats in the oils will evaporate in small amounts and be carried by the air. This will eventually reach a wall or ceiling or surface and deposit the oily residue. Not in noticeable amount I might add but enough to provide a food source for mould. This can even happen on a painted wall, so even if your wall is painted other sources will create a food source for mould.
3. Mould cleaning products permanently remove mould. NO, what is happening is that you are cleaning the surface thereby removing the food. If there is bleach in the product you will kill the mould but before it dies it releases millions of microscopic spores which you may breathe in to the detriment of your health. They don't write that in the small print on the tin. There may be an ingredient that prevents mould returning for a while but the main problem is the source of moisture so unless you deal with that then once the food has returned to the surface, the mould will start growing again. However mould doesn't just grow on surfaces it will also grow on food, clothes, books anything really. So you might prevent mould growing on your walls only to find it in your cupboard over your clothes. The only sure way to stop mould is to remove the source which is the moisture and that is what independent damp surveyors do. They identify the source and recommend a solution. Because we don't actually carry out building works or anything like that the survey is totally reliable and it also allows you to look around to find the best deal for any works that need to be done. There is no pressure to use that particular company.
4. You are the cause of mould and damp, open a window. This is one of the most common phrases I have heard recently, landlords have said that the tenants are causing the damp and that by opening as window, the problem will be resolved. This is highly unlikely and in most cases false. it is true that people release moisture into the air, through our breathing, by cooking, washing, drying clothes on the radiator etc. However, unless you never open your windows and do a lot of the above it is highly unlikely you are the cause. All of this may contribute but there is still likely to be a source elsewhere and some of our cases have been for very unlikely sources from hot water tanks with no lids to a water leak 10 years ago that never properly dried. The only way to tell is to get a damp survey, you can theorise all you like but at the end of the day it is much easier and less stressful and even cheaper to call a damp surveyor. But like I said above make sure that they are independent and try to avoid free surveys because they often have an ulterior motive.
If you rent from a landlord or housing agency and you are suspicious about the surveyor they have called you can always ask for a second opinion from a surveyor of your choice. If you really want to know how to remove your mould and damp call the Damp Detective! http://www.dampdetectives.co.uk/
Well in this blog I thought I would tackle a few of the common misconceptions about mould and damp used by businesses to sell their products or services, but will not stop your mould or damp problem.
Why listen to me? well Damp Detectives has over 20 years of experience in dealing with mould and damp and we have had an almost 100% success rate over the last 3 months. some of these have had recurring damp problems that others have not been able to solve, so we must be doing something right. If you are lucky enough to live in the South West why not call us for a survey
1. Firstly one of the most common misconceptions, mould will only grow on wet or rotten surfaces. This is false! there are many complex reasons why mould and damp grow where they do, but they do not need a wet surface to grow on. Mould needs constant moisture and food to survive so the air could be providing the moisture, and the wall could be dry. Quite often in past surveys there has been damp elsewhere and this has given off enough moisture into the air to provide the conditions needed for mould to grow on a dry surface (less moisture is needed than you think). If you don't believe me look at this page from the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification website http://www.certifiedcleaners.org/mold_remediation.shtml. I should point out the I.I.C.R.C. website is American and this website is directed more towards wooden construction houses. However, the point is still valid for a brick house as moisture being released elsewhere can provide the conditions for mould to grow. My point for raising this is that the problem is not always as obvious as "there's mould growing around my window therefore the window is the problem". You should always pick your surveyors carefully as many of the free surveys are provided by firms that have an interest in selling a particular product or service and will look for a reason to sell you this. Therefore look for an independent surveyor I.e. one that only does surveys. They will most likely charge for these but at least you can be sure they will give you an honest opinion of what needs to be done.
2. Mould doesn't grow on painted walls. Again this is false. The main source behind this theory is that by having the painted wall there is no food source on the wall. Well this is correct when you have just painted it and you have cleaned the brushes. BUT as you live in your home you will add the food source to the wall. Let me explain, if you are cooking and for example frying some food, the fats in the oils will evaporate in small amounts and be carried by the air. This will eventually reach a wall or ceiling or surface and deposit the oily residue. Not in noticeable amount I might add but enough to provide a food source for mould. This can even happen on a painted wall, so even if your wall is painted other sources will create a food source for mould.
3. Mould cleaning products permanently remove mould. NO, what is happening is that you are cleaning the surface thereby removing the food. If there is bleach in the product you will kill the mould but before it dies it releases millions of microscopic spores which you may breathe in to the detriment of your health. They don't write that in the small print on the tin. There may be an ingredient that prevents mould returning for a while but the main problem is the source of moisture so unless you deal with that then once the food has returned to the surface, the mould will start growing again. However mould doesn't just grow on surfaces it will also grow on food, clothes, books anything really. So you might prevent mould growing on your walls only to find it in your cupboard over your clothes. The only sure way to stop mould is to remove the source which is the moisture and that is what independent damp surveyors do. They identify the source and recommend a solution. Because we don't actually carry out building works or anything like that the survey is totally reliable and it also allows you to look around to find the best deal for any works that need to be done. There is no pressure to use that particular company.
4. You are the cause of mould and damp, open a window. This is one of the most common phrases I have heard recently, landlords have said that the tenants are causing the damp and that by opening as window, the problem will be resolved. This is highly unlikely and in most cases false. it is true that people release moisture into the air, through our breathing, by cooking, washing, drying clothes on the radiator etc. However, unless you never open your windows and do a lot of the above it is highly unlikely you are the cause. All of this may contribute but there is still likely to be a source elsewhere and some of our cases have been for very unlikely sources from hot water tanks with no lids to a water leak 10 years ago that never properly dried. The only way to tell is to get a damp survey, you can theorise all you like but at the end of the day it is much easier and less stressful and even cheaper to call a damp surveyor. But like I said above make sure that they are independent and try to avoid free surveys because they often have an ulterior motive.
If you rent from a landlord or housing agency and you are suspicious about the surveyor they have called you can always ask for a second opinion from a surveyor of your choice. If you really want to know how to remove your mould and damp call the Damp Detective! http://www.dampdetectives.co.uk/
Wednesday, 13 January 2010
Welcome to my blog
Hi and welcome to the new blog for http://www.dampdetectives.co.uk/. For those of you who don't know who we are, we are damp surveyors in Devon who realised that many building surveyors being called in to look at mould or damp were frequently not finding the source and suggesting solutions that did not prevent reoccurrence.
Damp Detectives was until recently a part of Complete Restoration Services Ltd (http://www.completerestorationservices.co.uk/) which is a fire and flood restoration company based in the South West of England and has operated for over 20 years. This experience together with the managing director's experience at sea in the merchant navy has given us a different perspective in looking for the source of damp. As a result since our launch we have successfully identified the source of EVERY propery visited so far!
Recently we have begun making links with housing associations and working as a subcontractors for companies including Westcountry Housing Association and Torbay Management Services.
We are independent from any building firms or window companies and are not interested in selling one particular solution. We will find the source and recommend whatever is needed to fix the problem. We believe that this is the cheapest and most effective way to solve a damp problem.
In this blog we thought that we could look into some of the most commonly suggested solutions from our own experience and why they do not necessarily work.
I hope that this will be interesting and enlightening to you and please feel free to comment on this blog or to contact us via e-mail at info@dampdetectives.co.uk or visit our website which is http://www.dampdetectives.co.uk/
The Damp Detective
Damp Detectives was until recently a part of Complete Restoration Services Ltd (http://www.completerestorationservices.co.uk/) which is a fire and flood restoration company based in the South West of England and has operated for over 20 years. This experience together with the managing director's experience at sea in the merchant navy has given us a different perspective in looking for the source of damp. As a result since our launch we have successfully identified the source of EVERY propery visited so far!
Recently we have begun making links with housing associations and working as a subcontractors for companies including Westcountry Housing Association and Torbay Management Services.
We are independent from any building firms or window companies and are not interested in selling one particular solution. We will find the source and recommend whatever is needed to fix the problem. We believe that this is the cheapest and most effective way to solve a damp problem.
In this blog we thought that we could look into some of the most commonly suggested solutions from our own experience and why they do not necessarily work.
I hope that this will be interesting and enlightening to you and please feel free to comment on this blog or to contact us via e-mail at info@dampdetectives.co.uk or visit our website which is http://www.dampdetectives.co.uk/
The Damp Detective
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