Damp Detective's FAQ

Another successful survey in Wales

2012-01-23T03:57:00.000-08:00

A Lady in Wales had been in her country house for 4 years. Every year the mould and condensation problems on her walls had got steadily worse in the winter and she was becoming increasingly anxious that the house had a major structural problem. She and her husband had decided they may have to sell the house.

One of our Damp Surveyors in the South West had discovered that the local farmer had redirected drainage from a field which had a direct impact on the house. The drainage was diverted away at a very low cost and the problem was solved.

For more examples of how Damp Detectives can help you see our examples of past damp surveys

The most effective cure for damp

2012-01-07T07:44:00.000-08:00

In the present climate everyone is watching closely how their hard earned income is spent. Many people are realising that the most effective and economical way to address condensation and mould is to locate the source by using the services of an Independent Damp Surveyor such as Damp Detectives. The thorough damp survey shows all sources that are causing mould , condensation and damp marks and once these are stopped the mould and condensation disappears naturally. As in the famous words of that furry animal on tv adverts, "Simple eek"

Franchising Opportunities

2011-07-24T07:32:00.000-07:00

We are very pleased to announce the launch of our franchising scheme to expand our service area to include other areas of the UK.

Over the years we have received a number of enquiries from areas outside of our standard coverage and we are now looking to expand through franchises to cover these areas.

Any of these new franchises would have a fantastic opportunity to exclusively cover their own territory and effectively run their own business using our tried and tested independent damp survey techniques.

We will be releasing more information about territories available over the coming months but we are now reviewing applications. For more information please e-mail us at info@dampdetectives.co.uk or visit our contact page

Mould and Health Issues Real or Scaremongering

2011-07-06T05:06:00.000-07:00

Sometimes scary claims are made about mould and the effects on our health, but I did a survey recently where the damp and mould had a genuine affect on the client's health. For many years a client had been seeing his Doctor and a skin specialist regarding allergies,and hair loss. He had been aware of a strong mouldy smell and had sought advice where he could. One Damp company had sold him a positive pressure fan at £1200 and an Environmental Officer had told him his 2 dogs were the cause of his problems ( great help that was!). In desperation he called me in and I found black mould growing under his leaking en suite shower. The mould was analysed and found to be Aspergillus Fumagatus which can be toxic especially to those with a suppressed immune system. The Client had been treated with steroids for his skin problems which suppresses the immune system and that made him vulnerable to the toxins of the Asbergillus. With the mould removed and the leak cured his health professionals can now treat him in a different way armed with this knowledge. Another case correctly solved. The moral of this story is simple get to the root of the problem straight away by calling a proper Independent Damp Surveyor call Damp Detectives.

Damp Survey in South Wales

2011-06-19T12:18:00.000-07:00

We have recently had enquiries from all over the country looking for an Independent Damp Surveyor. The most recent of which was in Tenby , South Wales. The source of which we successfully discovered and identified a cost effective solution.

An example of our Damp Surveys

2011-05-23T13:08:00.001-07:00

At Damp Detectives, we pride ourselves in providing an excellent independent damp survey. We are determined to find the source of the problem and have the skills, experience and knowledge to do so.

One recent survey had been visited by several previous professionals who had failed to find any problems. The customer had a problem with a large damp patch on one of their upper floor rooms. The solution was simple, the neighbour had had a leak in their bathroom which adjoined the property and this was causing a damp patch in both properties. As a prime example of why our surveys are so effective, we extended our survey to investigate adjoining rooms in the neighbour's property and found the problem to the relief of both the customer and their neighbour.

Our surveys are effective because we don't limit our searches to the room with the problem because experience has shown that it often is not that easy.

Why choose an independent damp surveyor?

2011-03-27T11:28:00.001-07:00

A lot of people have been asking recently what's wrong with a free survey? What's so important about independent damp surveyors?

The answer to this is simple, when dealing with a business why would they offer a free survey? The obvious answer is that they make their money back in the remediation. If this is the case how can you be sure you're being offered a suggestion that will work?

With independent damp surveys like a Damp Detective survey, you can be sure that any solution we offer will genuinely solve the problem at the source. Our surveys are effective because we don't just solve the visual problems like mould or damp, we explain where the source of the problem is and how best to solve the problem.

In some cases it may be due to damp elsewhere in the house because mould only requires a small amount of moisture. In other cases, it may be that the source may be external but in most cases there's no quick easy way to say this is the problem. For example, it's very easy to point to mould on the wall and say your problem is that you have mould but in reality it's the source of moisture that allows the mould to grow that is the problem and the mould is just a visual result.

The reason our surveys are so effective is a mixture of experience with top of the range surveying equipment mixed with a thorough investigation of every room. This makes sure that every possible cause is identified in our reports.

At the end of the survey, after any recommended action has been taken you can be confident that your home will be mould and damp free. If you would like any more information or to discuss how our surveys can help you please do contact us.

New Accreditation

2010-09-26T11:55:00.000-07:00

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.

Mould and Asthma

2010-07-19T23:32:00.000-07:00

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

Condensation - Symptom not problem

2010-03-30T04:30:00.000-07:00

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.

Damp Detectives has joined the Property Care Association!

2010-03-05T03:03:00.000-08:00

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/

Common misconceptions about mould and damp

2010-02-02T03:36:00.000-08:00

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/

Welcome to my blog

2010-01-13T05:11:00.000-08:00

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