Archives for 2011

Damp stains on a chimney breast and adjacent ceiling – It may be salts.

I’m finding that the number of enquiries relating to damp stains on chimneys is on the up.   The common complaint is that the roofer has either fixed the stack or the flashing, but the damp still comes in.  Usually the roofer has been back a couple of times or three and still the problems […]

Damp Diagnosis case study; a bridged DPC in a cavity wall

  Having recently posted Graham Coleman’s moisture profile table on Preservationexpert, I thought I’d keep an eye out for some on-site case studies for you, which demonstrate some finer points to take account of on damp surveys. This one is a classic rising damp profile I found the other day, using a conductivity moisture meter, […]

Damp and Timber CPD with ARC Engineers of Leeds

  I spent an hour or two with Andrew Rimmington and the engineering staff of ARC engineers, in Morley, Leeds earlier today . Andrew is a keen supporter of continuous professional development and as he said to me today “We don’t do damp and timber surveys, but we need to know what’s involved and what […]

Cavity wall tie surveys require more than a boroscope – some diligence and integrity is required!

I was called to a property in the roundhay area of Leeds a few weeks back. The very large detached house is divided into three flats, each quite large in itself.  One of the flat owners was in the process of buying a second apartment from an existing neighbour. Their transaction stalled when a survey […]

Masonry Water repellents have grown up

  Before I begin I should admit that in the past, I’ve been a bit critical of water repellent treatments applied to walls. Penetrating damp is usually more to do with ropy pointing and leaking gutters than porous walls and it’s essential to get these fundamentals right first.  Sometimes though, in exposed locations, moisture tracks […]

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