Insulation, a topic I’m covering allot lately, I suppose that’s due to the boom in insulation installations and the majority of my surveys being related to condensation and mould during the cooler winter months.

I’ve previously expressed my opinion on insulating, I’m right behind it and back the government Green Deal scheme or reducing Britain’s housing stock emissions which is estimated to contribute up to … read more

Penetrating damp or just poor practice – thermal imaging answers the question.

A recent damp survey in York, came from a distressed client who thought they had problems with penetrating damp in the bedroom – so we booked them in for a survey.

The couple live in a north facing two storey semi detached house, constructed under a pitched roof with concrete roof tile covering … read more

Members of the associations that matter…….

So what does it mean when a company or individual uses the term “Professional”, “specialist” or “expert” or wraps their vehicles and letterheads with logo’s and badges. Naturally anyone would assume the company is a professional knowledgeable organisation with a proven track record as the term and badges imply – although this is not always the case…..

So what … read more

The building and preservation industry like many others has always been at risk of rouge traders, those who pray on vulnerable and trusting clients as a means of extracting money, profiteering on deceitful advice and actions backed by meaning less promises and guarantees.

Recently the BBC Channel “Rouge Traders” featured this company ” Cathedral Damp Limited (not to be confused with companies of a similar … read more

I recently read an article published in the Consumer Watchdog Magazine by the Property Care Association raising awareness of the pitfalls homeowners may face when trying to save money by diagnosing and undertaking specialist remedial repairs themselves.

These days it’s possible for almost anyone to trawl the internet reading articles, publications and blogs on how to repair flood damage buildings, floors or dampness and even … read more

CONDENSATION IN ROOF SPACES IS GETTING MUCH WORSE WITH INCREASED LEVELS OF INSULATION.

It is important to remember that the majority of moisture we produce in our homes is created in a gas form as water vapour. Unlike water in a liquid state, water in a gas state can spread easily causing condensation, which may result in damp and decay to vulnerable building materials and … read more

Over this past winter i’ve been surveying properties on a daily basis suffering from severe condensation and mould issues, both problems which have become a trend over the last decade with new regulations for insulation and glazing and exaggerated further in new builds by air tightness tests.

As of April 2006 a percentage of new builds now require air pressure testing to comply with building … read more

New Regulations from the European Parliament and Council have amended the classification of well known Boron based timber treatment products to hazardous.

Boron is a naturally occurring mineral which borate compounds are formed and used extensively in timber treatments as highly effective insecticides and fungicides to be used in pre-treatment preservatives and remedial repair treatments. Borates have also been used as effective biocides on masonry … read more

Advancements in technology have seen the cost of rather new thermal imaging technology reduce significantly where now some manufactures are able to produce thermal imaging cameras for under £1000.00. Whilst this is great, I expect that thermal imaging cameras will become common technology affordable to everyone in the industry and therefore subject to the same criticism as other tools such as; the electrical moisture meter.… read more

The use of thermography for damp inspections has become an increasingly popular topic over the last few years with many good organisations such as the Property Care Association and National Flood School both offering Introduction to thermography sessions to demonstrate the use of thermal imaging technology in the damp proofing and restoration industries.

With advancements in technology manufactures of thermal imaging equipment have been able … read more