Press/News

The floods may have subsided somewhat in parts of the country but experts are still predicting a possible return later in the week along with unusually cold, frosty weather.

Although the worst of the downpours seem to be over, certain rivers are not far from their peaks and dozens of flood warnings from the Environment Agency remain active. . To find out about the latest flood warning visit the Environment Agency Flood Warnings page.

After the flooding begins the hard work of making the properties habitable again following the damage caused by flooding – that where Timberwise can help!

Flooding and Flood Treatments from the Flood Remediation Specialists

When a building has been subjected to flooding it is vital that any flood remediation work is carried out by experts.   Timberwise, as members of the Property Care Association Flood Remediation Group, are specialists when it comes to repairing buildings that have been affected by water ingress.

As members of the Property Care Association Flood Remediation Group we can also:

1. Assist in the recovery of the flooded building.  

Assist the company undertaking the drying aspects of the property and can undertake investigations to highlight areas at greatest risk from fungal decay or degradation. This will reduce the possibility of problems of dry rot and other latent defects affecting the building after the drying out process is complete.

2. Provide effective repairs to damaged areas of the property.

At Timberwise we deal with damp and dampness every day and our experience in dealing with rising and penetrating dampness can also be applied to flooded buildings. We are experienced in the damage caused by water ingress and can advise on the necessary solution as a result of the water ingress. Problems with repairs that are flooding related are common – but these may only surface sometime after the property is repaired.

3. Providing refurbishment and repair solutions can introduce greater long term resilience to future flood water ingress.  

In some instances it may be possible to undertake repairs that will provide the building with far greater resilience to future floods. With our expertise in waterproofing we are ideally placed to help.   As members of the PCA Flood Remediation Group Timberwise have to meet tough criteria. Timberwise can be called upon to provide high quality flood remediation works, as well as advice and guidance with drying the building and preventing decay following a flood. For further information on floods and how to prepare in the event of a flood visit the Environment Agency web pages dedicated to flooding.

If you have a property that has suffered at the hands of flooding and needs help from our team of specialists either eMail our team  or call 0800 288 8660. Timberwise

For years Sarah Beeny has advised people on making the most from property – now she takes on her biggest restoration project yet – the renovation and total transformation of Rise Hall, a 97-room stately home in East Yorkshire in need of much love and attention. Rise Hall is suffering with many problems that Timberwise come across every day – from fungal decay in the form of dry rot and wet rot through to dampness and woodworm.

Don’t forget to tune in to Channel 4 on Thursday at 8pm to find out more or click on the image to the left to watch the first episode on-line.

Help! I’ve got the same property problems as Beeny!

If you have a property suffering with dry rot, wet rot, fungal decay, dampness or beetle infestations we can help! Simply pick up the phone and call your local Timberwise property care experts on 0800 288 8660 or complete our on-line survey request form.

To see what makes Timberwise different to other property care companies watch our new Trust Timberwise video!

              Trust the Property Care Experts – Trust Timberwise

Timberwise are proud to launch a range of informative video presentations designed to explain in detail the property care services available.  With the assistance of images and animations you can now gain a greater understanding of our solutions to a variety of property care issues.  To view a section of the video simply click on a link below:

 
• Woodworm Treatment
• Dry Rot Treatment
• Structural Repairs
• Rising Damp Treatment
• Condensation Treatment 
• Basement Waterproofing

Our web site is a great source of information on our range of property care services but if you require further information contact your local Timberwise office on 0800 288 8660 or contact your local Timberwise office direct by using our Interactive map.

The rising damp expert from Timberwise

Meet “The Expert” This man of mystery is an experienced surveyor with a wealth of knowledge to share. ”The Expert” now turns his attention to Rising Damp and looks in detail at how rising damp occurs and how modern damp proofing methods can control it.

Does rising damp exist?
Reading certain articles in a number of newspapers one would think not – it is a myth! Unfortunately the journalists have failed to appreciate the extensive research over many years into rising damp by the Building Research Establishment, the recognised testing and research authority, and other such authorities which clearly show rising damp does exist, and there are easily applicable diagnostic techniques to identify this particular form of dampness.

So what is rising damp?
It is the rise of water up through walls, the water originating from ground water: basically the wall acts like a wick.

How does it occur?
Simply think of ‘suction’ – if the suction of the wall is greater than the suction of the ground then water will rise to a greater or lesser extent. If the suction of the ground, however, is greater than the wall then water will not rise, whether a damp proof course is present or not. Once rising damp occurs, depending on the ‘suction’, it can rise to above 2 metres. However, one more commonly expects around 1200 mm and less.
 

For rising damp advice contact damp specialists Timberwise

What problems does rising damp cause?

Rising water causes problems of decorative spoiling and especially rot in skirtings, floor joists, floorboards and wall plates where present. Significantly, ground water salts will be deposited within the masonry and the surfaces especially plasters and decorative finishes. Most ground water only contains very small quantities of salts at levels which are generally at an acceptable level. However, as the water rises within the wall these salts are carried up into the wall and left behind as the water evaporates. Over, say, periods in excess of 50 years the continual water rise and evaporation cause these salts to build up to quite significant quantities. And here is where a further problem with long term rising damp occurs. A proportion of the salts are hygroscopic. This means that they can absorb water from the air. In some cases these salts are concentrated to such levels that sufficient water is absorbed from the air to cause contaminated finishes to appear damp. This will cause future problems in that if the rising damp is stopped, materials may still remain damp solely due to the hygroscopic nature of the contaminated material. Any decorative finish applied to such contaminated substrates would almost certainly spoil with time.

Have a damp problem? call damp specialists Timberwise

How is rising damp controlled?

To effect a dry, non-spoiling decorative surface free from water and salt contamination the control of rising damp has to be a two-part process. There is no other way!

Part 1- The injection of a damp proof course to control the rising water. A number of systems are available for this purpose, most being chemical injection systems. Most control the rising water by forming a water repellent barrier at the base of the wall thereby controlling the rise of water: some provide a pore blocking action to control rise. Chemical injection systems, and their installation are covered in British standard 6576:2005 ‘Code of practice for diagnosis of rising damp in walls of buildings and installation of chemical damp-proof courses’ ‘.

Part 2 - the removal and replacement of potentially salt contaminated plasters and finishes. This is undertaken to form a long-uncontaminated surface, and prevent any residual moisture/salts causing future spoiling. The importance of the removal of the old plaster and the reinstatement with new plaster cannot be understated.

Diagnosing dampness in buildings
Prior to introducing any water control methods it is vital to correctly diagnose the actual source of dampness. Is it rising damp, condensation, penetrating damp, or simple floor/wall junction bridging? Get the diagnosis wrong and remediation is likely to be wrongly specified. Dampness will then persist, and costs incurred in treating the ‘wrong’ dampness will be totally wasted.

It is therefore essential that the specialist damp surveyor has the knowledge, experience and appropriate instrumentation to clearly identify the different causes of dampness. We at Timberwise have that expertise and decades of experience. Our surveyors are trained in the nationally recognised qualifications, the Certificated Surveyor in Remedial Treatment. Whatever the cause of dampness, our damp surveyors will recommend the most cost effective action. We give our clients, large or small, full confidence in both the diagnosis and solution of the damp proofing problem.

For more advice on rising damp please contact the damp specialists Timberwise on  o800 288 8660 or visit our rising damp pages. We offer a range of damp proofing solutions from electro osmotic systems through to the latest in injection waterproofing.