Can You Spot The 5 Problems With This Picture?

Untreated Timber

Let's face it, nothing beats sitting around the fire watching episode after episode of your favourite Tv Series. But, have you ever thought what else could be in that basket of logs?

Every winter we see an increase in people finding woodworm in their log basket! As firewood tends to be a hardwood, the range of possible beetle species is limited, however, Forest Longhorn, Woodboring Weevils, and DeatchWatch beetle are all known to infest hardwood.

Bird Control

You may find perched on your window ledge some unexpected visitors. There are a number of problems our flying friends can cause to your health and to your property.

Birds can cause damage to rain goods which can also lead to further problems such as water ingress. Bird fouling can damage architectural features on buildings but more importantly, their droppings can create slip hazards, so if you a have recently started a new family, this may be worth thinking about.

Drying Clothes With No Ventialtion

It’s simply too cold to dry your clothes outside and the tumble dryer is using too much energy. Where are you going to dry your clothes?

Most of you will suggest hanging them inside the bathroom or perhaps to hang them on a radiator, and there’s no problem with that IF you allow adequate ventilation to occur.

Failure to do so will result in the build up of moisture laden air in the property, which will then materialise onto cold surfaces such as your walls, causing black spot mould, which you can see directly above in the picture.

Leaking Radiator

In the build up to the winter months, have your central heating checked and serviced regularly. A leaking radiator valve can lead to damp problems, which if left unchecked can often progress into more serious problems such as wood rot.

Damp Tide Line

If you have noticed a discolouring of your interior wall, this is likely due to water rising through the fabric of your wall.

There are certain checks that you can do yourself without the assistance of a surveyor, or the use of any kind of gadget. Simply looking and running your hands around the suspected rising damp area will allow you to see any visible signs of damp, as well as touch indicators such as bumps or air pockets in the wallpaper.