Client: Domestic
Our client, a homeowner in Oldham, requested a survey to assess their property for concerns with condensation and woodworm. This property was a mid-terraced house of cavity brick construction, and was both occupied and furnished at the time of our inspection. The weather was sunny.
Challenges
As the property was furnished at the time of our visit, this can cause access concerns to some areas within. Fixtures such as floor coverings, furniture, and tiled walls can all impact the tools we use to build a picture of damp within a property. This is a regular occurrence for our surveyors, especially in occupied properties, and they are well-backed by over 50 years of industry experience to ensure they can build a full picture of work required despite these obstructions.
Observations
Our surveyor began by examining the external condition of the property. At roof level, vegetation growth was noted, suggesting a build up of moisture on the surface of the roof. Our surveyor also noted water staining underneath the gutters, indicating that they had or have been leaking. They also noted some areas of defective pointing further down the walls. These defects could lead to penetrating damp within the property.
At floor level, inadequate ventilation was identified to the timber floors inside the property. This would reduce air flow to the floor timbers, and subsequently increase the risk of attack by fungal decay.
Internally, our surveyor assessed the humidity of the property using an electronic conductivity meter. These tools are most often used on timber to provide a percentage of damp within a joist or floorboard. This tool only gives an indication of moisture in plaster or masonry, but is useful for mapping moisture profiles on the internal walls of the property to diagnose a damp concern. High moisture readings were measured above the timber floors, suggesting that plaster was in contact with the floor, allowing moisture to bridge over the Damp Proof Course.
After assessing the internal walls of the property, our surveyor found used a hygrometer to assess internal humidity. Heightened humidity readings in several ground floor rooms, with the highest reading of 54% measured in the living room. Our surveyor also found that extraction units were not installed in the property, and no trickle vents were installed in the windows. These would reduce ventilation in the property, trapping moist air within.
An inspection for woodworm was conducted in the roof void, which revealed no evidence of an infestation. An attempt was made to inspect the ground floor as well. However, fitted floor coverings restricted our surveyor’s ability to inspect the floorboards underneath, and so no conclusive evidence could be acquired.
Solutions
No specialist work by Timberwise was recommended as the result of our investigation. However, our surveyor did recommend a course of remedial work our client should undertake to remediate the revealed condensation issues.
Our surveyor recommended the installation of manual extraction units within the property. They recommended these be fitted in all areas where moisture is generated, such as the kitchen and bathrooms. Using these during moisture-generating activities such as cooking or bathing would greatly reduce the amount of incumbent moisture remaining in the property. Newer hydrostatic fans even detect moisture levels in the rooms they’re installed in, meaning they’ll turn on automatically when required rather than needing to be turned on and off manually.
Our surveyor also recommended repairing all the external defects to the pointing, sub-floor ventilation and rainwater goods to ensure penetrating damp would not occur within the property in future.
Results
Our client was satisfied with our surveyor’s report of their property, and were pleased that they did not recommend undue remedial work to the property. They were also relieved that our surveyor would reattend the property in future upon fixing the external defects to ensure damp was not an issue in future, as well as reassessing the property for woodworm once the floorboards could be revealed for assessment.
Do You Want Help with a Condensation Solution?
Our dedicated and experienced team in Manchester are ready to talk to you about your options for property preservation. Don’t hesitate to call us on 0161 219 3659, or you can request a survey online.
