Are damp & timber surveys worth it?

[Cats_pyjamas]

Heard a few comments on the EDF that damp & timber surveys are a waste of money, and it's all a bit of a scam. Any thoughts? We suspect a property my sis is purchasing has some rot issues from years of neglect, but don't know for sure. Homebuyers didn't pick it up.

[Sandberg1860]

Hi Cats_pyjamas,

It largely depends what defines the damp and timber survey and the professional qualifications that the surveyor possesses.

Damp can often be misdiagnosed, particularly rising damp. I would recommend that anyone you approach to carry out this survey gives you an example report to look at before you commit, so that you know what to expect. This isn't an unreasonable request and we have to do it quite often within our company! If you need any further advice please let me know.

Alex Hollyman

Consultancy Department

Sandberg LLP

www.sandberg.co.uk

[Salsaboy]

There is a huge debate about rising damp. Mostly it can be traced to broken drains or guttering or some other source of moistness such as condensation.

[Sandberg1860]

Agreed Salsaboy.

In a lot of cases we have dealt with, the dampness appearing on internal finishes was actually caused by something externally, i.e. leaking guttering, an internal floor lower than the external ground level, moisture trapped behind render etc etc. Some people believe rising damp is a myth.