Find out what is really causing your damp — for free
A free damp survey in Dewsbury, Wakefield and across West Yorkshire. We test your walls with a professional damp meter, find the cause, and tell you straight whether you need work, with a fixed price in writing if you do.
What a damp survey is for
Damp walls can have several different causes, and they can look almost the same from across a room. A patch of stained, peeling plaster might be water rising from the ground, rain getting in from outside, condensation forming inside, or a leak. Each one needs a different fix, and treating the wrong one costs money without solving anything.
A damp survey is how we find out which one you have before anybody quotes for work. We come to your home in Dewsbury, Wakefield or anywhere else we cover, look at the problem where it is, and test the walls with a professional damp meter. Then we explain what is causing it in plain English.
Sometimes the answer is building work, such as rising damp treatment. Sometimes it is much simpler. Condensation, for example, is often fixable with better ventilation rather than expensive work on the walls. And sometimes the honest answer is that nothing needs doing. If that is the case, we'll tell you.
Signs it's time for a damp survey
If you have noticed any of these, it is worth having the walls tested. Damp shows itself long before it becomes a structural problem, and the survey costs you nothing.
- Wet or damp wallsA wall that feels cold and damp to the touch, or a damp patch that never quite dries out, even with the heating on.
- Tide marks and stainingBrown or yellow lines low on a ground-floor wall, or stains that come back through fresh paint.
- Black mouldMould on walls, ceilings or around window frames, particularly if it returns soon after being cleaned off.
- Peeling paint or blown plasterPaint bubbling, wallpaper lifting, or plaster that sounds hollow when you tap it.
- A musty smellA damp smell that stays in a room after airing it, which often means moisture is trapped somewhere you can't see.
- A wet cellarWater on a cellar floor, damp walls below ground, or a basement that can't be used for storage.
What happens on a damp survey
There is no pressure at any point, and nothing to pay.
Tell us what you've noticed
Call, send a WhatsApp message or fill in the form. We get back to you within one working day and arrange a visit at a time that suits you.
We look and we test
We look at the damp where it shows, then take readings with a professional damp meter to see how wet the wall is and how far the moisture has spread.
A straight answer
We explain what is causing the problem and what would fix it. If work is needed, you get a fixed price in writing. Whether you go ahead is up to you.
By the time we leave, you will know what is causing the damp, and what would put it right. If you would rather think it over, that is fine. There is no pressure to book.
What the survey tells apart
These are the main causes of damp we find in homes across West Yorkshire. Knowing the difference is the whole point of the survey.
Rising damp
Moisture drawn up from the ground into ground-floor walls, usually leaving a tide mark and salts no higher than about a metre. It is treated with a new damp proof course and replastering.
Penetrating damp
Water getting in from outside, through a wall, around a window or from a leak. It can appear at any height, upstairs as well as down, and often gets worse after heavy rain. See penetrating damp treatment.
Condensation
Moisture from everyday living settling on cold surfaces: streaming windows, damp corners and black mould, often worst first thing in the morning. See condensation control.
Leaks and defects
Not all damp is a damp problem. A leaking roof, a blocked gutter or a burst pipe can soak a wall or ceiling badly enough to look like one, and no damp proof course would fix it. On one landlord job, a section of ceiling had come down after a roof leak, and the right fix was to repair and replaster the ceiling rather than treat it for damp.
Water below ground
Cellars and basements take on water in a different way to the rooms above them, so they need waterproofing rather than a damp proof course. See basement tanking.
The survey is free. What affects the price of the work?
You pay nothing for the survey. If it shows that work is needed, the quote you get afterwards depends on what we found. These are the things that make the biggest difference.
- What is causing the dampDifferent causes need different fixes. Ventilation for condensation is a very different job from a new damp proof course or a cellar waterproofing system.
- How far it has spreadOne damp patch, one wall, or several rooms. Damp meter readings show where the moisture actually is, so the quote covers the areas that need it.
- Whether plaster needs replacingPlaster that has been damaged by damp or salts has to come off and be replaced, which adds to the work. Sound plaster may not need touching.
- Above or below groundWalls below ground level in a cellar or basement need a different system from the rooms above, with its own guarantee.
Every quote is a fixed price in writing, and if the condition of a wall changes the work needed once we start, we'll explain why and agree it with you first. Never a penny more without agreeing it.
Guarantee
The guarantee behind the work
The survey itself comes with no strings. If you do go ahead, damp proofing treatment comes with a written 30-year guarantee on the treated areas, using manufacturer-approved damp-proofing systems, and it passes to the new owner if you sell. Cellar and below-ground waterproofing carries a 10-year guarantee.
Damp survey questions
Is the damp survey really free?
Yes. There is no charge for the visit, the damp meter readings or the explanation of what we find. If you need work doing, you get a fixed price in writing, and there is no obligation to go ahead.
How quickly can you come out?
We get back to you within one working day to arrange a time that suits you. We are open 7 days a week, from 6am to 10pm, so you can call or send a WhatsApp message on 07931 095 536 whenever is easiest.
What happens during a damp survey?
We look at the damp where it shows, then test the walls with a professional damp meter. We explain what is causing the problem in plain English and what would fix it, and give you a fixed price in writing if work is needed.
Will you tell me if I don't need any work?
Yes. If the survey shows nothing needs doing, we'll say so. We would rather give you an honest answer than sell you a job you don't need.
What's the difference between rising damp, penetrating damp and condensation?
Rising damp is moisture drawn up from the ground into ground-floor walls. Penetrating damp is water getting in from outside, through walls, around windows or from leaks, and can appear at any height. Condensation is moisture from inside the home settling on cold surfaces, which is why it often shows as streaming windows and black mould.
Can you survey a damp cellar or basement?
Yes. Cellar and basement surveys are free too. Below-ground walls need a different approach to the rooms above, so we look at how the water is getting in before recommending a waterproofing system, which carries a 10-year guarantee.
I'm a landlord. Can you survey a rented property?
Yes. We carry out damp and mould inspections for landlords, letting agents and housing providers, with written findings and dated photographs you can keep on file or pass to your tenant. Our commercial page has more detail.
Book your free damp survey
Tell us what you have noticed and we will arrange a visit at a time that suits you. No cost, and no obligation.