ABBEY
PRESERVATION

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The non-destructive evaluation which will follow your enquiry will obviously vary according to the property and the different conditions to which it is exposed.

Our experienced surveyors will assess the property for a range of factors which may be the cause of dampness. For example blocked air bricks beneath a suspended timber floor will point to a possible rot problem beneath a floor or a gutter which has been overflowing for years would signal the possibility of rotting timber and damp walls, as would a breached damp proof course.

A hand-held meter is a tool used by all timber and damp companies to assess damp in timber and walls. They are non-destructive, clean and accurate in timber but have limitations when used on walls as they cannot quantitatively measure the level of dampness in a wall - only measuring the presence or absence of moisture. On walls a "picture" of dampness will be built up by taking a number of readings and this pattern in addition to a survey of the locality outside and within a property will lead to an accurate evaluation.

The problem arises because a wall that had suffered rising damp in the past but is now "dry" may have carried hygroscopic salts into the wall and plaster from the ground. Even if the source of the dampness has been eradicated these salts can remain and attract moisture from the atmosphere. These damp salts may subsequently spoil decor and give a false reading to a moisture meter leading to an inaccurate conclusion of rising damp. Sometimes companies will suggest a chemical damp proof course and replastering when only replastering is necessary. Our surveyors are aware of these issues and we are happy to discuss them with you.

The typical flight holes of the Common Furniture Beetle (usually called "woodworm") or other woodboring insects are easy to spot on exposed timbers. Usually it is possible for our experts to conclude if these holes are "active" and require treatment using knowledge gained from local conditions in the property.

A survey from Abbey Preservation will provide you with as accurate an evaluation of your property as is possible with a non-destructive survey. Our blend of experience, honesty and dedication to customer satisfaction will enable us to discover what work needs to be done and just as importantly what does not need to be done to your property to solve your problem. We look forward to hearing from you.