What should i do if my surveyor tells me that damp is present? They have said that a specialist should inspect the property and advise me of the cost of work.
Dampness is a deeply contentious issue in the surveying world. Certainly, when severe, it can be extremely destructive and cause substantial damage to a property. It promotes conditions where mould growth can develop leading to poor quality accommodation and damage to the internal finishes and decorations. Dampness can also be conducive to the development of various types of timber decay. Perhaps the best known (and potentially the most dangerous is dry rot which can cause substantial damage to timber elements within a building if it is allowed to develop.
However often minor dampness is present which is not nearly so severe and can sometimes easily be managed or controlled by relatively simple and less expensive means.
When paying for a survey, you should expect your surveyor to test for dampness throughout the property and advise you where it is present. Your surveyor should also advise you as to the severity of the dampness, the potential defects or damage that may arise as a result of it and the sort of steps you should consider to alleviate it. however they would not be expected to provide a detailed description of the precise works in every case.
Sometimes surveyors recommend a specialist damp-proofing company to inspect. Surveyors should only do this where they believe such treatment is likely to be necessary. Despite making this recommendation to you in their report, a surveyor should also go on to report the extent of the dampness and give you some guidance as to the sort of work you should expect to be necessary so you can make an informed judgement about the house and the cost of the work.
It is not sufficient to pass this responsibility over to a contractor who may not have so much experience and expertise as a Chartered Surveyor and, of course, may derive a financial benefit in exaggerating the amount of work that may be required.
Obtaining a specialist contractor's estimate for work is useful but we recommend it to be used only as a guide to the likely costs involved.
From our experience, these contractors often omit to include the cost of associated work that may be necessary along with the treatment (such as the clearing of rooms, removing skirting boards and floorboards and reinstating them afterwards).
We have also found cases where contractors have not thoroughly researched the dampness and leapt immediately to conclusions which recommend work (typically waterproof renders when a simple repair in the first place is sometimes sufficient.
You should always proceed carefully and take good advice from a variety of sources.