Standard Heritage carried out another specialist Timber and Damp survey today.

The client had been told that he needed £15,000 worth of ‘damp proofing, timber treatment’ and re-plastering  for a new old house that he wanted to buy.

The property had been surveyed by two different ‘qualified damp specialists’ who came up with two very different conclusions about what was needed to be done to the building ! But they both had one thing in common – they  used  resistance meters  to diagnose dampness in plaster and masonry ! Resistance meters are the wrong piece of equipment to diagnose dampness in plaster and masonry !

Nearly every surveyor in the country will use  resistance meters – erroneously calling them damp meters – to diagnose dampness in plaster.

Resistance  meters were designed to measure moisture in timber but for some strange reason, nearly every surveyor at (all levels of competence) will ignore the timber skirting boards attached to  the base of a wall and go for the plaster instead !

I have heard it be said that you can diagnose rising ramp in masonry with a resistance meter along with some common sense. Would it  not make more sense to use the meter in the material that it was designed for instead  – the skirting board !

After spending four hours examining the building, it was found to be dry and completely  free of wood boring insects (wood worm) and rot.

The £15,000 worth of  recommended works were completely unnecessary, would have caused major disruption  and a been a complete waste of money.

For more information see; Measuring Damp