From Survey to Repair: What Happens After a DML Investigation

Short answer: DML is the investigation and reporting company. We locate the leak, identify the damp mechanism or confirm what is feeding the mould, and give you a written report with photographs, moisture readings and a clear repair scope. You then decide who carries out the work. Many clients ask our team to quote; others use their insurer’s contractor, their own builder or their block’s maintenance team. The report is written so that any competent contractor can price and complete the fix without re-diagnosing.

Why we keep investigation and repair separate

When the company that diagnoses the problem is also the company that sells the repair, there is an obvious incentive to over-specify. Mortgage lenders, loss adjusters, surveyors and housing officers know this, which is why an independent report carries more weight than a builder’s quote. Keeping DML’s role to investigation and reporting means:

• Findings you can rely on. We are paid for the diagnosis, not for the size of the repair that follows.
• Reports that stand up. Suitable as supporting evidence for insurance claims, lender retentions, landlord compliance and tenant disputes.
• Freedom to choose. Use our team, your insurer’s approved contractor or your own tradesperson.
• No pressure. You will never be asked to sign up to works on the day of the survey.

What the repair scope includes

Every DML report ends with a repair scope written in plain terms: what is wrong, where it is, what needs to happen to fix it and what should be checked afterwards. For a hidden leak that means the exact location and the access route that causes the least damage. For rising or penetrating damp it means the defect to correct and whether plaster needs to come off. For mould it means the moisture source to remove and the ventilation changes that will stop it coming back.

Repairs through our team

If you would rather not find another company, our team can quote for the remedial works described in your DML report. You are free to get other prices. Ask us when you book or when you receive your report and we will pass the scope across.

Typical repair types that follow a DML report

• Leak repairs to supply, waste, heating and mains pipework once the leak has been located
• Trace and access reinstatement: making good floors, walls, tiling and ceilings opened to reach a leak (see trace and access)
• Rising damp remediation and salt-contaminated plaster replacement (see damp proofing)
• Penetrating damp repairs: pointing, flashing, render, gutters and ground levels
• Condensation and ventilation improvements, including extract fans and PIV units
• Mould treatment once the moisture source has been dealt with (see mould treatment)
• Drain repairs identified by CCTV drainage surveys

Our process

• 1. Book. Tell us what you are seeing. We quote the investigation before anyone attends.
• 2. Investigate. Non-invasive first: moisture profiling, thermal imaging, acoustic or tracer-gas methods where appropriate, salts analysis where relevant.
• 3. Report. Written findings, photographs, readings and a repair scope; ask about report timing when you book.
• 4. Repair options. Our team can quote, or you use any contractor you prefer.
• 5. Verification. Where you want it, we return after works to re-test and confirm the problem has gone.

Frequently Asked Questions