Trace & Access, Damp & Mould Surveys in Kensington

Woodworm, rot and what the moisture meter says

Most timber problems in Kensington homes trace back to water. Beetle attack is far more active in damp wood, wet rot needs sustained wetting, and dry rot needs both moisture and poor ventilation. Treat the wood without drying it and the problem comes back; dry it and much of the activity stops on its own.

So our timber inspections start with moisture: where it is, where it is coming from and how long it has been there. The report then distinguishes historic, inactive damage from live decay, says which timbers need replacing, and specifies the moisture fix. Our team quotes and carries out or manages the works.

Finding hidden leaks in Kensington without damage

A hidden leak announces itself indirectly: a stain that reappears after redecorating, a musty smell, a combi boiler that needs topping up every week, a water meter that turns when every tap is off. The old approach was to start opening things up and hope. We work the other way round.

Thermal imaging shows the temperature change a leak causes under a floor or behind a wall; acoustic listening picks up pressurised water escaping; tracer gas introduced into a drained pipe is detected at the surface above the leak; calibrated moisture mapping separates the active leak from old damp. We open up one exact spot, not several guesses.

Rising damp: real, but rarer than you have been told

True rising damp exists, but in Kensington many walls diagnosed with it are actually suffering from condensation at low level, a plumbing leak, a bridged damp course or ground that has been built up against the wall over the years. An injected chemical damp course does nothing for any of those.

We test rather than assume: moisture profile up the wall, salt analysis where it changes the answer, a check of external ground levels, drains and the position of the damp-proof course. When rising damp is genuine we say so and set out the remedy; when it is not, the report says what the problem really is.

Recurring mould in Kensington homes

If mould has been wiped off and painted over more than once, the moisture source has not been dealt with. Converted flats and older terraces in Kensington often combine cold external walls, limited extract ventilation and the odd hidden leak, and the result is growth that returns a few weeks after redecorating.

We separate condensation from leaks and damp with calibrated readings, then treat the growth and specify what has to change: a repair, better extraction, insulation at a cold bridge, or all three. Under Awaab’s Law social landlords must investigate and fix damp and mould hazards to set timescales, and the private rented sector is following; our reports are written to serve as that investigation record.

What the trace and access report contains

Each report records the property and the affected rooms, the methods used, the moisture readings and thermal images, the identified source, the access made, and the recommended repairs and drying.

It is the document a loss adjuster, solicitor, surveyor or housing officer can act on without a second visit, and it stays on file for any later dispute over cause or responsibility.

What you receive

Every investigation ends with a written report: findings, cause, evidence and recommendations, laid out so an insurer, landlord, buyer or housing officer can act on it. Repairs are quoted separately and carried out or managed by our team when you want us to.