Leak Detection, Damp & Mould Surveys in Richmond

Damp and timber reports in Richmond

When a surveyor asks for a “damp and timber report” before a purchase or a remortgage, they want a clear statement of the moisture conditions and the state of the structural timber, written by someone who has actually looked. Lifting a few boards and reading the joists is part of that.

We provide exactly that document for Richmond properties: moisture mapping, timber inspection, identification of any decay, the cause, and the works required. No pressure to buy a treatment, and no treatment specified where the evidence does not support it.

Penetrating damp: rain finding its way in

After a wet week, a patch appears high on a chimney breast, beside a window or on the wall under a parapet, then fades in dry weather. That rhythm is the signature of penetrating damp: water getting through the fabric from outside, usually through a failed gutter joint, cracked render, open pointing, a defective flashing or a sill without a drip.

Our engineers read the pattern inside and then go and find the defect outside, because the fix is outside too. The report pairs each internal patch with its external cause, and our team quotes the repointing, render, roofing or rainwater repairs needed and carries them out or manages them.

Central heating and underfloor leaks

Pressure loss on a sealed heating system with no visible drip usually means a leak in a buried pipe, often under a kitchen or hallway screed. Digging up the floor to look is the last thing to do.

We pressure-test the circuit, scan the floor with thermal imaging while it heats, and use tracer gas or acoustic listening to narrow the leak to a tile or two. The written report gives the location and the recommended repair, which our team can carry out or manage.

Recurring mould in Richmond 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 Richmond 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.

Escape of water: what your policy usually expects

Most buildings policies treat the damage caused by a leak differently from the leak itself. The damage is usually covered; the cost of finding the leak and opening up to reach it is covered only where the policy includes trace and access; and the repair of the pipe or fitting that failed is often not covered at all. Check your schedule.

That is why Richmond clients ask us for a report that keeps those three things separate. Ours does: the trace, the access, the repair and the resulting damage are each described and photographed, so the claim can be presented accurately and the parts that are not claimable are quoted plainly.

The report, and what follows it

Expect a document you can forward: dated photographs, calibrated readings, thermal images where they were used, the identified cause and a list of recommended works. Any remedial work is quoted on its own and carried out or managed by our team if you choose.