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Damp proofing in Havering: an independent survey first
Havering is mostly interwar and post war semis and terraces in Romford, Hornchurch and Upminster, with older weatherboarded cottages towards the Essex edge. Houses of that age generally have a working damp proof course, so a damp proofing quote in Havering is a reason to check what has actually stopped it working. ATi carries out no remedial work.
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Why the survey comes before damp proofing in Havering
A great deal of the damp proofing sold in Havering is sold to a wall that is wet for another reason: a lightwell or patio above the old course, a defective gutter on a party parapet, a bathroom extract ducted into a void, or condensation in a flat that has lost its air changes. We do not sell damp proofing or any other remedial work, so the survey has one job, which is to say which of those it is.
The quotes we see most often in Havering are injection along the front and side walls of 1930s and 1950s houses, where drives and patios have been laid above the course, and damp proofing proposed for mould in bedrooms and bathrooms, which is condensation. Out towards Upminster and Cranham, old cottages get injection quotes when they need breathable repairs.
In Havering, a large share of homes are flats, and damp proofing quotes are often given to a leaseholder for a problem that belongs to the building. Before paying, check whether the water is coming through the roof, the external walls, the front area or a shared drain, because under most leases those are the freeholder's to repair. Our report states the source and the route, with the evidence a managing agent needs.
What the different damp proofing treatments are for
Injection is meant for rising damp in a wall with no working course. Tanking and cavity drain membranes are for below ground walls, which in Havering usually means a lower ground floor or a cellar. Salt resistant replastering deals with contamination left by long term damp. Ventilation and heating deal with condensation. Each is valid for its own fault and useless for the others.
London's solid walled terraces were built to breathe. Sealing one with cement render or tanking above ground tends to push moisture somewhere else in the building, frequently into the flat next door or the floor above.
Havering walls, and what they actually need
Most Havering houses have cavity walls with courses that work when the ground is kept down. They need drives and patios at the right level, clear cavities at the base, open airbricks and ventilation that copes with a household. The older cottages need lime and maintenance of their weatherboarding.
- Lowering drives and patios or adding drained channels where they bridge the course
- Reopening airbricks under suspended timber floors
- Extraction and heating improvements for mould
- Lime repairs and weatherboarding maintenance on the older cottages
London clay and Havering gardens
Much of Havering sits on London clay and Thames terrace gravels. Clay drains slowly and shrinks and swells with the seasons, so gardens stay wet in winter and water lingers at the base of walls. Where gardens or paths have been raised, wet clay ends up against the brick above the course.
Near the Thames at Rainham the ground is low and the water table high, and floors there can be affected from below. Those are drainage and floor questions rather than damp proofing ones.
The right order for damp proofing work
- Establish the cause independently
- Resolve anything the freeholder or a neighbour is responsible for
- Fix water entry and ground level faults, then allow the wall to dry
- Only then specify internal works in the Havering flat or house, in materials that suit solid walls
- Check that ventilation and heating allow the wall to stay dry
- Keep the diagnosis and the guarantee together for the conveyancing file
Avoiding an unnecessary damp proofing bill
- Treat a free survey as a sales visit and do not sign on the day
- Ask how condensation, rainwater and ground level were excluded
- Ask whether any of the cause sits in the common parts and who should pay
- Be cautious of tanking an above ground wall in a Havering conversion
- Ask for the readings, their locations and the height of plaster removal in writing
- If a purchase depends on it, get the report before exchange, not after
When a damp proof course is the right answer
We are not opposed to damp proofing, only to it being sold as the answer before the question has been asked. Where the readings, the pattern and the building all point to a missing or failed course in a Havering property, the report recommends one and says how it should be done.
The survey fee is published and fixed before the visit. In Havering, where replastering and making good in a period flat is expensive and disruptive, establishing whether the work is needed before it starts is the economical step.
After the survey you hold an independent record. Use it to obtain comparable quotes in Havering, to negotiate a purchase, or to require a landlord or freeholder to act. We do no remedial work and recommend no contractor.
For the full picture of what a survey here involves, see damp surveys in Havering.
Around Havering
Romford, Gidea Park and Collier Row
Interwar and post war suburbs, with Arts and Crafts houses in Gidea Park. Drives over the course and condensation dominate.
Upminster, Cranham and Rainham
Suburbs and older village cores, plus low ground near the Thames at Rainham. Cottages need breathable repairs; low ground can have groundwater.
What customers say on Google
Just want to say a huge thank you to Tom at ATI, from the initial survey to continued support in resolving a damp issue we have in our recently purchased property. The survey was prompt, detailed and had a clear solution on what our next steps are. During such a stressful time Tom has kept our minds at ease through this whole process, he really does go the extra mile and we couldn’t thank him enough!
Sanjay H, on Google
So If anyone else is having issues like ourselves don’t hesitate to get in contact with Tom he will certainly look after you.
Had ATI Damp Surveying & Reports come out after being told by another company that we needed a new damp proof course. There was damp showing on the downstairs wall and we weren’t really sure what was causing it.
Karolina Ciszek, on Google
Tom carried out a really thorough inspection and took the time to explain what he was looking for. He found that the issue was actually coming from the external wall rather than rising damp, which saved us from spending money on work we didn’t need.
Really happy with the service. The report was clear, professional and gave us a much better understanding of what was going on. Would definitely recommend ATI to anyone who’s unsure about the cause of damp before committing to any remedial work.
Damp proofing questions in Havering
Does a 1930s house in Hornchurch need a new damp proof course?
Rarely. Interwar and post war houses across Hornchurch, Romford and Upminster usually still have a working course. Low level damp is most often from paving, a patio or an extension floor laid above it, or from debris in the cavity. The survey checks those before any treatment is discussed, and the report explains how to correct them.
Our bedroom has black mould. Has a firm rightly quoted damp proofing?
Mould is condensation, and a damp proof course cannot affect it. Cold spots at lintels and reveals, extract fans that underperform and trickle vents kept closed are the usual causes. We measure humidity, surface temperature and extraction so the report can say what will make the biggest difference.
Our Upminster cottage has damp walls. Should we inject?
Older cottages towards the Essex edge were usually built without a course and stay dry with lime mortar and plaster, sound weatherboarding and ground kept below the floor. Injection and dense waterproof plaster usually make them worse by stopping the walls drying.
Is damp in Rainham houses near the Thames groundwater?
It can be, particularly in floors on the lowest ground near the marshes, where the water table is high and responds to rain and tide. The survey separates groundwater from rainwater, condensation and bridging, because each needs a different response.
Can you check a quote we have had?
Yes. Send it with your request and the report will comment on which parts are supported by what we find and which are not.
Do you carry out any work?
No. ATi surveys and reports only, with no remedial work to sell, so the conclusion is not shaped by what it would lead to.
Can you recommend a damp proofing company in Havering?
We do not refer work or take commission, which keeps the report independent. What we give you instead is a specification precise enough that any competent contractor can price it, and we are happy to read the quotes you receive against it.
Book a survey before you pay for damp proofing
Get the cause, and who is responsible for it, in writing before you pay for damp proofing in Havering.
Request a Survey or call 020 3355 4944