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Independent damp surveys in Kensington and Chelsea
Kensington and Chelsea has the deepest basements in London and the strictest constraints on altering anything above ground. That combination produces a particular kind of damp problem: a heavily engineered space below ground, a historic fabric above it, and very little room to change either.
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Kensington and Chelsea housing, and what it does when it gets wet
The borough went through two decades of basement excavation, and a great many houses now have one or two storeys below ground that were dug out under an existing building. These are waterproofed to a design standard, usually a cavity drainage system with a perimeter channel and sump pumps. They are also maintenance dependent in a way owners are rarely told about clearly. A channel that silts up, or a pump that has never been serviced, produces water inside a space that was dry for a decade, and the usual proposal is to redo the tanking rather than to clear the channel.
Above ground it is stucco and solid brick, largely listed or in a conservation area. The same rules apply as elsewhere in central London: the render is the raincoat, it must be lime based and permeable, and cement patching and impermeable paint make matters worse. What is unusual here is the value of the fabric, which means damp is often first raised by a surveyor acting for a buyer rather than by an occupant noticing it.
The northern part of the borough, around North Kensington and the Portobello area, is a different stock again: Victorian terraces converted to flats decades ago, with shared roofs, stacks and rear extensions, and the split responsibilities that come with them.
What we are usually called out to in Kensington and Chelsea
- Cavity drainage systems failing at the channel or the pump rather than at the waterproofing
- Basement conversions where a service penetration was not detailed correctly
- Stucco and lime render damaged by cement repairs and impermeable paint
- Pre purchase surveys where damp has been flagged on a high value listed building
- Shared roof, stack and rear extension defects in converted flats in the north of the borough
- Second opinions on quotes to re waterproof an entire basement
Getting the diagnosis right in a London building
London's housing has been altered more than most: basements dug, lofts converted, houses split into flats, gardens raised, chimneys removed. In Kensington and Chelsea that means damp is frequently the result of a change made decades ago rather than of the original building, and the remedy is to undo or correct that change.
We look for those alterations as much as for the damp itself. A floor laid above an old course, a fan ducted into a void, a lightwell filled with decking or a stack capped without ventilation explains more damp than any failed damp proof course.
What an ATi survey in Kensington and Chelsea includes
- Moisture readings taken on a grid and at height bands, so the report can show which way the water is moving
- The outside of the building, including front areas, lightwells, parapets and rear additions where access allows
- Communal elements that affect your flat: shared gutters, soil stacks, roof outlets and the party walls
- Humidity, air and surface temperatures where mould or condensation is in question
- Extract fans checked for where they discharge and how much air they move
- Timbers within reach, and the sub floor where a hatch or a lifted board allows
What you receive
A written report with photographs within 24 hours, in plain English, that stands on its own whoever reads it.
- Findings by room and by elevation
- Readings and the pattern they form
- The diagnosis, and the causes considered and excluded
- Recommendations in priority order
- Notes for a purchase, a lease or a disrepair matter where relevant
- A clear line where a quote you hold for a Kensington and Chelsea property goes further than the defect
From request to report
- Send the request form or call. We reply the same day with the fee in writing.
- We agree a visit, including evenings and weekends, and arrange access to any communal areas if needed.
- The surveyor spends as long as the Kensington and Chelsea property needs.
- The written report follows within 24 hours.
Most of our Kensington and Chelsea surveys are for one of four people: a buyer whose survey flagged damp, a tenant or landlord with mould, a leaseholder trying to get a freeholder to act, or an owner holding a damp proofing quote. Each needs the same thing, an account of the cause from somebody with no interest in the remedy, and that is all we provide. Quoted for damp proofing already? Read damp proofing in Kensington and Chelsea: survey first.
Leaseholders, landlords and buyers in Kensington and Chelsea
Leaseholders in Kensington and Chelsea often discover that the cause of their damp sits in a part of the building they do not own. Our report says where the water is coming from and which element of the building it passes through, which is the evidence a freeholder or managing agent needs under the lease. For landlords, damp and mould are hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, and social landlords in England now work to the fixed timescales of Awaab's Law. Our guide to Awaab's Law explains what that means.
By town
Chelsea and South Kensington
Stucco terraces and garden squares, many with deep modern basements beneath. Basement drainage systems that have not been serviced, cracked stucco and leaking front vaults account for most of the damp we see.
Notting Hill and Holland Park
Large Victorian villas and terraces, many divided into flats, alongside some of the borough's largest houses. Valley gutters, parapets and the junctions of later rear extensions are common sources of water.
North Kensington and Kensal Green
Victorian terraces and large post war estates near the Westway. The terraces need their yards and rear additions looked at; the estates see condensation and mould on cold structure.
Where we cover
We survey across the borough, from Chelsea and South Kensington up through Notting Hill to North Kensington.
- Chelsea
- South Kensington
- Notting Hill
- Holland Park
- Earls Court
- Kensal Green
- World's End
- Brompton
- Ladbroke Grove
Postcode districts
- SW3
- SW5
- SW7
- SW10
- W8
- W10
- W11
What customers say about us
Really happy with the damp survey by ATI. Tom was friendly, professional and took the time to explain everything clearly. We’d been dealing with the issue for over a year, and Tom managed to find the root cause, which was such a relief. Really appreciate his help and would definitely recommend him.
Nala Nala, 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.
Kensington and Chelsea questions
Our basement is leaking. Does the whole waterproofing system need replacing?
Usually not, and this is the most common overspecification we are asked to review in this borough. A cavity drainage system has maintainable parts: perimeter channels that silt, sumps that fill, pumps that fail and float switches that stick. Most of the failures we inspect are in those, not in the membrane. We survey the whole system including the parts a re waterproofing quote tends not to mention, and report what has actually failed, which is frequently a fraction of the cost proposed.
We are buying and the survey flagged damp. Is that a reason to walk away?
It is a reason to find out what it is before you commit, which is a different thing. A homebuyer report will flag elevated meter readings and recommend a specialist, because that is what it is required to do; it does not diagnose. The outcome is often something modest, such as ground levels or a gutter. Occasionally it is something serious enough to reprice on. Either way the number you need is a diagnosis and a cost, which is what an independent survey gives you before exchange rather than after.
How often should a basement drainage system be serviced?
Most manufacturers and installers recommend at least an annual service of pumps, float switches, battery backups and channels. A system that has never been serviced is the most common reason for a basement leak in this borough.
Our neighbour is digging a basement. Could it cause damp in our house?
Excavation next door can change how water moves around the party wall and foundations. If damp appears during or after the works, the report records it with readings and photographs, which is useful evidence under a party wall award.
Do you survey for buyers of basement flats?
Yes. The report covers the condition of the system, servicing records to ask for and any evidence of past water entry, which a buyer needs before exchange.
Will you try to sell me damp proofing in Kensington and Chelsea?
No. We carry out no remedial work, so there is nothing to sell after the survey. The report states the cause, the work that would actually fix it and an outline of what that work should reasonably cost, so you can get like for like quotes from contractors of your choice, or put it to a seller, landlord or freeholder.
Nearby
Book a damp survey in Kensington and Chelsea
We survey and report only, with no treatment to sell, so what the report says is the whole of our interest. Same day response to every enquiry, and a written report with photographs within 24 hours of the visit.
Book a survey or call 020 3355 4944