Home / Areas / Kingston upon Thames
Independent damp surveys in Kingston upon Thames
Kingston is a riverside borough, and that is the first thing to establish about any property in it: whether it is in the flood plain, and how it has been treated if so. Beyond the river, the stock is Victorian and Edwardian through Kingston and Surbiton, with substantial interwar and post-war housing behind it.
Request a survey Fixed-price surveys from £215, report included
Kingston upon Thames housing, and what it does when it gets wet
Properties in and near the tidal flood plain need looking at differently. Historic flooding leaves salts in masonry that keep a meter reading high for years afterwards, long after the wall itself has dried. A conductivity meter cannot tell salt from water, so a flood affected wall can be repeatedly diagnosed as damp and repeatedly treated for it. Interpretation, not measurement, is what settles that.
The Victorian and Edwardian terraces and villas through Surbiton and Kingston are solid or early cavity brick, largely extended at the rear. The junction between old brickwork and a newer extension roof is the usual entry point, and rear closet wing gutters are the usual blockage. Both produce damp on an internal wall some distance from the defect.
The interwar and post-war housing at New Malden, Chessington and Tolworth is cavity walled with working damp proof courses. The common finding is external ground raised above the course by successive drives and patios, and blocked airbricks under suspended floors, neither of which needs a chemical remedy.
What we are usually called out to in Kingston upon Thames
- Salt contamination in flood affected masonry giving high meter readings long after drying
- Flashings and upstands where a rear extension meets the original brickwork
- Blocked closet wing and rear gutters producing damp on an internal wall
- Ground raised above the damp proof course on interwar and post-war housing
- Blocked airbricks and musty suspended timber ground floors
- Pre purchase surveys where a flood history needs assessing properly rather than assumed
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 Kingston upon Thames 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.
How we survey a Kingston upon Thames property
- Externally first: the elevations, the ground or paving against them, and every route water has to the wall
- For flats, the parts of the building outside the demise that can be seen or reasonably reached
- Readings that distinguish surface salts from moisture in depth, rather than a single pin meter figure
- Dew point conditions in the affected rooms, logged and compared with the coldest surfaces
- Ventilation measured, not assumed from the presence of a fan
- Previous damp treatments identified, with whether they addressed the cause
The report
Written within 24 hours of the visit, and structured for the people who will act on it in Kingston upon Thames: you, your solicitor, a freeholder, a contractor.
- A summary of the cause and urgency on the first page
- Photographs and readings, located on the building
- Who is likely responsible for each defect, where it sits outside your demise
- Remedial recommendations as a specification for contractors to price
- An indication of what that work should reasonably cost
- What does not need doing, including any treatment already quoted
How a survey is arranged
- Tell us the postcode, the property type and what has been noticed.
- We confirm the fee and the time. It does not change on the day.
- On site, outside first, then inside, with findings explained before we leave.
- The report arrives within a day, ready to forward to a solicitor, agent or freeholder.
Most of our Kingston upon Thames 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.
Leaseholders, landlords and buyers in Kingston upon Thames
Leaseholders in Kingston upon Thames 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
Kingston town centre and the riverside
Older buildings, flats above shops and modern riverside developments near the Thames. Parapets, flat roofs and groundwater on the lowest ground recur.
Surbiton
Victorian and Edwardian villas and terraces, many converted into flats. Valley gutters, bays and shared drainage are common sources of damp.
New Malden and Tolworth
Interwar suburbs. Drives over the course, extensions and mould make up most surveys.
Where we cover
We survey across the borough, from Kingston and Surbiton out through New Malden and Tolworth to Chessington.
- Kingston
- Surbiton
- New Malden
- Tolworth
- Chessington
- Norbiton
- Berrylands
- Coombe
- Hook
Postcode districts
- KT1
- KT2
- KT3
- KT4
- KT5
- KT6
What customers say about us
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.
Kingston upon Thames questions
The house flooded years ago. Why does it still read damp?
Because flood water leaves salts behind in the masonry, and salts are hygroscopic: they draw moisture from the air and they conduct electricity. A conductivity meter responds to both, so a wall that has dried out completely can still give high readings for years. That is one of the most common reasons flood affected houses are treated repeatedly for damp they no longer have. Distinguishing salt from moisture requires more than a surface meter, and it is worth doing before anyone re plasters again.
We are buying near the river. What should the survey cover?
Flood history and how it was dealt with, first. Then whether the ground floor construction, finishes and services are appropriate for a property that may flood again, and whether previous reinstatement used materials that will survive it. Beyond that it is a normal survey: ground levels, drainage, rainwater goods, roof and extension junctions, and calibrated readings interpreted with the salt question in mind rather than taken at face value.
Our riverside flat in Kingston has damp in the ground floor. Is it the Thames?
On low ground near the river the water table can be high, especially in floors. The survey separates groundwater from rainwater and defects.
Our Surbiton conversion has damp in the top flat. Who fixes it?
Roofs and gutters are commonly the freeholder's responsibility. The report identifies the source.
Do New Malden semis need damp proofing?
Rarely. Their courses usually work; drives and patios are the common cause.
Will you try to sell me damp proofing in Kingston upon Thames?
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 Kingston upon Thames
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