Anyone know a good damp specialist firm? Post Reply

[womblemama]

Hi
I'm looking for a specialist in dampproofing who can advise me on a property I'm hoping to purchase and quote for various internal and external damp work. Has anyone recently used a good contractor they can recommend in South London?
Any suggestions welcome!
Many thanks

[bisousbisous]

Yes, I have just used a company called Renlon Ltd www.renlon.co.uk and would recommend them. We haven't had the work carried out yet but the quote was realistic and their service was professional. Good luck.

[James1]

Hi Both - not to be negative but I am after a similar service and a quick Google search shows a fair few legal claims against the company mentioned for failure to provide damp proofing that stopped damp! Can't recommend anyone yet myself after absolutely months of trying but I can definitely advise against Kenwood Plc.

It does some to be an industry that attracts a somewhat money before service orientated type. I think that's as

1 - a lot of damp issues are about either condensation (have you adequate air bricks and other circulation on the wall(s) that are damp?

2 - penetrative damp that really needs a gutter fixed, some repointing or a crack in outside render filled.

but the damp proofer comes along, sells you a tanked wall (internal re plastering with sand/cement and waterproofing agent) and a chemically injected damp course for £3K and it takes them two half days and £50-£100 on materials. It also needs no skill beyond basic plastering and no training. Also, the guarantees they give tend to be absolutely rubbish. Kenwood, for example, charge you about £150 plus VAT to even turn up to reinspect work if there's a problem. They then say they will reimburse this is the problem is due their original work not being up to scratch. I would love to see a breakdown of % times they re-visited a site of their work and found their original work at fault VS % of times they found a whole new cause that needed further treatment.

You might see why it attracts certain types.

I'd advise getting a good builder round to diagnose the problem if your not 100% sure it's rising damp. If you are sure, then I'd advise getting a good builder to fix it. It really shouldn't cost more than about £500 -£750 to damp proof one side of a house

[JWDW]

I suffered the safe sort of treatment from Kenwood, and can confirm they are complete cowboys and too be avoided at all costs. The work they had undertaken failed and I was stupid enough to pay them the 150 pounds for them to come and assess their work. They actually came twice as their initial report claimed the damp was from burst pipes in the wall, (a little difficult as there are no pipes in that wall). They then sent their senior man, and a fresh faced young kid turned up! Needless to say, lot of flim-flam and they offered to fix the issue for a circa 3,000 pounds. I was somewhat less than polite.
The advise above is good, and a little common sense goes a long way with damp. If their is damp in the wall, it needs to get out. So once you have identified the ingress point, (leaking gutter, leaking pipe, cracked grout between tiles in bathroom, garden flower bed soil above damproof course, etc...., it is best to get the plaster hacked off and let the offending bricks dry out for a month or so. Use a trusted builder / decorator.

[dampworks]

if in any doubt then visit the PCA website and look up the independent surveyors, unlike damp firms they have no need to sell products so are honest & impartial.

do not ask a builder to take a look , unless it leaking gutters or cracks etc., get in an independent surveyor, such as Mr. keith Gardiner for instance or visit the PCA website and use the postcode finder to find your nearest independent surveyor.

google
The Property Care Association and use the postcode tool

[Ar14]

Bryhill in SE london