SERVICES

Damp, Proofing, Dry Rot, Woodworm,Tanking, Condensation & Property repairs

Damp Proof Control

Naturally, homeowners want the most effective products available to be used to treat rising damp in their properties. Creating the best possible barrier to rising damp minimises moisture in the wall, blocks the build-up of ground salts, and reduces heat-loss. For this reason, we form an effective damp-proof course in walls of all types which has been tested under more conditions than any other rising damp treatment.

Condensation

By far the most common cause of dampness in buildings, probably accounting for the majority of damp problems reported. It affects both old and new buildings, but it appears to be a significant problem where the building has been modernised.

Condensation is directly associated with mould growth. It is this that the occupier sees first, and it gives an indication of the potential scale of the problem. The mould is usually found on decorative surfaces, especially wallpapers, where it can cause severe and permanent spoiling. In many cases, the mould and its spores ('seeds') give rise to complaints about health, and cause the "musty" odour frequently associated with a damp house.

The obvious places for condensation to occur are on cold walls, wiondows, and floors, but it can also occur in roof spaces and in sub-floor areas where there is a timber suspended floor; in the latter case, it can lead to dry rot or wet rot developing in floor timbers.

Dry Rot

It is important to identify whether timber decay has been caused by dry rot or another wood-destroying fungus such as one of the wet rots. This is because dry rot has the ability to travel through building materials other than timber, giving outbreaks the potential to spread quickly through a building. For this reason additional measures (e.g. masonry sterilisation) often have to be taken when treating dry rot outbreaks over and above those necessary when dealing with outbreaks of other wood-rotting fungi

Woodworm

A term used for the destructive larvae of the Common Furniture Beetle.

First sign of woodworm is the appearance of neat round holes, 2mm across, in wooden surfaces, often accompanied by tiny piles of wood dust beneath them. Fresh holes show clean white wood inside. The holes are made by emerging adult beetles, immature grubs may still be tunnelling away inside the wood.

The adult Furniture Beetle is a small brown insect 3mm to 6mm long which flies quite readily. It lays eggs on rough, unpolished wood and the grubs bore straight into the wood - leaving no trace until they emerge as beetles three years or so later, usually between May and September.

Woodworm is frequently introduced into the house in second-hand furniture, tea chests or wicker-work; but the beetles are quite capable of flying in through a window from nearby dead branches of trees. They may then attack floorboards, joinery and, more seriously, structural timbers such as rafters and joists.