On 30 Oct, 18:02, wrote:

3) get at least three free surveys - select using the following
criteria a) full members of the PCA (ex BWPDA) b) offering GPT back up
guarantee c) most importantly insist the surveyor has the CSRT
qualifiation
these three will not ensure you get a good survey but will cut out
an awful lot of crap

Not misinformation, per se, as you could actually do this and get the
right result for the building. Not the best in information either
though is it?

If you did this there is a very strong likelihood you would get 3
quotes for work. You are essentially recommending that if you think
you may have rising damp get an opinion from 3 commissioned sellers of
them to check. Now one may be honest, but thats a risk as big as
suggesting you get 3 doubleglazing salesmen to give you an honest
appraisal of your windows.

How about suggesting that the person pay for a destructive test to
confirm the wall is actually damp, rather than go through the whole:

resistance meter SUGGESTS it's damp,
put a cDPC in
wall is still showing signs of damp
attempt to claim on lovely GPT backed guarentee
CSRT qualified surveyor turns up again and this time does a
destructive test on the wall
destructive test DETERMINES its damp (...or not)

process?

Surely that has to be better than relying on commissioned salesmen and
risking uneccessary works?

Disclaimer: I undertake the works described, am not currently a PCA
member because the company I work for is not. The PCA has independent
non-commissioned surveyors listed on their website. There are
excellent surveyors working for companies that make them sell on
commission, promoting free surveys perpetuates the problems described
in this thread, worse still: promoting companies that have a
commissioned sales business model perpetuates the poor public
perception of the industry as a whole.

My opinion, not necessarily that of the company I work for.


M Green