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Owain
wrote:
Carolyn wrote:
I had a surveyor round the house as part of my Remortgage process.
He used his sensor ... What I want to know is; how foolproof are
these readings?

About as much use as waving a crystal and chanting an incantation.

His gizmo was of the type that had a series of lights climbing up
from green, then amber, to red, in a black box affair, with two
metal prongs he put against the walls.

Hm, did he make it himself from a traffic light simulator circuit and
some parts from Maplins,

Also, what sort of cost am I looking at to get this addressed? I
know that it will probably mean all the plaster knocking off to
about 2 feet up from the skirting level, then replacing once its
dried out, and finally repainting it all

Which, if you did have damp, would just mean the damp would come back
a few months later.

If you've lived in the house for a while you should know if you've got
damp or not. If it doesn't smell damp and you aren't getting
mould/mildew/rot then it probably isn't damp, and Mr Surveyor won't be
getting his thank-you bottle of whisky from whichever damp proofing
company he professionally and impartially suggests.

If you do have damp then it will be -

- rising damp, which some people say doesn't exist
- penetrating damp, which usually means raised soil/paving levels
bridging the damp proof course, or water splashing above the DPC
- condensation, which means open the windows, extractor fans in the
kitchen/bathroom, and heat the place.

Owain

Thanks for all your comments; made me feel a little better about the whole thing.

The surveyor *did* say I should get someone to look at it professionally and that
they shouldn`t charge me, just for giving their opinion on it...hmm...
I`ve certainly never smelt any damp in the house, and their definitely isn`t any water
or condensation present in the areas he looked at, its a living space, not a water park!
The house is fronted directly by a street and is level with external paving too, so I
can`t see what the issue is (or not, as the case may be).

I just hope the new Mortgage Lenders won`t take this up as an action point if its
mentioned
in his report?

--
Carolyn
CBR400RR Red/White/Purple
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