Damp Surveys Ltd

Found it impossible to contact this company by phone despite their listing a business telephone number and working hours. Requested a survey via their online form, only to be sent a cool brief email informing the surveyor is working outside of London and they cannot help. No we are booked until such a time with offering a booking at a later date etc, just a flat “computer says no… Goodbye!” attitude basically. Surely they shouldn’t be advertising if they are unable to accept any bookings at this time?

Having spent several thousands on repointing an external wall to solve what seemed to be an invasive damp problem for it only to return we contacted Simon via Which Trusted traders . It has proved to be the best decision as he diagnosed the problem almost immediately and saved us a considerable amount of money and building upheaval. His service was thorough, informative and understandable. He followed up with video and written reports outlining the measures to deal with the issue. Highly recommend.

We have a few patches of what appear to be damp. Previously I have asked advice from builders, all of whom have come up with different ideas and have suggested different costly solutions. Given that none of them have agreed on a diagnosis or solution, I decided to seek the advice of an expert, and to pay for a damp survey from Damp Surveys Ltd, reasoning that the fee was a good investment in relation to the amount I might otherwise pay on a "repair" that was of no use. Simon visited, conducted a careful investigation of the house, interested not only the state of the walls but also our use of the property - do we use the extractor fan when cooking, how do we dry clothes, etc. Afterwards, he sent a long and detailed report, with recommendations which focused not on costly building work, but on ventilation and condensation. Yes, we're going to install new extractor fans and buy some dehumidifiers, and yes we intend to be more careful about how we dry clothes etc. But these costs are minor compared to the amounts we might have ended up paying. We feel this damp survey was a really good investment in the maintenance of our property, and it has set our minds at ease.

Sometime before the appointment Simon advised me to purchase some data loggers (~£20 for 3) and where to place them. On the day, he explained exactly what he was doing and how and why. I have to say I found this most interesting and instructive. The main culprit was eventually identified as a very slight leek from the main stopcock which was over 70 years old and very hard to turn off/on. Data from the three loggers was uploaded to Simon for further analysis and his final report. He also suggested advising Thames Water to check their valve in the street as it wouldn't turn a full 90 degrees to turn off the supply. Simon's very professional and friendly survey took about 90 minutes. The stopcock has now been repaired.

In retrospect one of the best decisions I have made. My house has had trouble with internal damp and we were concerned the issue was serious. I looked around and rapidly came to the decision that getting the problem properly examined would save time and money. I could not have been more pleased with the expertise and professionalism of Simon. There was no guessing and his data driven, scientific approach was exactly what I had hoped for. It meant that if the problems had been more serious I would have known what the solution was rather than spending money and time on unnecessary work. The peace of mind we have received from his report has been immeasurable. I would recommend this service.

Having had extensive roofing work done in the summer, as I was advised to do, to fix a leak coming through the ceiling of an upstairs room, I was aghast to see that the leak had reappeared a little while later, just after I had the room redecorated ! Thus it was a relief to find Simon, of Damp Surveys Ltd, an independent surveyor specialising in finding the causes of damp in buildings, to give me a professional and unbiased opinion as to the source of my problem. Arriving exactly at the time agreed, I was impressed by the detailed care Simon took in examining the area both inside and out, and by his questions to elicit all possible relevant details. By the end of his visit he was able to collate all the evidence and give me an immediate first assessment which was both helpful and reassuring. This was followed up a short time later by a written and video report, and by constructive proposals for remedying the situation. I found the visit and subsequent report to be extremely worthwhile, and have already recommended Damp Surveys to a friend. Simon is an impressive person, both in his extensive knowledge of his speciality, and in his kindness and desire to help his clients as much as possible.

I had discovered mould in a bedroom in my ground floor flat. It appeared initially just above the skirting boards but was clearly worsening and spreading upwards. After initially searching for specialist builders and damp proofing companies I found details and excellent reviews for Damp Surveys, and arranged a site visit and survey. The survey was done to the agreed schedule and budget. Simon arrived on time (to the minute!), and was careful, considerate and helpful throughout the visit. He went above and beyond what I'd expected, fixing a couple of problems there and then. Communication was clear and consistent prior to the visit, during the visit and afterwards. Emails were answered promptly. With the help, advice and very detailed report I received, I'm able to manage the situation myself and currently have no signs of damp or mould at all. I don't need the services of a builder or damp proofing contractor. It's difficult to calculate how much money I've saved (my guess is a LOT) because I didn't get as far as seeking quotations, but I consider the Damp Surveys fees excellent value for money – an investment even.

Simon provided a very prompt and detailed assessment of our damp wall (house bombed during the war). After having spent many months trying to figure out the cause of our damp and receiving various quotes for works to be carried out it was great to finally find someone who was independent and had the extensive required to identify the root causes of our problem. Simon has likely saved us tens of thousands of pounds and we are so glad to have found him!

We'd already had another company give a damp survey at our property and was told it's rising and penetrating damp all over the place, but with no other details when asked 'why?' We decided to get a 2nd opinion with Simon before spending £5k. Prior to his visit we installed sensors as requested and then Simon came and gave a thorough inspection of the property. He was able to identify a few areas we could remedy quickly (condensation on pipes / cracks in tiles etc) as well as identifying the root cause of the penetrating damp (crack in render). We haven't completely solved the smell, but doing the work we were suggested by the other company wouldn't have either. Would definitely recommend!

We would definitely recommend commissioning a damp survey from Simon Hitchens before undertaking any work related to signs of damp. We were concerned about some signs of damp which appeared during the winter in an area where we had had a treatment for rising damp 10 years ago. The company that did the work has since ceased trading so we looked for another source of help. We saw recommendations of Simon on social media and read what he had to say about rising damp, and the way it is overdiagnosed, and decided to get him to do a survey before we took further action. Simon analysed the problem using various methods, including hygrometers which we installed and are still using. We were pleased to find that we do not have rising damp and that there are some relatively simple steps we could start immediately with beneficial effects. He has also given us advice for the longer term. We initially found some of Simon's explanations a little too technical for our level of understanding, but are very pleased at his response when we raised this and he translated some of the graphs into plain English for us.