French Drains

French Drains

If you live on a road comprised mainly of period houses, next time you are walking down your street, have a look at where the ground meets the walls of the buildings. You will probably notice that some of the properties have a gravel filled trench at the base of the...
Tools of the Trade

Tools of the Trade

The majority of surveyors working within the damp and timber industry will use an electronic moisture meter. There are numerous makes and models available with varying degrees of accuracy. When I started surveying houses with damp in London in 2007 I was using The...
Lime Pointing in Older Buildings

Lime Pointing in Older Buildings

Having visited many old houses during my career, I have on numerous occasions  seen examples of where external mortar joints have been re-pointed using modern Portland cement in place of what would have originally been a lime-based mix. It is quite common for old lime...