Structural Building Surveys in Lancashire, Cheshire, South Yorkshire

This is a wonderful area full of ancient 19th and 20th Century mill buildings.  Even ordinary houses are stone built and solid as the day they were built. These often suffer from damp issues, mainly due to moisture being trapped into the structure. Stone tiled roofs are common - we are trained in stone tiling, and can advise on structure and repairs to these. The industrial history of the area is a clue to the structure - coal mines provided heat for the inhabitants, and this produced acid smoke which affected the chimneys and walls - leaching lime mortar and creating salty deposits that attract moisture. It is this which is so often described as 'rising damp' in the area by ordinary RICS surveyors inexperienced in this sort of building. Our surveys explain why there may be dmap problems, and how they arise. We show how they can be sorted out without resort to any form of damp proofing, which is never needed. The hills and valleys of the area provide excellent drainage, so there is no excuse for dampness!

We see large numbers of caveated RICS building survey reports which tell the unsuspecting client to obtain 'expert' reports on various aspects of the building. We don't operate this way - our reports tell it as it is, and we have the knowledge and experience to diagnose the real reasons for any problems that we may find. Our reports describe these in detail, and offer sensible solutions based on scientific observations and extensive experience of these wonderful old stone buildings.