I'm not sure whether it's just a very long damp season this year, or perhaps there has been more damp proofing fraud this winter, but it seems the public are fighting back at the 'Chemical Wallies' now. I was alerted to this posting on Facebook this week, which clearly is written by someone with a detailed inside knowledge of the 'Damp Industry'. It's good to see that sense is prevailing, and others in the building and survey industry are as concerned as we are about the fraudulent practises that have been going on for far too long. I've seen two more examples of 'Property Care Association Cowboys' this week - wrongly, fraudulently mis diagnosed damp, both of which were simnple to fix - both just needed better ventilation under sub-floor areas. No 'rising damp' - just a bit of moisture building up under the floors because some dork of a builder blocked all the vents!
PUBLIC WARNING THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS RISING DAMP DON’T BE CONNED BY A PCA COWBOY!
The problem with the Damp industry is the fundamental lack of education, many in the industry passionately believe they are fixing and surveying issues but in reality there are measuring the conductivity of surface plaster with a Damp meter not fit for purpose, 99.9% of all surveys in the industry are misdiagnoses of trapped moisture.
To expand, there is a whole industry based on the standard qualification CSRT, but if you research this “unique” qualification its requirements are so trivial that I would grade it as no more demanding than a grammar school entry qualification of an 11 year old. It takes a few days to gain and you pay for it. Essentially, the CSRT Surveyor applies his electronic damp meter to a wall, the red light eliminates ( of course red for danger to perceive the fear factor), and with that look of doom he announces the event of “rising damp” and the need to inject the wall with a magical product that will disperse and form a chemical barrier. This amazing feat that defies the laws of physics is often coupled with the removal of the plaster system and replacing with a strong cement based render that will not allow the wall to breathe and create more problems that the one misdiagnosed in the initial event! Its complete madness we are the only country in the world with rising damp, and certainly the only country to be so naive we actually formed an entire industry to fix this god like creation of rising damp.
There are literally 1000’s of these “specialist surveyors” in the UK making substantial commissions selling chemicals to customers who often need to just increase ventilation, reduce ground levels or change the cement based plaster systems than trap moisture. They actually believe they are “surveyors” and can diagnose problems, they have been brain washed into thinking rising damp exists and the cure is to sell chemicals to remedy that problem. Often displaying tattoos and earrings these “surveyors” find their victims on the internet or even by trade Associations advertising their services my advice is research them the companies they represent and you will be amazed at the results ask to see formal qualifications! Which University did they attend? Which subject did they read? They will run for the door if you probe their back grounds. Ask them to explain in scientific terms this mystical event of vertical transmission of water. Why the magical transmission to 1.2M? Explain that in linear Physics. Their earring will shudder with embracement!
There is not a single property, in the UK, post 1865, that requires a Damp proof injection and people should not buy their chemicals but instead contact a properly qualified professional who is a graduate in building science or similar.
You would derive great benefit by searching “Rising Damp myth” and look at publications by professionals such as Pete Ward of Heritage house and Jeff Howell the author of the award winning book Rising Damp Myth, these are suitably qualified graduates and provide great advice on how to avoid the CSRT “Surveyor” and his chemical sales techniques.
The word is spreading, and the days of this industry are certainly numbered, this is not an attack on the CSRT qualification or those who process it, I’m just simply letting the consumer know they are not dealing with a professional, and in all probability it’s someone completely clueless about building science and actual causes of inherent dampness. But more importantly the chemicals they intend to sell you and the process associated with the chemical “act of god” will not work. Don’t be fooled by them and don’t buy their chemicals.
