In this installment of The A-Z of Damp from Atlantis Damp & Timber Proofing Specialists, C is for…… Condensation.
Condensation is a type of damp and is by far the most common cause of dampness in buildings. Furthermore, it probably accounting for the majority of damp problems reported. At Atlantis Damp Proofing & Timber Specialist we pride ourselves in ensuring a correct diagnosis for your damp issue. (more…)
In this episode of The A-Z of Damp from Atlantis Damp & Timber Proofing Specialists, D is for…… Dry Rot.
Dry-rot fungus is often thought of as a building cancer, rampaging through buildings and rapidly destroying any timber in its path! Dry rot can lurk behind the scenes in areas of a property. Unseen, undetected and left untreated dry rot can cause vast amounts of damage to timbers.
Our Cheshire based dry rot specialist, was called out to a property in Warrington after the home-owner had noticed what they believed to be a form of wood decay growing in her wood lined cupboard under her kitchen stairs. From looking at the characteristics of the decay, it was clear to our expert that there was definitely a dry rot outbreak present. However, it wasn’t until our surveyor removed an air brick adjacent to the under stair cupboard that the full extent of the dry rot outbreak was revealed.
Behind the air brick, lay a large fruiting body otherwise known as a sporophore. These fruiting bodies can appear in an array of shapes and sizes dependent on the conditions present. Most of these round-shaped fruiting bodies are a rusty deep red colour (the spores). The outer parts of this growth being a much lighter white colour. Other signs may have included strands – (fibres, that look like small plant roots, dirty off-white to silver grey in colour), or Sheets – called Mycelium – (looks like a dirty off-white skin, can be tinged with yellow. These can be very wet and occasionally found as billowing cushions of off-white growths).
Before any treatments can be made to the affected area it is always important to identify the cause of the dry rot. In this case, it was apparent that the lack of ventilation caused by the use of hardwood to block the air brick was a major contributing factor to the growth of dry rot. This, combined with surrounding damp cavity wall insulation had caused moisture to linger providing an ideal environment for dry rot spores to germinate. Wood rot germinates from spores that have perfect living conditions for growth – such as damp, humid areas with a plentiful food source of cellulose or lignin within timber.
Atlantis Damp Proofing & Timber Specialists used their expertise to ensure that a complete assessment of the problem was carried out. This enabled us to be confident in our diagnosis and recommended solutions.
If you can see signs of timber troubles in your home, don’t delay! Contact us at Atlantis Damp Proofing & Timber Specialists. Our expert opinion will ensure accurate diagnosis and solutions to your property problem.
In this episode of The A-Z of Damp from Atlantis Damp & Timber Proofing Specialists, E is for…… Expertise.
We have over 20 years’ experience in the damp proofing and associated specialist plastering techniques. You can rest assured that you will find the expertise you need when you speak to Atlantis Damp Proofing & Timber Specialists. (more…)
F is for…… Freya the Female Surveyor.
In this episode of The A-Z of Damp from Atlantis Damp & Timber Proofing Specialists , F is for…… Freya the Female Surveyor.
We hope that you have got the strong impression from looking at our website and any direct dealings that you have had with us that Jamie Watkins is truly passionate about supplying honest, pragmatic and professional advice to homeowners across Cheshire. Atlantis Damp Proofing & Timber Specialists has grown year on year and in July 2016 we decided to expand our ability to survey more local properties.
The solution to our problem
Of course, it was clear that it wouldn’t be easy to find an additional surveyor who would share Jamie’s passion and be prepared to inherently live Atlantis Damp Proofing’s brand values! Then it came to us. Who better to help expand the Company business than Jamie’s wife – Freya!
G is for….. Garden in your Gutter (causing internal damp)
In this episode of The A-Z of Damp from Atlantis Damp & Timber Proofing Specialists . G is for…… Gardens in your Gutter (causing internal damp).
We recently visited a property in Northwich, Cheshire to survey for damp detected on walls internally. A young family had been quoted over £5,000.00 to remedy a reported rising damp problem in their home. They felt this quote was too high and as such were getting some comparisons. One of their friends recommended speaking to us to get a reliable, honest advice from a CSRT expert.
They were right to get a second opinion. There was no rising damp. Using a surface moisture meter, it was identified that there were no readings at skirting board height, or up to a meter high (which would be typical of rising damp). There were, however, high moisture readings. These were in the corners of the rooms at both the front and back elevations on the ground and first floor at ceiling height. An external inspection revealed that the gutters were severely blocked with debris. There was green staining and algae on the wall next to the downspout. This fault corresponded exactly to the dampness that was detected internally.
