Art gallery · St Albans
ISO-Therm internal wall insulation to an art gallery
- Agreed approach
- ISO-Therm internal wall insulation installed throughout the gallery, fitted from scaffold and finished ready for decoration.
Procure Group Ltd carries out damp and mould investigations across Ely and the surrounding Fenland villages, from older city-centre property to modern housing on the city's edge.



What we investigate
Any one of these symptoms can have several different causes, and the right remedy depends entirely on which one it is. That is what a survey establishes.
Staining at low level or around a specific point on a wall or ceiling.
Black, green or grey growth on walls, ceilings, sealant, window reveals or behind furniture.
A persistent smell, often in a cupboard, wardrobe or unused room, sometimes before anything is visible.
Blistering, salting, crumbling plaster or wallpaper lifting away from the wall.
Water on glass and frames in the morning, and mould appearing on cold surfaces.
Damp appearing during or after rain, frequently linked to rainwater goods or pointing.
Low-level dampness that may be rising damp, or may be one of several other causes.
Soft or crumbling timber, fungal growth, exit holes or springy floors.
Plumbing, heating or drainage leaks that show up some distance from the source.
Rooms that feel humid, cold spots at reveals and lintels, and extract fans that do not clear steam.
Damp, salting or water ingress at or just below external ground level.
What we are asked for
Each of these is a different problem with a different remedy. Which one applies depends on what the readings and the building show.
An evidence-led investigation of what is making the wall wet, with readings and findings you can act on.
Where a damp-proof course has genuinely failed, the appropriate remedial specification for the wall in question.
Professional remediation of the contamination, and control of the moisture conditions behind it.
Humidity, ventilation and surface temperature measured before any equipment is recommended.
Damp at or just below external ground level investigated, with localised protection where remediation calls for it. We do not install basement or cellar waterproofing.
Services
Each service below links to the full national service page, where the investigation, the treatment options and the circumstances in which it is not appropriate are set out in detail.
Damp
A structured investigation to establish the likely cause of dampness before any remedial work is recommended.
Damp
Careful assessment of low-level dampness, which is frequently caused by something other than rising damp.
Damp
Investigation of moisture entering through walls, roofs, openings and rainwater goods.
Surveys
Mould & condensation
Assessment of moisture production, ventilation, heating and insulation to reduce surface condensation.
Mould & condensation
Treating the mould is only part of the solution. We investigate why it developed in the first place, then remediate the contamination and control the conditions that caused it.
Timber
Assessment and treatment of structural timbers affected by moisture, decay or insect attack.
Timber
Establishing whether insect activity is current before recommending any treatment.
Timber
Identifying and repairing timber decay caused by sustained high moisture content.
Timber
Careful investigation of suspected dry rot, which can extend beyond visibly damp timber.
Repairs & finishes
Replastering specifications appropriate to walls affected by dampness or salt contamination.
Repairs & finishes
Repairs to the external fabric that address the source of moisture entry.
Repairs & finishes
Drying, repair and reinstatement following leaks, escapes of water or flooding.
Repairs & finishes
Insulation of solid walls with careful attention to moisture risk and detailing.
Our work
Photographs from Procure Group projects. Work of this kind is carried out across the area, so none is presented as a property at a particular address unless the caption says so.



Local property context
Different construction types behave differently when they get wet, so the approach is matched to the building in front of us.
Ely stands on a low island of higher ground within the Fens, and the contrast between the historic core near the cathedral and the reclaimed land around it is genuinely relevant to moisture investigation. Older buildings in the centre bring solid-wall construction, historic alterations and past remedial work; property on lower surrounding ground brings drainage and groundwater considerations.
Fenland soils can be prone to shrinkage and movement, which is one reason external cracking, defective pointing and displaced rainwater goods should be inspected before anyone concludes that water is rising through a wall.
Ely also has a good deal of later twentieth-century and recent housing on the edges of the city, together with converted outbuildings and barns in the surrounding villages. Conversions deserve particular attention: floors laid over historic ground, new openings formed in old walls and habitable rooms created in previously unheated space all change how moisture moves through a building, and the original construction was rarely designed for the way the space is now used.
Our approach
The purpose of a survey is to identify the underlying cause of the moisture, not to justify a particular treatment.
Transparent pricing
A Damp Proofing Quote Assessment is £114 plus VAT. The fee can be deducted from the final invoice if eligible remedial works proceed, subject to the agreed terms. Other inspection types are priced according to their scope.
Inspection requirements vary between properties, so larger, more complex or commercial buildings are priced according to their scope. You will be told the fee before the visit is confirmed — there are no charges added afterwards.
Online tools
Answer a few simple questions, upload photographs and receive an initial summary of possible causes and the type of survey that may be appropriate.
Upload an existing damp report, building survey, RICS report or property inspection document for an initial AI-assisted summary and recommended next steps.
Send us the details and photographs of the problem and our team will price the work and put it in writing.
Regional project example
We do not have a published project in Ely yet, so this example is from elsewhere in the area we cover. We will not present work as local when it is not.
Art gallery · St Albans
Verified customer reviews
These reviews are from customers elsewhere in the region rather than this town. We publish them as they were given.
Questions
No. Low-lying ground and high water tables are relevant considerations, but the great majority of damp we investigate in this area is condensation or water entering through a defect. A proper survey distinguishes between them.
Yes. Older and listed buildings need breathable, proportionate repairs, and we will identify where consent is likely to be required rather than specifying work that would be inappropriate.
Yes, the CB6 and CB7 districts and the surrounding Fenland settlements are within our normal working area.
Ely's low-lying fenland setting means ambient humidity is naturally elevated, and many properties in the CB6 and CB7 districts feature solid masonry walls with limited insulation. During cold spells, warm moist air inside a heated home meets cold wall and window surfaces and deposits moisture. Restricted airflow compounds this. Before attributing visible mould or streaming windows solely to condensation, an inspection is advisable, as rising damp or penetrating damp can produce similar surface symptoms and requires a different remedy.
Suspended timber floors in older Ely terraces, particularly those built before the mid-twentieth century, rely on sub-floor airflow to keep joist and boarding moisture levels stable. In fenland areas, ground moisture can be persistent, and if air bricks have been blocked or rendered over during later works, the void beneath the floor becomes humid. Prolonged elevated moisture content causes timber to soften and decay. An inspection would measure timber moisture, examine the void condition, and determine whether remedial airflow or timber treatment is warranted.
Related reading
Written by our surveyors, on the questions we are asked most often.
Nearby
We also work in Soham, Cambridge, March, Chatteris, Northstowe and St Ives. For everywhere else we cover, see our Cambridgeshire service area.
Written and last reviewed by the Procure Group survey team on .
Next step
Book an inspection, ask for a callback, or use one of the online tools first. Whichever suits you — there is no obligation either way.
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