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.
town in Hertfordshire · SG4, SG5
Damp and Mould Specialists Serving Hitchin
Hitchin's older centre sits alongside Victorian, interwar and modern housing. Procure Group Ltd investigates damp, mould, condensation and timber decay across all of it, and recommends work only where the evidence supports it.
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What we investigate
Damp and mould concerns we investigate in Hitchin
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.
Damp patches and tide marks
Staining at low level or around a specific point on a wall or ceiling.
Mould growth
Black, green or grey growth on walls, ceilings, sealant, window reveals or behind furniture.
Musty odours
A persistent smell, often in a cupboard, wardrobe or unused room, sometimes before anything is visible.
Peeling paint and damaged plaster
Blistering, salting, crumbling plaster or wallpaper lifting away from the wall.
Condensation on windows
Water on glass and frames in the morning, and mould appearing on cold surfaces.
Water penetration
Damp appearing during or after rain, frequently linked to rainwater goods or pointing.
Suspected rising damp
Low-level dampness that may be rising damp, or may be one of several other causes.
Timber decay and woodworm
Soft or crumbling timber, fungal growth, exit holes or springy floors.
Leaks and escapes of water
Plumbing, heating or drainage leaks that show up some distance from the source.
Restricted air movement and cold surfaces
Rooms that feel humid, cold spots at reveals and lintels, and extract fans that do not clear steam.
Below-ground wall moisture
Damp, salting or water ingress at or just below external ground level.
We do not diagnose rising damp from photographs or from a single meter reading, and we do not assume that every damp problem needs chemical damp proofing. A great many do not.
What we are asked for
The work we are called out for in Hitchin
Each of these is a different problem with a different remedy. Which one applies depends on what the readings and the building show.
Damp surveys in Hitchin
An evidence-led investigation of what is making the wall wet, with readings and findings you can act on.
Damp proofing in Hitchin
Where a damp-proof course has genuinely failed, the appropriate remedial specification for the wall in question.
Mould removal in Hitchin
Professional remediation of the contamination, and control of the moisture conditions behind it.
Condensation control in Hitchin
Humidity, ventilation and surface temperature measured before any equipment is recommended.
Below-ground damp protection in Hitchin
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
Damp, mould, timber and below-ground damp protection in Hitchin
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
Damp investigations
A structured investigation to establish the likely cause of dampness before any remedial work is recommended.
Damp
Rising damp assessments
Careful assessment of low-level dampness, which is frequently caused by something other than rising damp.
Damp
Penetrating damp investigations
Investigation of moisture entering through walls, roofs, openings and rainwater goods.
Surveys
Specialist damp surveys
Mould & condensation
Condensation control
Assessment of moisture production, ventilation, heating and insulation to reduce surface condensation.
Mould & condensation
Mould remediation
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
Timber preservation
Assessment and treatment of structural timbers affected by moisture, decay or insect attack.
Timber
Woodworm investigations and treatment
Establishing whether insect activity is current before recommending any treatment.
Timber
Wet rot investigation and repairs
Identifying and repairing timber decay caused by sustained high moisture content.
Timber
Dry rot investigations
Careful investigation of suspected dry rot, which can extend beyond visibly damp timber.
Repairs & finishes
Damp-resistant plastering
Replastering specifications appropriate to walls affected by dampness or salt contamination.
Repairs & finishes
External damp-related repairs
Repairs to the external fabric that address the source of moisture entry.
Repairs & finishes
Water-damage reinstatement
Drying, repair and reinstatement following leaks, escapes of water or flooding.
Repairs & finishes
Internal wall insulation
Insulation of solid walls with careful attention to moisture risk and detailing.
Our work
Damp, mould and timber work around Hitchin
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
Property and moisture in Hitchin
Different construction types behave differently when they get wet, so the approach is matched to the building in front of us.
Hitchin retains a substantial historic core around the Market Place, Sun Street and Bancroft, including timber-framed and Georgian buildings and a number of listed properties. In buildings of this age, previous remedial work — cement render, injected courses, impermeable paint — is frequently part of the problem rather than the solution, and the survey needs to establish what has already been done.
Around the centre are extensive Victorian and Edwardian terraces and later suburbs extending towards Walsworth and Westmill, where subfloor airflow, rainwater goods and external ground levels are the more usual findings, alongside condensation in upgraded homes.
Our approach
What happens during your survey in Hitchin
The purpose of a survey is to identify the underlying cause of the moisture, not to justify a particular treatment.
- 1Your enquiryYou tell us what you are seeing, where and when. Photographs help.
- 2Understanding the symptomsWe ask about the pattern — after rain, in cold weather, worse in one room.
- 3Reviewing what you already haveExisting reports, building surveys or previous quotations are read before the visit.
- 4Choosing the right surveyThe survey type is matched to the problem rather than sold as a package.
- 5Inspecting the propertyInternal and external inspection, moisture and psychrometric readings, photographs.
- 6Considering moisture sourcesConstruction, ground levels, rainwater goods, airflow, heating and occupancy.
- 7Clear written findingsWhat was found, what it means, and where the evidence is inconclusive.
- 8Recommended next stepsIn priority order, with the reasoning behind each recommendation.
- 9Quoting only where work is neededItemised, with assumptions and exclusions stated.
- 10Portal access throughoutReports, quotations, project stages and documents in one place.
- 11Aftercare and guidanceDrying and decoration advice, maintenance instructions and guarantee details.
Transparent pricing
Damp survey from £114 + VAT
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
Three ways to get a considered answer before anyone visits
Not Sure What Is Causing the Damp?
Answer a few simple questions, upload photographs and receive an initial summary of possible causes and the type of survey that may be appropriate.
- The tool gives preliminary guidance only
- It does not replace an inspection
- Photographs alone cannot confirm a diagnosis
- You provide contact details so the summary can be emailed to you
Already Have a Damp or Property Survey Report?
Upload an existing damp report, building survey, RICS report or property inspection document for an initial AI-assisted summary and recommended next steps.
- The tool summarises the document you submit
- Recommendations are subject to professional review
- You provide contact details to receive the summary
- A site inspection may still be necessary
Request a Written Estimate
Send us the details and photographs of the problem and our team will price the work and put it in writing.
- Prepared by our team, never generated automatically
- Photographs help us price it accurately
- Final prices depend on the inspection findings
- No obligation to proceed
Regional project example
A project from elsewhere in our region
We do not have a published project in Hitchin yet, so this example is from elsewhere in the area we cover. We will not present work as local when it is not.
Verified customer reviews
What customers in the wider area say
These reviews are from customers elsewhere in the region rather than this town. We publish them as they were given.
Questions
Frequently asked questions — Hitchin
Previous damp proofing was done and the problem is back. Why?
Usually because the original diagnosis was wrong. If the moisture was coming from a defect, condensation or bridged levels, a damp-proof course was never going to resolve it. We start again from the evidence rather than assuming the earlier conclusion was correct.
Do you inspect timber framing in older Hitchin buildings?
Yes, where access allows. Timber-framed and part-timbered buildings need careful assessment of moisture at the frame, and repairs must respect the way the building was designed to breathe.
Do you provide reports for solicitors and lenders?
We provide a full written survey report. What a lender or solicitor accepts is their decision, but the report is written to be clear, evidenced and usable by third parties.
Hitchin has many Victorian and Edwardian terraced houses — are these particularly prone to rising damp?
Victorian and Edwardian terraces in Hitchin, particularly those in the SG5 area, were typically built without any damp-proof course, or with an early slate or bitumen layer that has since deteriorated. Solid brick walls, shallow floor voids and dense urban plot layouts can all restrict drainage and airflow. Whether rising damp is genuinely present, rather than another moisture source, is only confirmed through a methodical inspection using calibrated meters and a review of the building fabric.
Can condensation in an SG4 property cause the same visible symptoms as penetrating damp?
Yes, and distinguishing between the two matters considerably for treatment. Condensation tends to present at cold surfaces such as window reveals, north-facing walls and unheated rooms, whereas penetrating damp typically follows rainfall patterns and appears at specific external defects. In SG4 properties, which include a mix of post-war construction and newer builds with varying insulation standards, an inspection will assess surface temperatures, airflow provision and moisture distribution before any cause is attributed or remedial work is recommended.
Related reading
Worth reading before you book in Hitchin
Written by our surveyors, on the questions we are asked most often.
Nearby
Also serving locations near Hitchin
We also work in Letchworth Garden City, Stevenage, Baldock, Arlesey, Stotfold and Shefford. For everywhere else we cover, see our Hertfordshire service area.
Written and last reviewed by the Procure Group survey team on .
Next step
Book your damp survey in Hitchin
Book an inspection, ask for a callback, or use one of the online tools first. Whichever suits you — there is no obligation either way.
Request a callback
Tell us what you are seeing and we will come back to you. Your enquiry is tagged to Hitchin so the right surveyor picks it up.