Check My Damp
Describe what you are seeing, upload photographs and receive preliminary guidance on the likely contributing factors and the most appropriate next inspection.
What is your relationship to the property?
Understanding your damp problem before you spend anything
Damp is one of the most frequently misdiagnosed problems in British housing. This tool exists so that you can arrive at a conversation with a specialist already knowing what you are looking at, rather than taking the first explanation offered.
What the assessment actually does
You answer a short series of questions about your property, what you can see, where it appears and when it is at its worst, and you can upload photographs. Those answers are read against the patterns our surveyors see day to day across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire and Peterborough. You then receive a written preliminary assessment setting out the most likely contributing factors, the things that can safely be ruled out for now, and which type of inspection — if any — would be proportionate. It takes around five minutes and costs nothing.
Why so much damp is misdiagnosed
Rising damp is real, but it is far less common than the number of injected damp proof courses sold each year would suggest. A tide mark at low level is treated as proof of it, when in practice the same staining is produced by raised external ground levels, a blocked or leaking gutter, bridged cavity insulation, failed pointing, a defective gully, or simply condensation forming on a cold, poorly ventilated wall. The wrong diagnosis is expensive twice over: you pay for work you did not need, and the original defect carries on quietly doing damage behind the new plaster.
Condensation, mould and the health question
Where mould keeps returning within weeks of being cleaned, moisture in the air is almost always the driver rather than moisture in the wall. Extract fans that no longer shift air, sealed-up chimney breasts, replacement windows without background trickle vents and higher occupancy all raise indoor humidity. mould hazards, so a documented assessment matters more than ever.
What happens after you submit
Your assessment is emailed to you and saved in your customer portal along with your photographs. If an inspection is sensible, we will tell you which one and roughly what it involves. If it is not, we will say so. Nothing is booked automatically and your details are never sold on.
Common questions
- Is the damp checker free to use?
- Yes. There is no charge for the online assessment and no obligation to book anything afterwards. You receive written guidance and a reference number you can quote if you decide to arrange an inspection.
- Can an online tool really diagnose damp?
- No, and it does not claim to. It narrows the likely causes and tells you which type of inspection is proportionate. A confirmed diagnosis needs readings taken on site, an external inspection and, in some cases, samples.
- What photographs are most useful?
- A wide shot showing the whole wall, a close-up of the affected area, the ceiling and skirting either side, and a photograph of the outside face of the same wall including guttering and ground levels.
- Will I be pressured into remedial works?
- No. A good proportion of the assessments we issue conclude that no chemical damp proofing is warranted at all, and recommend simple changes to heating and airflow or a straightforward building repair instead.