Damp survey in Herne Bay

Herne Bay homes, and how they get damp

The seafront and town centre have three and four storey Victorian and Edwardian houses, often with basements, bays and parapets, many converted into flats. Exposed to wind from the north and east, their render cracks, their parapets and valley gutters leak and their bays let water in. In converted buildings, the source of damp in one flat is frequently in a common part of the building.

The streets inland from the front are terraces and semis from the same era, solid brick, with yards and gardens that have risen over the years. Salt air, wind driven rain and raised ground explain most damp in them, and salt contaminated plaster makes meter readings unreliable.

Beltinge, Studd Hill and Greenhill contain many bungalows and post war houses, some originally holiday homes, built with varying standards. Condensation, cold walls, flat roof leaks and poor ventilation are the usual faults, along with timber floors and sub floors in some of the older chalets.

Ground, water and weather in Herne Bay

Herne Bay sits on London Clay and sands, with the land rising eastwards to the cliffs at Bishopstone and Reculver, where coastal erosion is well known. Clay drains slowly, and in winter gardens and yards stay wet against walls. The seafront is protected by sea defences, and the lowest ground near the front has a high water table.

Bungalows and chalets near the sea

Herne Bay and its neighbours along the coast have a large number of bungalows, some built as holiday homes in the middle of the twentieth century and later made permanent. Construction varies widely, from solid brick to timber framed chalets on dwarf walls. That variety matters, because the same symptom can mean very different things in different construction.

In a timber framed chalet, damp at low level often means the sub floor is poorly ventilated or the timber sole plate is in contact with damp ground, and the risk is decay rather than a damp wall. In a solid brick bungalow, cold walls and ceilings are the commonest cause of mould. In both, flat roofs over extensions and porches are frequent sources of leaks.

A survey here starts by establishing how the building was put together, sometimes by lifting a floor hatch or looking into the roof space, before reading anything into a meter.

What we find most often in Herne Bay

• Cracked render, leaking parapets and bays on seafront buildings exposed to northerly weather
• Salt from sea air holding meter readings high on walls that have dried
• Damp in converted flats coming from shared roofs, gutters and walls
• Raised yards and gardens on slow draining clay against Victorian terraces
• Condensation, flat roof leaks and cold walls in bungalows and post war houses

Around Herne Bay

The seafront and town centre

Tall Victorian and Edwardian buildings, many flats. Parapets, render, bays and the responsibilities of freeholders and leaseholders are the main themes.

Central terraces

Solid brick terraces and semis inland from the front. Raised ground, rear additions and salt are the usual causes.

Beltinge, Studd Hill and Greenhill

Bungalows, chalets and twentieth century houses. Mould, flat roofs and ventilation are what we usually find.

Telling the kinds of damp apart

Most of the cost of a damp problem comes from treating the wrong one. Water rising from the ground, rain getting in from outside and moisture condensing from the air inside all leave marks on a Herne Bay wall, and the marks overlap.

The differences are in when and where. Damp that comes and goes with rain points outside. Damp that is worst in a cold snap, behind furniture and in corners, points to condensation. Damp that is constant, rises to a fairly even height and falls off above it, on a wall with no outside fault, is the one that might be rising. The survey records which of these the evidence supports.

What we check on a damp survey in Herne Bay

The visit follows the water. Whatever brought you to us, in Herne Bay we work through:

• The roofline and chimney from the ground and from windows, then gutters and downpipes in detail
• Every outside wall for cracks, open joints, failed render and anything bridging the base of the wall
• Airbricks and sub floor ventilation, often buried by later paths and extensions
• Internal walls with calibrated readings at height bands, so rising, penetrating and condensation damp can be told apart
• Surface and air conditions in the problem rooms, logged rather than estimated
• Kitchen and bathroom extraction, measured at the grille
• Any earlier damp proofing, its paperwork and whether it was ever the right answer

A sample report, in outline

No two reports are the same, but a Herne Bay report usually runs in this order:

• Property and conditions on the day, including recent weather
• Findings by room and by elevation, each with photographs
• Readings and the pattern they make, not a single headline figure
• Diagnosis: the cause, and the alternatives that were tested and excluded
• Recommendations as a specification, with the order to do them in
• Anything not inspected, and exactly where to look if it needs opening up

Buying or letting in Herne Bay

Herne Bay offers a lot of space for the money, often in converted seafront buildings or bungalows. Homebuyer reports commonly flag damp, and the cause is frequently in a part of the building the buyer will share with others. An independent survey before exchange identifies the source and who is responsible, which is essential when buying a flat.

Letting in Herne Bay? Damp and mould in rented homes are a hazard under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, and social landlords in England now have fixed timescales to investigate and act under Awaab's Law, with the government planning to extend similar duties to private renting. An independent report that separates building defects from condensation is the evidence both landlords and tenants need. See our guide to landlord damp and mould duties.

How it works

1. You send the form or call. We reply the same day and confirm the fee in writing.
2. A qualified surveyor comes to your Herne Bay address at a time that suits you, including evenings and weekends.
3. The survey takes one to two hours for most homes, longer for large or period buildings.
4. Your written report follows within 24 hours, and we are on the phone if anything in it needs explaining.

Independent means we have no product behind the report. We do not install damp proofing, waterproofing or ventilation, and we take no commission from anyone who does. That is why a Herne Bay report from us can say "no treatment needed" without anybody losing a sale. See damp proofing in Herne Bay if you have already been quoted.

Damp survey questions from Herne Bay

Where we cover around Herne Bay

• Herne Bay
• Herne
• Beltinge
• Greenhill
• Studd Hill
• Eddington
• Broomfield
• Hillborough
• Reculver

Postcode districts

• CT6

Other towns we survey near Herne Bay

In the same district

• Canterbury
• Whitstable

Nearby

• Margate

Every town and district we cover

Book a damp survey in Herne Bay

Tell us your postcode and what you have noticed. We confirm the fee the same day and arrange a visit around you, anywhere in and around Herne Bay.

Book a survey or call 07386 225526