Resources
Damp from the cause down
Every one of these starts at the same wall: a dark patch, a quote you cannot judge, and explanations that cannot all be true. What each kind of damp actually is, how to tell yours from the other two, and which fixes deal with the cause instead of hiding it for a season.
Rising damp, and the test almost nobody runs
What rising damp actually is, why the moisture meter used on almost every survey cannot confirm it, and the laboratory method the British Standard points to instead.
Penetrating damp, and the wall that was never built for your weather
Water coming in sideways is a building fault with a location, not something the wall has caught. The exposure zone your wall stands in, and what the regulations say it needs.
Damp meter readings, and why there is no acceptable number
The reading almost every damp quote in the country is built on is a wood measurement. What the meter is really telling you, and what would settle the question properly.
Mould on walls, and why it keeps coming back
Cleaning it off is the easy part and it is not the part that matters. What the official guidance says about removing mould, about bleach, and about who is to blame.
Condensation, and why a dry wall still grows mould
The number that decides whether mould grows is not the dew point. The humidity to aim at, and how to tell condensation from the two kinds of damp people pay to have treated.
Damp proofing costs, and the half of the quote nobody shows you
The per-metre rate people search for is the smallest line on the bill. What the published guides say, where they disagree, and what a damp quote quietly leaves out.
Damp surveys, and why the free one exists
A home survey is built to pass a damp question onward, not to answer it. What RICS actually promises, what the free survey is for, and when paying is the cheap option.
The damp proof course, and the two minutes that could save you thousands
Your damp proof course has a required height above the ground and you can check it yourself with a tape measure. How the whole system works, and what defeats it.