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Neil Marsden Snr
Registrace 5. 11. 2010
Independent Damp and Timber Surveyor (PCA)
Penetrating Damp misdiagnosed.
It is incredibly frustrating to see clients getting inappropriate advice from so-called damp specialists. The remedial work carried out was never going to address the underlying source of the damp in this instance. It is even more frustrating considering I had advised the client that the source of the damp had been misdiagnosed. As the saying goes, you can take a horse to water.....🤔
zhlédnutí: 1 905
Video
Damp Meter-False Positive?
zhlédnutí 1,1KPřed rokem
A brief explanation of a common cause for a false positive when using an electronic moisture meter for those who are not familiar with this scenario.
The benefits of carrying out intrusive surveys.
zhlédnutí 415Před rokem
The benefits of carrying out intrusive surveys are significant as it allows the surveyor to provide a detailed assessment of the condition of the areas being inspected rather than a lot of possibly's and maybes. I accept that not everyone is confident when lifting carpets, moving furniture etc but the client will appreciate the extra effort.
How to use a moisture meter
zhlédnutí 5KPřed rokem
A lot of surveyors will own and use a moisture meter but it is very important that we use them wisely. On many occasions the surveyor will simply scan the base of the walls looking for rising damp and could potentially miss other damp related issues. I always scan the entire surface and it is surprising how many times that results in me identifying damp issues that would have otherwise been mis...
Wood boring weevil-the tell tale signs.
zhlédnutí 2,4KPřed rokem
The presence of wood boring weevil is often a sign of more significant and potentially damaging defects as this type of woodworm only infests timber with a high moisture content and is often associated with fungal decay. It is regularly found in sub-floor timbers where the sub-floor ventilation is inadequate and points the surveyor to the fact that measures need to be implemented to improve the...
Examples of 'Salt Banding'
zhlédnutí 3,7KPřed rokem
It is very common to find damp staining above the locations in which a retrofit damp proof course has been installed and this phenomenon is referred to as 'salt banding'. This video (sorry it is a bit longer than i anticipated) explains the cause of the damp staining.
Positive Input Ventilation (PIV)
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I suspect that we are going to come across PIV'S more often when carrying out surveys so I just wanted to share this for the benefit of the less experienced surveyors.
Surveyor beware.
zhlédnutí 763Před rokem
When checking suspended timber floors it is important that we check both the upper surfaces and the lower surfaces as there is often a huge difference between the moisture content of both. A failure to accurately record the moisture content means that we could potentially miss a significant cause for concern when advising our clients as well as leaving ourselves open to an allegation of neglige...
Chemical Attack
zhlédnutí 1,8KPřed rokem
I have lost count of the number of times that this phenomenon has been wrongly diagnosed as fungal decay and it is easy to see why. This short video should give the less experienced surveyors a better understanding of this issue should you come across it in the future.
Sub-floors inspections are one of the most rewarding elements of a timber survey.
zhlédnutí 656Před 2 lety
I have said it many times, as professional surveyors we owe a duty of care to our clients to carry out the best possible survey. A bit of elbow grease and an inquisitive mind results in our clients getting the much needed information to make informed decisions.
Moisture content of sub-floor timbers.
zhlédnutí 952Před 2 lety
Electronic moisture meters are extremely useful if used correctly. This is a tip for those who might be new to surveying. Enjoy
High moisture meter reading? Don't panic. Neil Marsden Snr
zhlédnutí 3,8KPřed 2 lety
Most surveyors will have a moisture meter in their tool kit but we must understand that the meter has limitations and just because it says wet on the meter we must consider the possibility of a false positive, especially when testing roof timbers as this video explains.
Deathwatch Beetle
zhlédnutí 10KPřed 2 lety
This week I had the rare opportunity to survey a building in which Deathwatch Beetle infestations were evident in several locations. I have only seen Deathwatch Beetle in the north east on 4 occasions and only one of those infestations was active. Deathwatch Beetle is relatively common down south but north of the Pennines it is relatively scarce.
wet rot or dry rot?
zhlédnutí 1,8KPřed 2 lety
It is sometimes difficult to be sure what type of fungal decay you are dealing with but this tip may be beneficial in assisting you with an accurate diagnosis.
Woodworm? A simple tip for the less experienced surveyors.
zhlédnutí 4,7KPřed 2 lety
I learned this as a young surveyor when being mentored by an excellent more experienced surveyor so I feel obliged to pass it on.
Damp chimney breast is nothing to get excited about.
zhlédnutí 14KPřed 2 lety
Damp chimney breast is nothing to get excited about.
External observations are very important
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External observations are very important
A torch and mirror can be invaluable when carrying out inspections.
zhlédnutí 1KPřed 2 lety
A torch and mirror can be invaluable when carrying out inspections.
Penetrating Damp- What do we recommend?
zhlédnutí 3,2KPřed 3 lety
Penetrating Damp- What do we recommend?
The plastering is atrocious I would not have paid for that
chimneys are wonky as , is that normal??
in my house the people finished the attic it has windows at each end and chimney is offset to one side and we stopped using chimney for heating with high efficiency direct vent heater so now wall that covers chimney is damp and getting black mold from moisture tried waterproofing chimney and we put the ventilated caps back on chimney to help ventilate inside I was thinking of putting waterproof foamboard and vapor barrier to room to keep room dry and mold free from chimney moisture hoping the moisture will evaporate out inside of chimney out through top caps. is there anything else i can do to get rid of moisture?
why the foil? is it to reduce internal damp or is it to reflect heat back into the property?
Thank you
That's only a problem as you're using a pinless meter, which are more prone to false readings, although in some situations they can detect moisture where a pin meter couldn't. Both pin and pinless meters require correct interpretation but from my experience, using the pins give more consistently accurate readings.
New to your channel, great stuff
Would of been really good to see where it was penetrating from on the outside too.
Normally there is a caulk line used around window frames to catch the expansion of the window frame.
Informative vid .. would you use a carbide test for damp at the lower level ? I know most moisture meter aren’t calibrated for masonry. Although I believe Tramex have one for different materials.
gypsum products draw moisture in on solid walls, your supposed to use lime only to help moisture be able to pass in and out, but who the hell in this day and age is going to pay that, i know the majority of my customers do not!! but back when i started learning i was just told to s&c could i ask what your process would be please, obviously after any external pointing needed correction
I thought rising damp only travels up around 1200mm?
That’s penetrating damp through the wall not rising
@@teddysuhrensghost263 I am aware.
@@teddysuhrensghost263 I watched the video.
Dabbing on 9” external wall always asking for trouble.
🙈
See this often enough Neil. Good vid.
Hi Neil. Just a quick thank you for the videos on your channel. They are all informative, fair and most of all knowledgeable. Having just purchased a property I’m finding them invaluable so thanks again.
Good video.
Having being able both a homeowner and now builder I blame both parties. Homeowner can educate them self about the type of building they live in . And for the builder , good training and knowledge is key. Also if we base our decision on price then don’t blame others for having made decisions based on price instead on what actually needs to remediate the issue.
What should they have done, or what is it you plan to do putting this right now?
Hi Richard, they should have addressed the defective external render then promoted rapid drying out before assessing what if any internal remedial work was necessary. Simply dry lining the internal was never going to solve the problem. 🤝
Pity you didn't show the external to see what the condition of the brickwork or is it render ?
The external elevation was rendered at the time of my original visit but the render was removed approximately 2 weeks ago. The render was in very poor condition.
Not surprised about the damp issues then, as a time served bricklayer for more than 50 years its really disheartening that basic knowledge how of how a building works is slowly going down the pan , love your videos and your extensive knowledge 👍👍
I thought the same but since then the replies answer the question.
I doubt you could get a better example of the point you’re trying to prove.
The penny will drop when people stop saying yes to a job. Sadly that's unlikely to happen anytime soon, so instead we have to ensure that professionals are well trained so that they can better advise clients.
even without penetrating damp why on earth would you dot and dab onto external walls
My thoughts exactly Liam. 🤔
Clueless trades ?, some people have strange ideas also
Nice video, thanks. How would this be resolved? Stopping the moisture and more air in to the affected areas?
Pro tip delivered in a pro manner, thanks
hang on .. youre saying there is visible evidence of water ingress from above roofline and you're saying 'ignore it, it will likely evaporate and not get as far as the ceiling or wall of first floor bedroom' .. I think that's a bit 'hope and pray' if you don't mind me saying .. the water ingress you describe is 99% sure to be due to the ONLY thing that makes a seal against the weather ie. the lead soakers and step flashings checking the leadwork costs nothing and re-doing them if they've been poorly installed or perished or missing etc is the ONLY way to sort the issue (and it shouldn't cost a great deal)
it's a good idea to hot limewash the beams as well, it helps prevent further rot.
Which material is it made from? I'm trying to imagine them mass producing sheets of this as plastic in the 1930s and it just doesn't make sense to me.
Is was made of a light cardboard and had metal strips stapled horizontally across it to maintain its zig zag corrugations and then the whole lot was coated in boiling tar to water proof it. It was pretty stiff material and supplied in rolls. In the late 1970s I lined a whole basement room with it. The ‘Newtonite’ was attached by drilling through it into the wall at roughly 20cm intervals, plastic Rawlplugs were inserted and I used heavy duty galvanised nails with a large penny washer under the head to hold it in place. A 20 cm wide band against the wall provided an effective damp proof barrier at the gaps between the rolls as they were put up. We used daps of plaster adhesive to attach plasterboard to it and never had any further damp issues.
This is very informative, I’ve spent over £500 on exterior remedies and it doesn’t make any difference, my problem is it has after several years now started to show on the bedroom chimney brest so not sure on my options now other than the £2100 quoted to remove the chimney stack or to use something I’ve heard of called storm dry in the summer🤷♂️🤷♂️
Hi, hope you are well. Love the video and finding them very educational. Are you based in London?
How can rising damp start half way up a wall😂
I have same in my property which we just bought but its not running, it would be nice to know how can we switch on this?
Just inspected a property which has used this product as the damp proof membrane. Specification for the property dates from February 1963. The property is in Winchester, Hampshire.
Hi Neil refreshing to hear such down to earth but skillful opinions on such a matter. I have a mid terraced victorian house built in the 1860s and someone had boarded up the fireplace before I bought the house. Not long after I moved in I noticed patches appearing arround the chimney breast, and some on the adjacent outside front wall not long after I painted. Had lots of people giving their opinions which always seemed to conflict. One builder suggested putting airvents in the chimney breast by drilling holes through and putting plastic airvents on but I do not know how thick the sides are. After watching and listening to your video and seeing how you view such matters I wondered if you had any ideas about my issue please? Sorry to be so forward, keep up your good and informative work Neil, so refreshing. Kind Regards. Henry Brannigan.
See Skillbuilder video , he has a very good information on chimney damp , Dryrods etc
I think what would help this situation is to 'Seal' the brickwork on the chimney stack above the roofline. There are several good brick seals that you paint on. Often two coats ensure a good seal. Water should then, technically, run off the brickwork and down the roof rather than soak into the stack and down into the loft and sometimes down the breast into the house below. Certainly worth a try if you suspect this is the cause of damp on your chimney breast.
i tried that in my house it still soaks in through the masonry chimney is no longer used so it does not get dried out by heat.
@@ranger178 OK. Well i did it on my chimney and it worked a charm. Stopped soaking through immediately. Two coats on the flaunching and on the brickwork above the roof. Brush it on up and down for 1st coat then side to side for 2nd coat.
My bungalow has these rain marks running down both ends of my chimney and salt marks in my loft but I do have damp coming through the ceiling. It doesn’t drip, just shows up on the ceiling as damp. I’m so worried about being ripped off by a tradesman. Any ideas so I know what to expect one to say? My partner is going to check the chimney stacks on the roof when the weather is better. Flashing, cracked mortar or absorbing bricks is all we know could be the problem.
with all due respect . . . keep the microphone closer to your mouth . . . some of your descriptions were lost as if your head turned away from the microphone . . . other than that, interesting perspective video . . .
Will do, thank you. 🤝
Nice to hear the final advice about creating and managing expectations - Older properties were designed/constructed with different expectations of living conditions. Back in the day there was no mechanical ventilation, and central heating was a fire in the living room/kitchen, and jack frost visited on cold winters nights, and all too adequate ventilation (draughts) were the norm! Now it's shirt sleeves, electricity, plastic vapour barriers and mechanical ventilation everywhere. Give it another 50 years ;-)
Can no one else see liam gallagher or just me ??
Found with many "experts" that I always need a big job done rather than a simple fix. They would rather be turned down 10 times and only do 1 big job every couple of weeks instead of lots of small honest jobs. Then somebody trust worthy comes along and tells you the facts. It's done in an hour, they get paid and everybody is happy. Basically, they would rather pull down your house and rebuild it to fix a small crack in the wall
Y 👁 man
Hi Neil. I'd be interested in your thoughts of redoing the torching of slate tiles and any modern way, say with mastic etc. Cheers
I have a similar problem. The water is dripping from above where the rafters are leaving the rafters closed to the wall damp when it rains. Any idea what the cause is? I’m concerned about the water damage to the rafters as well as mould.
I have a similar issue during heavy rain and have been working out how to fix it, water is coming down the chimney and i have replaced flashing ect. I guess, maybe i dont need to.
I've had the same problem with a damp and stained wall and ceiling around the chimney breast. A roofer re-did the lead flashing, and applied a coat of Thompsons brick sealer. Everything was fine for about 3 years, then this winter following the relentless rainfall the damp returned worse than before. Following research I found that Thompsons brick sealer only protects brickwork for 1-3 years at most. I believe the problem is porous brickwork and the inferior brickwork product has broken down. So, scaffolding has gone back up, the leadwork all looks fine, and I'm going to apply 2 heavy coats of Climashield Masonry Protection Cream or StormDry Masonry Protection Cream. These products are supposed to protect brickwork for up to 25 years. They aren't cheap but they do work well ! I've used Climashield before on an external wall and you can see the rainwater just bead and run off the wall during heavy rainfall, it never soaks into the brick or mortar lines.
The problem with this old chimney is that there is no lead tray built in to stop the damp passing down through the chimney from external to internal : The roof space is part of the internal part of the chimney stack and there fore it is not normal for water ingress to occur : so water penetration is either coming in down the face of the chimney stack due to a fault with the lead flashing are in some cases the felt but water penetration that comes down the inside of the chimney stack always is the result of damaged pointing of brickwork or the chimney cap or condensation in the flue liners but a lot of times in my experience it is because there is no lead tray to stop damp passing down through the chimney
Paint the exterior will Storm Dry. That would solve the penetrating rain.
Wish you surveyed my bungalow. Had rot. Rainwater flooding the subfloor. Roof had sagged , broken drains. Not picked up by surveyor. Complained to ombudsman and RICS. Daid didn't meet criteria!! Wtf...
Hi Neil, nice to meet you in your training on 23rd Nov. I have subscribed your channel. Very informative. Thank you! Peter
Hi, which company would you recommend in Scotland to do wall ties? I live in Edinburgh and looking for a reliable contractor.
What's, causing the damp in the corner?
Yes mines south West and same damp patches in solid wall. No sign of any water oevetration though. Render outer.