Rising Damp – the inevitable rise of moisture through masonry.

Our houses are built from stone or brick, usually bonded in cement or lime mortar.  These materials soak up water, whether from the exposed surface when it rains or from the ground, after all, they are embedded in the soil. Rain is sporadic and interspersed with sunshine and wind, so the effects of rainwater penetration […]

Lascar Data Pad review for damp diagnosis junkies.

Condensation problems are growing, as are mould issues and complaints.  Those of us involved in damp diagnosis sometimes use data logging equipment to measure humidity and temperature in and outside houses, to help build a picture of why condensation and mould is happening. I use Lascar data loggers and have just bought Lascar’s latest offering; […]

Leeds woodworm infestation is really just Bark Borer–see?

Woodworm is a generic term and can mean any insect that leaves holes in wood. However, it is usually applied to the Common Furniture Beetle Anobium punctatum, which can cause serious structural damage.  I’ve mentioned before that other species are commonly misdiagnoses as ‘woodworm’, sometimes with unnecessary anxiety and even wasted treatment costs. Last week […]

Part 1 of a review of Caoimhin Connell’s presentation to the Property Care Association

November 15th 2011 and I was down at Huntingdon racecourse for the long awaited presentation by Caoimhin Connell. Caoimhin is an experienced and eminent occupational hygienist from the US and was a guest of the Property Care Association.  He came over to talk to us about moulds because many of us openly admitted that we […]

Certificated Surveyor In Remedial Treatments (CSRT); A chartered surveyor’s view.

  George Dunnett’s experience with the CSRT Course run by the PCA   About the author. I am a Chartered Surveyor working in North London and currently undertake residential mortgage valuations and Homebuyer Surveys. Early in the year I decided to study for the Certified Surveyor in Remedial Treatment qualification (CSRT), run by the Property […]

Copyright © 2010 Preservation Expert. Legal Stuff: All the advice and information in the posts on my blog is made in good faith and is based on my experience and knowledge at the time of writing. However, nobody is infallible and whilst I’m confident that most of what I write about preservation issues is accurate, there’s a good chance there’ll be an error or two somewhere. I do change my mind about stuff, as I gain more experience. In view of this you must make your own decisions on whether to follow any advice I write and think about this; I could be wrong. No responsibility will be accepted by the author for any losses anyone may suffer as a result of any mistake or for the consequence of any action you take as a result of reading this blog. If you do suffer a loss, resulting from anything I’ve written, a verbal heartfelt apology will be your only compensation.