Damp, rot and damaged plaster: how we put it right

Damp, damaged plaster and timber decay tend to arrive together. Moisture gets into a wall, the plaster blows and salts through, and any timber in contact with that wall starts to soften. Treating one and ignoring the others is why so many properties end up having the same room repaired twice.

The starting point is always the cause. A survey confirms whether you are dealing with rising damp, penetrating damp through defective pointing or render, a plumbing leak, or condensation. Our damp survey reports set that out in writing along with a fixed price, and where the answer is a simple external repair we will tell you that instead of quoting for treatment.

Where a new damp proof course is needed, it is installed with an injected cream system and, where the wall calls for it, a tanking membrane. That work is covered on our damp proofing page. If the damp is coming through the wall rather than up it, the fix is often masonry repair and repointing rather than a damp proof course, and we will price that on its own merits.

Timber problems are handled next. Wet rot and dry rot both need the moisture source removing first, then decayed timber cutting out and replacing with treated stock. Insect attack in floors and roof timbers is dealt with under woodworm treatment. In cavity properties we also look for cracked or bulging brickwork, which can point to corroding ties and is covered under wall tie replacement.

Where the problem is black mould on cold surfaces rather than moisture in the structure, the answer is ventilation and insulation rather than damp proofing. That is set out on our mould removal and condensation control page, and it is the correct route for a large share of the cases we are called to.

Finishing is part of the job, not an afterthought. Once the structure is dry and sound, walls are boarded and replastered to a salt resistant specification through our plastering and dry lining service, ready for you to decorate. Larger schemes run as a full property refurbishment so one team sees the work through from survey to handover.

Every job is carried out by our own team, priced in writing before work starts, and backed by a guarantee issued in the property owner's name. We are CHAS Elite accredited and a Triton approved contractor, and the detail is on our accreditations and guarantees page.

We work across North Shields, North Tyneside, Newcastle, Northumberland and the wider North East. Check your location on our areas we cover page, or see what customers say on our reviews page.