Damp surveys in Lincoln

Why diagnosis matters more in Lincoln than most cities

Few English cities pack as much variety into one postcode area. Within a couple of miles you can stand in a medieval limestone house on the Bail, a Georgian townhouse on Steep Hill, a Victorian terrace beside the Sincil Dyke, an interwar semi in St Giles and a new build on the city's edge. Each construction moves moisture differently, and a treatment that suits one can actively damage another.

The city's geology sharpens the point. Uphill, walls stand on free-draining Jurassic limestone. Downhill, the ground is low-lying river land beside the Witham, kept dry by drainage rather than by nature. A survey that ignores which half of Lincoln the house is in starts with a coin flip.

What the survey covers

• The visible symptoms: staining, salts, mould, decay, blistering finishes and where each appears
• Moisture profiling up and across affected walls, not single spot readings
• External inspection: ground levels, pointing, render, rainwater goods, flashings and damp course line
• Sub-floor checks where there are suspended timber floors, including ventilation paths
• Ventilation and heating patterns, the drivers of condensation
• Salt analysis or deeper moisture testing where surface evidence is ambiguous

You receive a written report stating the cause, the recommended remedy and an itemised quote for any work the specialist can carry out. If the honest answer is that you need a plumber, a roofer or simply better ventilation habits, the report says so.

Listed buildings and conservation areas

Much of uphill Lincoln, including the Cathedral quarter and Bailgate, lies within a conservation area, and the city has a large stock of listed buildings. Remedial work on these properties needs materials and methods that respect the original construction, typically lime-based mortars and plasters and breathable finishes, and some works need consent before they start. The survey flags where this applies so nothing is done that a conservation officer would ask to be undone.

What it costs

Survey pricing depends on the size and age of the property, and the specialist will confirm it when you book. Where the survey leads to treatment work, ask about the survey fee being offset against the job. There is no charge for being introduced through this site.