Frequently asked questions

No. This website is an introduction service. When you enquire, your details are passed to one vetted independent damp proofing specialist who covers Lincoln, and they carry out any survey and work. We do not do the work ourselves, and you deal with the specialist directly from first contact onward. The full arrangement is set out on the how it works page.

It depends entirely on the cause. Clearing a blocked air brick or lowering a flower bed costs very little. Ventilation improvements for condensation typically run to hundreds of pounds. Replastering after genuine rising damp treatment, or tanking a cellar, runs to thousands.

This is why diagnosis comes first: the specialist provides a written itemised quote after inspecting, and there is no charge for the introduction.

Both. Rising damp is a real physical process, and on Lincoln's low-lying downhill streets near the Witham, where the water table sits close to the surface, it genuinely occurs. It is also widely over-diagnosed, because moisture meters read salts and surface moisture without revealing the cause.

Many suspected cases turn out to be bridged damp courses, condensation or leaks, all cheaper to fix. A proper survey distinguishes them before any treatment is sold.

Terraces in Sincil Bank and the West End stand on low river land that the Sincil Dyke was cut to drain, so ground moisture is always present. The usual culprits are a slate damp course over a century old that has been bridged by raised ground or render, blocked sub-floor air bricks stopping the void beneath the floor from drying, or condensation in rooms that have been draught-proofed without added ventilation.

An inspection tells you which applies to your house.

Condensation favours cold spots: window reveals, north-facing corners, behind wardrobes, and it peaks in winter with misted windows in the morning. Rising damp keeps to a low band on ground-floor walls, usually with salt marks. Penetrating damp appears as defined patches that darken after rain, at any height.

The patterns overlap in real houses, which is why a survey measures rather than guesses.

Usually, yes. Lincoln has a lot of cellared Victorian and older stock, and the choice is between cementitious tanking, which blocks moisture at the wall, and a cavity drain membrane with a sump pump, which collects water and removes it. Which is right depends on how much water arrives and what you want the space to do. Storage needs less than a habitable room. There is more detail on the cellar tanking page.

Any guarantee is issued by the specialist who carries out the work, not by this website, and its terms are theirs to set out in writing. Ask them what is covered, for how long, and whether an insurance-backed option is available.

We make no promises about the work on their behalf, and a guarantee is only ever as good as the diagnosis behind it.

Enquiries are passed on promptly, and the specialist aims to make contact within one working day. Damp is rarely an emergency, but if water is actively entering the property, say so in your enquiry so it can be prioritised, and deal with any active leak through a plumber or your insurer first.