Why Engage A Independent Surveyor?

Valuation Reports obtained by a mortgage lender may be obtained from an "in-house" staff valuer, an associated firm of valuers or a corporate organisation.

However Tombleson Associates is an Independent Firm of Specialist Surveyors serving Dorset, New Forest, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, West Sussex and East Sussex.

We act exclusively on your behalf providing a totally impartial report tailored to your specific needs. The details and advice given will allow you to reach a decision, uninfluenced by external considerations and conflicts of interest.

Some Points to Consider:
1. Is the Surveyor going to acting for you exclusively?
2. Do you wish to choose your own Surveyor?
3. Are you confident that your Surveyor is not influenced by external influences?

An Independent Surveyor will:
1. Agree the cost in advance.
2. Agree a timetable.
3. Discuss the contents of the report with you after the inspection.
4. Take into account alterations you may be contemplating & tailor report to your needs.

Please
Contact Us Today for a True Independent Property Survey - We Always Offer the Initial Consultation Without Obligation or Cost.

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Rising Damp – Does It Actually Exist?

If it exists at all, “Rising” damp describes the upward movement of moisture through building materials by capillary action: in masonry this will seldom achieve a rise exceeding a centimetre or two. Impermeable reservoirs at the base of walls (attributable to non-porous paint for example) may occur by the natural levelling of a water table. Horizontal “bridging”, gravity or condensation are the main causes of dampness in walls.

Expert surveyors at Tombleson Associates examine buildings in Dorset, Hampshire, Sussex and the Isle of Wight; we are often shocked at the misdiagnosis of dampness and the incorrect interpretation of visual evidence or moisture meter readings. We are constantly witness to the expensive and unnecessary destruction of old plaster in houses.

This month (and just in time) at a house in the New Forest we intervened in the proposed re-plastering work and traced the source of moisture to a tiny leak at the roof verge.

Unfortunately the phenomenon of “rising damp” has become endemic – propagated by surveyors in mortgage valuation reports and also in inappropriate remedial works by “specialist” damp treatment contractors obsessed with
rising dampness. Most often the removal of rubble “bridges” in wall cavities, together with improvement in ground drainage and exterior ground levels will be the answer: if not, anti-condensation actions, and improved propensity for evaporation will solve the problem. Set a test! ...... does the surveyor know without hesitation, whether the damp meter is calibrated for wood or masonry and when the calibration was last re-set? Keep your money in your pocket unit you are absolutely sure of the correct advice!

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Spiders Are Our Friends!

As these words are written ‘Specialist’ timber treatment firms are hard at work spraying toxic chemicals to treat woodworm in houses across the Southern Counties. Not long ago more than £100,000 was spent on such work at one building on the Isle of Wight! From Lime Regis to Lymington and in every direction beyond it is time for re-thinking woodworm control mechanisms, follow this link to read more

Fully effective treatment may be impossible without causing more damage than the beetles themselves. Spraying toxins into floor voids may cause more harm to household pets than the beetle colonies and will certainly destroy the biggest woodworm predator – the spider. Under floors and in lofts etc., webs are good! Test your surveyor: does he/she know that woodworm can’t thrive with central heating in well insulated buildings? Does your Homebuyer Valuation or Building Survey admit that Death Watch Beetles have probably been in your cottage for centuries and will continue long after you have gone! More than anything, spiders will speed the decline of a beetle population in a well maintained building: by all means keep their webs out of your habitable rooms, but don’t harm them in hidden voids and lofts.

Surface spray treatments are generally ineffective in the long term, so don’t let them happen! Instead, reduce dampness in timber by providing better ventilation and reducing condensation and isolating timber from dampness.

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