Damp problems affect many thousands of UK properties each year. For the many homes and properties affected by damp, more often than not, unless some form of remedial damp control or treatment is applied these damp issues tend to gradually get worse over time.
As the trade body for the industry, PCA members have the necessary skills needed to diagnose, report on and repair buildings affected by various sources of dampness in order to restore your home to a safe and dry condition.
The type of damp control and treatment you require is dependant on the cause of your damp problem. Damp is usually the result of one of the three following problems:
Known to be the most common cause of damp problems in the UK, if condensation is allowed to build up, then over time you may begin to notice persistent damp stains, degradation of finish and potentially decay to timber elements in the property alongside the appearance of black mould.
there are a variety of reasons condensation may be causing you damp problems, but generally speaking most condensation issues are caused by a lack of ventilation in the property. If you would like to read about some simple fixes you can enact around the home to counter condensation you might want to read our page on condensation for homeowners, however for more serious problems our property care surveyors may suggest installing professional ventilation solutions.
Visit our condensation page >>
Penetrating damp, or rain water ingress, is used to describe damp that is coming through the building. Penetrating damp is normally the result of faults in brickwork, roof tiles or window frames.
Controlling penetrating damp issues necessitates fixing the fault within the building that is allowing the water to penetrate. More often than not, there may be restoration work required to make sure the building is returned to its natural, dry state.
Perhaps the most commonly known of damp problems, rising damp is the name given to the process of external ground water being drawn up through brickwork by what is known as capillary action.
Rising damp control or treatment can take different forms. In new build properties a damp proof course is usually installed to prevent rising damp, while in older properties chemical injection is a common approach.
Learn more about rising damp >>
At the PCA, we pride ourselves on raising and maintaining the standards of the industry. Using a Property Care Association (PCA) approved damp control specialist helps to remove the stress and strain of inviting a contractor into your home by ensuring that every organisation that carries our logo can be trusted to resolve damp problems efficiently and effectively regardless of whether they are caused by condensation, penetrating damp or rising damp.
In addition to this, customers using PCA approved damp control contractors benefit from the peace of mind of knowing that our members can offer an exclusive ‘PCA Promise’ guarantee meaning that should that company go out of business before the work is completed, then another PCA contractor will complete the work to the original specification at no extra cost to the customer.
Homeowners – Damp Info Find a PCA Qualified Damp Expert More about the PCAThe PCA is the trade body for the damp control industry and the foremost authority in providing damp control training. Our training courses for surveyors and technicians are open to members and non-members alike and regularly updated to keep abreast of all developments in damp control.
Property professionals may also be interested in our certificated damp control continuing professional development (CPD) courses. We also deliver courses for Local Authorities, Housing Associations, Wildlife Trusts and other organisations who can benefit from understanding property care issues in greater depth.
To find out more visit the pages below:
Damp Surveyor Training Damp CPD Seminars PCA Member BenefitsTo help you resolve your damp problems we have created a register of PCA qualified damp control specialists who have demonstrated the skills, experience and capabilities to be considered one of the leading damp control providers in the country. Complete the form below to find your nearest PCA certified damp control contractor and get started resolving your damp problems.
If you are looking to break into the industry or learn more about damp control, get in touch to find out more about our industry leading training and apprenticeship programs and how you can benefit from becoming a PCA member.
