Damp Specialists in Derby, Derbyshire

Weather Wise Solutions Limited are damp, mould and condensation specialists based in Newcastle-under-Lyme, and we survey and treat homes across Derby and the surrounding DE postcode area. If you've got a damp patch that keeps coming back, black mould in a bedroom or a floor that smells musty, we'll find out why and tell you in plain words. Our damp surveys are free.

Why Derby homes get damp

Derby grew quickly in the 19th century around its mills and, later, the railway works, and you can still read that history in its streets. Close to the centre there are long runs of Victorian and Edwardian terraces. Further out, the city spread in the 1920s and 1930s with bay-fronted semis, then with large council estates after the war and newer private estates since. The River Derwent runs right through the middle. Each of these kinds of home tends to get damp for a different reason, so we look at the house in front of us rather than assuming.

Victorian and Edwardian terraces

Older terraced houses are usually built with solid brick walls, with no cavity to stop rain soaking through to the plaster. The damp we see in them most often is low down on the wall: a damp proof course that has failed or been bridged by a raised path, render or a flower bed, or old plaster loaded with salts that pulls moisture from the air. Rear outriggers and later kitchen extensions add another weak spot where the roofs and walls meet. Suspended timber floors are common too, and if the air bricks have been blocked the space underneath stays damp and the joist ends can start to rot.

1930s semis and post-war homes

Most homes from the 1930s onwards have cavity walls. Real rising damp is less common in them, but condensation and black mould are very common, particularly once the house has new windows, a new boiler and draught-proofing and the moisture from cooking, washing and drying clothes has nowhere to go. Some have had cavity wall insulation added later. If it has got wet, or something bridges the cavity, the inside of the wall can show damp patches that look like a leak. We check the wall from both sides before saying what's causing it.

Near the river

Most homes near the Derwent never have a ground water problem. Where a house sits low, has a cellar or has had the ground outside built up over the years, we look at drainage, ground levels and the condition of any cellar walls as part of the survey.

Damp problems we treat in Derby

• Rising damp: moisture coming up from the ground into the base of a wall. We confirm it with readings and by checking the outside before recommending a treatment. More on rising damp.
• Penetrating damp: rain getting in through brickwork, pointing, a chimney, a window reveal or a leaking gutter. More on penetrating damp.
• Condensation and mould: everyday moisture settling on cold walls, window frames and corners. More on condensation and mould.
• Timber decay: wet rot, dry rot and woodworm in floors, joists and skirting, usually where damp has been left too long. See wet rot and dry rot.
• Damp cellars: water coming through below-ground walls. See cellar and basement waterproofing.

How we put it right

The cause decides the fix. Rising damp may need a new damp proof course and the right plaster afterwards, and every damp proof course we fit comes with a 20-year insurance-backed guarantee. Rain getting in is stopped on the outside, with repointing, gutter repairs or sealing the junction that's letting water through. Condensation is cut by reducing moisture and improving ventilation, which can include a positive input ventilation unit. For cellars we use a tanking system to stop the damp, followed by a suitable plaster; we're a fully approved Remmers installer, so our tanking is covered by a Remmers manufacturer guarantee.

Before any of that, a bridging problem such as plaster run down behind the skirting can be enough on its own. We wrote about that in bridging plaster and rising damp in Derby homes.

Your survey

We'll ask where the damp shows, when it's worst and what's changed in the house recently. Then we take moisture readings inside and look at the outside: walls, pointing, gutters, ground levels, air bricks and ventilation. You'll get a straight explanation on the day and a written quote if work is needed. If the real problem is a leak or a roofing job, we'll say so.

Most of our surveys are free. The paid ones are the Home Buyer Quote at £349, the Full Damp & Timber Report at £449 and the Ventilation Inspection & Report at £349. For a rented home we arrange the visit with the landlord or their letting agent.

Our surveyors

Our surveying team includes professionals holding the Certified Surveyor of Timber & Dampness in Buildings (CSTDB) qualification alongside the Level 3 Award DMCB and the City & Guilds-recognised FODCS qualification. Read more on our qualified surveyors page. We're members of the Damp Proofing Association, the Federation of Damp and Trust a Trader, and we're CHAS accredited and Google Guaranteed.

Areas we cover around Derby

We survey homes right across Derby, including Allestree, Mickleover, Littleover, Chaddesden, Spondon, Alvaston and Normanton, and further out in Belper, Duffield, Ripley and Ashbourne. Over the county boundary we cover Burton upon Trent and Uttoxeter. Elsewhere in the county see Chesterfield, Buxton and Glossop, or our Derbyshire page.

Questions Derby homeowners ask

Do you cover Derby from Newcastle-under-Lyme?

Yes. Derbyshire is one of the areas we cover, and the survey is free.

Is the damp at the bottom of my wall rising damp?

It might be, but in older terraces a bridged damp proof course, a raised path outside or salty old plaster often looks exactly the same. We check the outside before deciding.

Why does the mould come back every winter?

Cleaning takes the mould off but leaves the moisture that feeds it. While the air stays damp and the wall stays cold, it grows back in the same places.

I'm buying a house in Derby and the survey mentions damp. What should I do?

Our Home Buyer Quote is an on-site damp and moisture inspection with a quote for any work needed. It costs £349, and that fee comes off the cost of the work if you go ahead with us.

How do I book?

Call 01782 901101 or use our contact page.

Book a free damp survey in Derby

If damp, mould or condensation is causing trouble in your Derby home, call Weather Wise Solutions on 01782 901101 or get in touch through our contact page, and we'll find out why it's happening.