Damp and structural leak detection for retail buildings

Signs you have one

• A tide mark on a wall that rises and falls with the weather
• Salts, blistering paint or lifting plaster low on a wall or in the basement
• Damp on a party wall with no plumbing on your side of it
• Water at the base of a basement wall or through the floor slab after rain
• Condensation and black mould behind fixtures, in corners and on cold external walls
• A stock room where cardboard goes soft and packaging smells musty
• Damp that returns after previous damp-proofing work
• Efflorescence, rust staining or cracking on external walls at ground level

What we do

1. Rule plumbing in or out

   Hot, cold and heating circuits are pressure tested, and the drains checked where the pattern suggests them, so the survey starts from a known position.

2. Map the moisture

   Readings across the walls and floor, at several heights, show where the water is concentrated and which way it is moving: up from the ground, in from outside, down from above or out of the air.

3. Read the building

   Thermal imaging shows cold bridges, wet insulation and hidden voids. A borescope through a small hole checks cavities, behind linings and under floors without stripping the shop.

4. Name the cause

   The report gives a diagnosis with the evidence: a located leak, a failed membrane or damp-proof course, ground water, penetrating rain or condensation, and the right next step for each.

Retail considerations

• Basements and stock

  Below-ground stock rooms are where retail damp does most harm. Knowing whether the water is coming through the wall or from a pipe decides whether the answer is a repair, a membrane or better storage.

• Party walls and neighbours

  In parades and centres, a damp party wall often has its cause in the next unit. A report that shows the pattern and clears your own plumbing is the basis for asking the neighbour or landlord to investigate their side.

• Listed and older buildings

  Solid-wall Georgian and Victorian shops need moisture readings interpreted with care, since the fabric is designed to breathe. We read the building as it was built rather than assuming modern construction.

Questions