Damp diagnosis and treatment, done properly.

Yes. Bensleys has carried out contract work for council authorities, architects, surveyors, letting agents and managing agents across Brighton & Hove and Sussex for over 30 years, alongside domestic work for individual homeowners, on residential and commercial properties.

Damp proofing generally addresses moisture rising or penetrating through above-ground walls, most often with a chemical damp proof course, breathable render or improved ventilation. Waterproofing, or tanking, is used below ground on basements and cellars where the structure is in direct contact with wet soil and needs a membrane system to manage water pressure.

Wet rot tends to stay localised to timber with a persistent moisture source, and the wood often feels soft, dark and crumbly. Dry rot is more serious: it can spread through masonry as well as timber, often shows as orange-brown spore dust or cotton-wool-like strands, and needs prompt professional diagnosis because it can travel well beyond the visible outbreak.

Rising damp occurs when ground moisture travels up through a wall by capillary action, usually because the original damp proof course has failed, was never installed, or has been bridged by raised external ground levels or solid render. Sussex's older housing stock, particularly Victorian and Regency terraces, is especially prone to this.