Sometimes the right first step is not a treatment but a measurement — so you know what you are actually dealing with.
What all these cases share: there is a question before the work that treatment does not answer.
An inspection is not a universal first step, and we have no interest in selling one where it achieves nothing.
In simple cases the floor area and a description are enough — we say so and do not spend your money. If there is something in the description that suggests a hidden cause, we mention it, but the decision stays with you.
We look at the affected areas, where they are and what they look like.
We measure the relative humidity in the rooms and compare it with the norm.
We measure moisture in the walls and structures — that is what separates a leak from condensation.
We check behind furniture, under coverings and in other places where a problem can hide.
We check whether the duct is drawing — blocked ventilation is one of the most common causes.
We tell you the cause, the recommended treatment and what needs dealing with beyond it.
In a flat an inspection usually takes about an hour. On larger properties and in private houses it takes longer, because there are more structures to check: the basement, the roof space, the perimeter of the external walls.
An inspection involves two different measurements, and it is the comparison between them that usually answers the question about the cause.
This shows the overall state of the room. If it is persistently high, the cause is usually ventilation, heating or a source of moisture in the room — laundry drying indoors, cooking without extraction, a lot of houseplants. In winter, in a heated room, humidity is normally lower, and a high reading then points to a problem.
This shows whether the moisture is in the structure or only on it, and it is the most important distinction in the whole inspection.
Condensation settles on the surface: the material is dry at depth, and the moisture concentrates in the coldest places — the corners of external walls, behind furniture, around window reveals. A leak or rising damp makes the material wet right through its thickness, and the distribution of moisture follows the structure — a crack, a joint, a riser, the line of the foundations.
We also measure and record the surface temperature in the coldest places, because it is the temperature difference that determines where the moisture in the air will condense. In pre-war buildings with thick brick walls and in Soviet-era panel buildings with cold bridges at the joints these places are different, and that changes what we recommend doing.
We also check that the ventilation works — whether the duct is drawing. Taped-over grilles, an extractor hood fitted so that it blocks the duct, and new airtight windows without trickle vents are the three most common reasons moisture stays in a room. In renovated buildings and new builds this is a more common cause than a structural defect.
After the inspection we provide a written description setting out:
The description is a technical document about what was found, not a legal expert opinion. In practice it is usually enough for a conversation with an insurer, an owner, a tenant or a property manager, because it contains figures and locations rather than opinions.
If the conclusion is that no treatment is needed, we say that too. It happens more often than you might think — for example, when a patch in the bathroom turns out to be deposits rather than fungus, or when the cause of the damp is simply a blocked ventilation grille that can be cleared without help.
The season affects the result of an inspection more than people usually assume. In winter, during the heating season, the temperature difference between the room and the external wall is at its greatest and a condensation problem is at its most visible — so a winter reading on condensation is more conclusive. In summer the same wall can be completely dry, and the problem may not be found at all.
If the aim is to prove a leak in the structure, the best moment is after a long spell of rain. If condensation is what interests you, wait for cold weather.
A 54 m² flat in Purvciems, a dark patch of roughly 0.5 m² on the external wall in the corner of the bedroom, appearing every winter and disappearing in summer. The readings show indoor humidity above 70%, the wall material dry at depth, the surface temperature in the corner several degrees lower than in the middle of the wall, and the kitchen ventilation grille covered by an extractor hood duct.
The conclusion here is not "a defective building" but condensation: the answer is to restore the ventilation, move the furniture away from the external wall and only then treat the mould. Treating it without changing anything would mean the patch returned the following heating season.
Inspection with moisture measurement from €40. If we carry out a treatment after the inspection, this fee is credited against the total price of the work — in practice that means the inspection costs you nothing extra.
In a flat usually about an hour. Longer on bigger properties and in private houses, because the basement and roof space have to be checked as well.
It is a technical description of what was found, not a legal expert opinion. In practice it is often enough for a conversation with an insurer, an owner or a property manager.
Yes. A moisture reading shows what a visual look does not, especially if the rooms have been painted recently.
Describe the situation — we will tell you whether treatment is needed at all, and which one.
Fill in the form — we will call you on the number you provide, ask a few clarifying questions and propose a solution.
Thank you! We will contact you on the phone number you provided shortly.
