Written by: Emma Rose, Communications Manager - Property Maintenance
When you get in touch to let us know that there’s a problem with damp, mould or condensation in your home you’ll be asked some questions by a member of our customer contact team, and they’ll ask you to send in some photos, if possible.
All the information you provide will be handed to our specialist damp and mould team, who will use it to help work out some possible causes of the problem, and how serious it is.
In the most serious cases a survey is completed and work started within seven days. Cases that are believed to be less serious will get a visit from a surveyor within 14 days, with work starting no more than a week after that. You’ll always be notified of the date for your surveyor appointment in advance.
Before a surveyor visits they will have read all the details from your report, and looked at the photographs.
On the day of your survey, please don’t do anything different to usual, like opening windows or putting the heating on if it’s not something you’d normally do at that time.
When the surveyor arrives they’ll ask to see the affected areas and they’ll take accurate temperature and humidity readings in the room.
If there’s an extractor fan they’ll measure how effectively it’s working to see if it needs servicing or replacing.
They will look at where the radiators are in the room to see if they are in the best position.
The surveyor may also ask to look in other rooms of the house to carry out the same checks. They won’t go into any rooms without your permission.
When they’ve finished inside they’ll go outside your home to look at the walls and roof, and see if there are any indications that the problem might be coming from outside, such as leaking guttering.
Before the surveyor leaves, they’ll talk to you about what they’ve found and about any work that they think needs to be done. This could include carrying out a mould wash, moving a radiator, installing new extractor fans, or even improving the insulation.
They’ll also offer advice on things you might be able to do to help, such as moving furniture away from walls, opening trickle vents in the windows, and using your heating more efficiently. They’ll give you a hygrometer (a device to measure humidity), and show you how to use it.
The appointment will usually take about 30 minutes. You’ll receive a copy of the survey within two working days, which will include all the surveyor’s recommendations. A Curo colleague will then be in touch with appointment dates for any agreed work.