Independent damp surveys in Cardigan, Ceredigion.

Cardigan has a particularly varied building stock, from historic town properties and traditional masonry buildings to Victorian housing, converted premises and later residential development.

Dampness in older buildings cannot reliably be diagnosed from a moisture meter reading alone. Wall construction, external exposure, rainwater disposal, ground levels, ventilation, previous alterations and the materials used during historic repairs all need to be considered together.

Our surveys focus on establishing the likely moisture mechanism and the factors contributing to it before remedial works are recommended.

Cardigan has Medieval origins and later developed as an important maritime town. Its historic centre contains a substantial stock of Georgian and Victorian buildings alongside earlier traditional properties and later development.

Older properties may incorporate solid masonry walls, traditional lime mortars, suspended timber floors and slate roof coverings. Subsequent refurbishment can introduce cementitious renders, dense plasters, modern floor construction or insulation that behaves very differently from the original fabric.

The town's position alongside the River Teifi and its estuary also makes external exposure and weathering important considerations. Pointing, render, roof coverings, chimneys, openings, rainwater goods and external ground conditions are therefore assessed where relevant.

Where moisture is identified, we consider the age, construction and condition of the building together with previous alterations before reaching a professional opinion on likely cause and appropriate remedial action.