Pre School and Day Nursery

Dampness and Condensation

Problems

If you need help and advise with regard to condensation problems within your business, be it a pre school or a day nursery or a school, we are more than happy to help.

The following article is based upon a real life scenario, where we helped the pre school and day nursery reduce their liability for being sued with regard to mould growth, dampness and condensation and so reduce the potential for falls where floors are damp.

If you would like help on this, or if you would like a structural survey please free phone 0800 298 5424 for a friendly chat.

A well established pre-school and day nursery has recently contacted us with regard to dampness in their property. Having seen the type of work that we have been carrying out and having had many builders have a go at sorting out the problem over the years, and having been sold various products that they are not happy with that didn't resolve the dampness problems and they decided the only way forward before they get sued for allergies relating to mould growth, etc, is to ask us to carry out an appraisal of the property , formerly known as a building survey, more correctly known as building pathology.

Sources of Moisture

Our initial research has been to look at the different sources of moisture in the property and the considerable amount of moisture being created by the children and teachers, not forgetting associated activities, such as drying of clothes, washing of children and cleaning throughout the property, with additional items such as rising damp (dampness coming through to ground level), lateral dampness (dampness coming through the walls and the roof) and cold bridging causing condensation (where sections of the property are colder than other sections) and interstitial condensation (where condensation is causing problems within the structure).

Problem solving practical solutions

We have had discussions with the owner of the pre-school and day nursery and we have had discussions with the manager of the pre-school and day nursery to understand how the business is managed. We also looked at what we would term as a timeline, which is an historic reflection on developments at the property; be this alterations and amendments in the physical form to the buildings such as new double glazing, damp proof courses and the use of de-humidifiers, to the education of the staff about condensation and asking them to open windows to air the property and the practicalities of this during the winter months when they obviously don't want the children to get cold.

We also interviewed a member of staff to see how they view the situation.

Achievable and sustainable results

All building problems can always be solved by throwing a lot of money at them, it is the resolving of the problems, using the right solutions that is the most difficult aspect. In this case, for example, a full air conditioning system would resolve the problem but it would be:

•  very costly

•  require constant maintenance from specialists, and

•  be expensive to install in an older property, such as this, that has been amended from a large house.

Even in a purpose built structure it is hard to add such things as these.

Avoiding being sued in a litigious society

We looked at the main concerns and the main factors driving our instruction to carry out work and the owner advised it was her concern that whilst they couldn't see any mould growth they certainly could see condensation and there may be a claim against them from one of the mothers/clients.

The owner of the pre-school and day nursery couldn't see it but we could

We identified mould both between the suspended ceiling tiles and the original ceiling and also within the roof void.

An eye to the future with solutions and common sense

We would also consider whether there are green solutions, such as solar voltaic panels, rainwater or grey water recycling. More commonly, the solution is the addition of insulation.

Independent Surveyors Association

If you truly do want an independent expert opinion from a chartered building surveyor, who specialises in building problems, we are more than happy to come and look at the dampness problems in your house. Please free phone 0800 298 5424 and a chartered building surveyor will call you back.

Independent Chartered Surveyors

For independent expert opinion from a chartered surveyor with regard to valuations, mortgages, mortgage companies, estate agents, surveys, building surveys, structural reports, engineers reports, specific defects report, structural surveys, home buyers reports or any other property matters please free phone 0800 298 5424 for a friendly chat with a chartered surveyor call back.

Independent Commercial Property Surveyors

If you have a commercial property, be it leasehold or freehold, then you may wish to look at our Dilapidations Website at www.DilapsHelp.com and for Disputes go to our Disputes Help site www.DisputesHelp.com .

We hope you found the article of use and if you have any experiences that you feel should be added to this article that would benefit others, or you feel that some of the information that we have put is wrong then please do not hesitate to contact us (we are only human).

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