Property services
Damp and timber specialists in Edinburgh and the Lothians
Rising and penetrating damp, condensation, rot and woodworm.
Damp work divides into three genuinely different problems: penetrating damp from a building fault, condensation from moisture and poor ventilation, and rising damp, which is far rarer than the industry's marketing suggests. Rot and woodworm are timber consequences of the first two.
The commercial risk is obvious — most damp surveys are free because the surveyor sells the treatment. A free survey is a sales visit. For anything expensive, pay for an independent report from a chartered building surveyor or an independent damp consultant instead.
When Edinburgh owners call damp and timber specialists
- A Home Report has recorded high moisture-meter readings and recommended specialist inspection.
- There is black mould in a corner, behind furniture or on a north-facing gable.
- Skirtings are soft, or you have found frass and flight holes in timber.
- A ground-floor or basement flat smells musty regardless of the season.
Local context: Edinburgh and the Lothians
In Edinburgh, the overwhelming majority of internal damp in stone tenements is penetrating: a blocked gutter, a failed flashing, an eroded mortar joint or a cracked rainwater pipe pushing water through 600mm of sandstone. Fixing the source costs less than injecting a chemical course and actually works.
The second most common cause is condensation in flats with sealed windows, no extract fan and a drying rack in the hall. Ventilation, heating pattern and insulation all matter, and the honest specialist will say so before quoting for anything.
What this work typically costs
Published ranges are market context gathered from local jobs, not a quotation. We do not price work, arrange it or take a cut of it — always get your own written quotes.
| Job | Typical range | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Independent damp report (paid, no treatment sold) | £300-£650 | The most useful money you can spend before any treatment quote. |
| Rot treatment, localised | £600-£2,000 | Cutting out affected timber is the real cost; treatment chemicals are minor. |
| Woodworm treatment, one flat | £500-£1,500 | Confirm the infestation is active before paying for spraying. |
| Chemical damp-proof course injection, one wall | £800-£2,500 | Rarely the right answer in a stone tenement; get a second opinion first. |
| Positive input ventilation unit | £600-£1,200 | Effective for whole-flat condensation where loft or hall space allows. |
Tenements and common repairs
If the water is coming through a common gutter, roof, gable or downpipe, the repair is a shared responsibility even though the damage shows in your flat. Treating the inside of your wall while the common defect continues is money spent twice.
Photograph the external defect, get it written into the specialist's report, and use that report to put a repair proposal to the other owners or the factor. It converts an argument into a document.
What to check before you instruct
- PCA membership where claimed
- A written diagnosis before any treatment quote
- Guarantee terms and who stands behind them
- Pay for the diagnosis
- Separate the person diagnosing from the person selling the cure wherever the treatment is expensive.
- PCA membership where claimed
- Property Care Association membership can be checked on their website and brings a complaints route.
- Written diagnosis before a quote
- The report should identify the source of moisture, not just record readings.
- Guarantee backing
- A 20-year guarantee is only worth the insurance behind it. Ask who underwrites it if the firm ceases trading.
We publish factual detail supplied by each business. We do not rate, rank, endorse or guarantee anyone listed, and no business pays for placement. Checking registration, insurance and references is always your decision.
Questions to ask before you instruct
- What exactly is the source of the water, and how did you establish that?
- Have you ruled out gutters, flashings and pointing before recommending treatment?
- Is the guarantee insurance-backed and transferable to a buyer?
- Will the treatment work if the external defect is not repaired?
- Is the woodworm active, and what evidence shows that?
- Can you provide the report in a form my neighbours and factor will accept?
Businesses listed
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Lothian Property is a property information and professional-introduction service operated by Maybury Scotland Limited. Lothian Property is not an estate agency. Where requested, we may connect homeowners with independent estate agents and other property professionals. How we work.
Read our guide on damp and timber specialists
Damp and timber specialists: common questions
- How do damp and timber specialists tell rising damp from condensation?
- A competent specialist uses moisture meter readings, salt analysis and an inspection of the external fabric rather than a meter reading alone. In stone tenements the usual causes are failed rainwater goods, bridged or raised external ground levels, defective pointing and condensation — each with a different remedy.
- Should a damp diagnosis come from the same firm that does the treatment?
- You are entitled to a written diagnosis before a treatment quote, and many owners commission an independent damp and timber survey from a surveyor with no interest in the remedial contract.
- How long is a damp-proofing guarantee valid and who honours it?
- Guarantees commonly run 10, 20 or 30 years, but only have value if backed by an insurance-backed guarantee provider rather than the contractor alone. Ask who pays if the firm ceases trading.