Water damage restoration and drying in Sussex, Surrey & London
Finding the leak stops the water. It does not dry the building. Plaster, screed, joists, insulation and the void under a floor can hold moisture for weeks after the pipe has been repaired, and a property that looks dry on the surface will keep smelling musty, blowing plaster and growing mould until that water is actually taken out of the structure.
This is a separate stage from detection, and we charge for it separately. Once the leak is located and repaired we will tell you whether the building needs drying at all — often it does not, and we will say so. Where it does, you get a scope and a price before any equipment goes in, along with the moisture readings the decision was based on.
Drying after an escape of water is normally covered by buildings insurance, and the report we produce for the detection is written to the standard loss adjusters work to. That means the same evidence that proves the leak also supports the claim for putting it right.
Our approach
How we find water damage restoration and drying leaks
These are the methods we would normally work through on this kind of job, in this order, stopping as soon as the evidence agrees on one point.
- 1
Moisture mapping and salts analysis
Damp on its own does not tell you where water came from. Rising ground moisture leaves nitrate and chloride salts behind; a burst pipe does not. Testing the salt content of a plaster sample separates a plumbing leak from rising damp or condensation, which is often the difference between a valid insurance claim and a rejected one.
- 2
Thermal imaging camera survey
Water moving where it should not changes the temperature of everything it touches. A thermal camera renders those differences as an image, so a leak under a solid floor shows up as a shape long before it shows up as a stain. It is completely passive: nothing is drilled, lifted or cut to take the reading.
- 3
Borescope inspection
When every non-invasive method points at the same spot, a borescope gives visual confirmation before anything is properly opened up. The access hole is small enough to fill and touch in with a dab of filler, which is why we always try it before lifting a floor or cutting a ceiling.
What happens
Trace, access, repair, prove
The same four stages on every job, whether it is a weeping joint or a mains supply pipe under a driveway.
- 1
Trace
Non-invasive survey of the whole affected area. We rule systems out as well as in, because knowing what is not leaking is half the evidence.
- 2
Access
One opening, in the right place, as small as the job allows. Usually a borescope hole first, and a larger opening only if the repair needs it.
- 3
Repair
The fault fixed on the same visit wherever it can be, guaranteed for 12 months. Anything larger is quoted at a fixed price before we start.
- 4
Prove
The circuit re-pressurised and held, moisture readings taken again, and the whole job written up with dated photographs and calibrated readings.
Pricing
Published rates, no call-out fee
Charged by the half hour with a half an hour minimum, and no premium for an emergency. All prices exclude VAT at 20%.
- Weekdays7am – 6pm, Monday to Friday£54.00+ VAT
- Evenings & weekends6pm – 9pm weekdays, plus all day Saturday and Sunday£69.75+ VAT
- Late night9pm – 7am, every day£90.00+ VAT
Questions
Water damage restoration and drying: your questions
Is drying included in the price of the leak detection?
No. Detection, and any repair done on the same visit, are charged by the half hour as set out on our pricing page. Drying and restoration are a separate piece of work with their own quote, given to you once the leak is fixed and we can measure how far the water has travelled.
How do I know if my property actually needs drying?
We take moisture readings in the affected area and compare them against an unaffected part of the same construction. If the readings come back to normal on their own within a few days, you do not need us. We would far rather tell you that than sell you equipment you do not need.
How long does structural drying take?
A wet plasterboard ceiling is often a few days. Saturated screed with underfloor heating in it can be several weeks, because the moisture has to travel back up through the slab. We monitor with meters rather than guessing, and you get the readings.
Will my insurance pay for it?
Escape of water claims routinely cover drying and reinstatement, and this is the part of the claim that is usually worth far more than the detection. Our trace and access report documents what leaked and how it was proved, which is what the insurer needs before they will authorise the rest.
Do you replace flooring and redecorate as well?
We make good the access we created, strip out material that cannot be saved, and dry the structure. Full reinstatement to a decorative finish, such as re-screeding, re-tiling and redecorating, is quoted separately and is normally recoverable under the same claim.
Related services
- Leak repairFind and fix in one visit wherever possible, with the repair pressure tested and proved before we leave.
- Damp and mould surveysEstablishing whether you have a leak, rising damp, penetrating damp or condensation, because the fix for each is completely different.
- Trace and access reports for insurance claimsThe evidence pack your insurer needs: what leaked, where, how it was proved, and what it will cost to put right.
Water damage restoration and drying near you
We cover 74 towns, cities and boroughs across Sussex, Surrey and London.
Sussex
Need water damage restoration and drying?
Call 01273 936 030 for free advice, or book a survey online. No call-out fee, and we will tell you honestly if you do not need us.