• Dampness what it is, where is comes from how it enters and moves through building fabrics 
• The significance and implications of climate change, sustainability, resilience, energy efficiency
• Rainwater penetration - roofs, rainwater systems, renders, facades and cracks
• Water from the ground - rising dampness, free water, lateral penetration and hydrostatic pressure
• Atmospheric moisture - origin of the water, relative humidity, dew point, mould, condensation, vapour pressure, ventilation, air exchange, heating and thermal coherence (convection, conduction, radiation, cold bridging and thermal bypass)
• Flooding/ release of water
• Building vulnerability and modes of failure in traditional, non-traditional modern, modular and non-standard forms of buildings
• Implications of retrofit, adaption and alteration
• Permeability, porosity, capillarity, drainage, wetting and drying
• Salt, freeze thaw, moisture movement, erosion, product compatibility, overhydration and underhydration
• Timber decay - what is wood, why timber denatures, fungal decay and insect attack
• Investigating dampness in buildings, monitoring, testing and inspection techniques
• Protecting buildings from dampness and timber decay and recovering buildings that have been damaged as a result on moisture imbalance and water ingress. 

Half day field based- Practical session investigation of dampness in buildings, the importance of a systematic approach to moisture investigations.
Classroom- following the trail evidence, understanding and discharging liability. Understand and interpret professional ethics, regulation, standards, codes and guidance. Building a report, telling the story, understanding and discharging duties of care. 

This day focusing on how a preservation surveyor or those responsible for the formulation of repair, recovery of remediation strategies will select specify and execute treatments where a buildings is found to be affected by-

• Rainwater ingress - prevention, accommodation, drying and recovery 
• Rising and penetrating dampness  - DPC, DPM, isolation, replastering and drainage
• Salt contamination - isolation and removal
• Atmospheric moisture control - ventilation, insulation, moisture production and heating
• Mould and condensation
• Flood recovery, principles, and practice to include flood drying, cleaning, product selection and introducing resilience
• Timber decay, dry rot and wet rots, understanding the significance of "non-commercial" fungi
• Timber destroying insects, common furniture beetle, death watch beetle, powder post beetle, wood boring weevil, house longhorn beetle and others. 

Benefits of our surveyor training

• As the trade body and leading voice in the industry, the PCA’s surveyor training is widely recognised as being of the highest standard available.
• Feel confident in your skills and knowledge in surveying dampness, timber infestation and decay in buildings. 
• Great foundation study for those going on to sit the CSTDB/CSDB exams.

Flexible learning for prospective surveyors

You are free to choose whether you would like to attend each training module consecutively over three days, or we can arrange for you to attend the sessions separately over a more suitable time frame for your convenience.

Achieve your surveyor qualification

Attending this training alone does not entitle an attendee to say they have attained a PCA qualification. See separate information about attaining the formal qualification via the CSDB/CSTDB examination page.

The Health & Safety training elements that used to be covered in Day 3 are now delivered via the new PCA Health & Safety e-learning module. It is strongly recommended that delegates complete this e-learning as part of their study, and especially if they are planning to sit the CSDB/CSTDB examination.

Thinking you might prefer the NEW Online training?

Similar to our traditional classroom training, our NEW online surveyor training option has been developed to enhance the knowledge and skills of existing timber and dampness surveyors, or individuals working towards becoming a surveyor within the preservation sector.

To find out more about our online training version, click on the button below or call and chat with our training team.

More about our ONLINE Training >>