A few months back I wrote about my experience when a ‘door to door’ salesman came knocking to let me know I was applicable for a grant to install cavity wall insulation in my home.

As much as the above was more ‘pushy door-to-door sales‘, this week a scam has been brought to our attention offering a “FREE survey to find out if your loft insulation is causing damp issues.”

Opportunists reflect badly on the retrofit & damp industry

We have encountered these opportunistic, vulture-like companies before and unfortunately, they continue to be a nuisance. Not only do they reflect badly on the retrofit industry but also on anyone involved in damp diagnostics.

Let’s be clear before we move on…

Now let’s be clear…whilst we have concerns about inappropriate or poorly installed retrofit insulation, it is highly unlikely that most conventional, mineral-wool style insulation solutions will cause damp issues. The only way that this type of insulation is likely to result in damp problems is if it is restricting airflow into the loft void, or if there are discontinuities in the insulation. In most instances, these problems can easily be corrected by the homeowner.

The other possible way this insulation may cause dampness would be that it reduced air exchange to a point where high humidity was an issue. To establish this, a proper diagnostic survey would be required and unfortunately, I think it’s highly unlikely you will get this as part of your ‘Free Survey’!

A noticeable increase in ‘Doorstep Traders’

The same article also eludes to an increase in ‘Doorstep Traders’. Personally, I’ve seen an increase in this too.

Perhaps it’s because we have all been forced to spend more time at home, but maybe with unprecedented levels of people working from home throughout the pandemic, these ‘doorstep traders’ are seeing this as an opportunity? With many people suffering from a lack of social interaction, maybe they are seizing the opportunity and preying on people?!

Let’s be honest…in reality, any reputable company is highly unlikely to take this approach. If someone unexpectedly comes knocking at your door, ‘always err on the side of caution’. Our advice is to always do your research and make sure you use reputable contractors and where possible, take referrals from people you know.

Trade Association & industry standards

Trade Associations like the PCA can provide peace of mind to consumers. Like many trade associations, we require members to undergo a vetting process prior to joining and continuously monitor them to ensure on-going compliance. Members of trade associations are also often required to sign up to and adhere to a Code of Practice and minimum standards that must be met in the course of delivering their services.

We pride ourselves in promoting the highest standards of best practice and those that do not uphold these standards will be removed from membership.

Don’t fall for the damp scam!

I suppose what we are trying to say is, if you have someone knocking on your door offering to do a ‘FREE SURVEY’ to look at damp problems in your loft…DON’T DO IT!  The word ‘FREE’ will most likely not be ‘free’ for long.  Moreover, what type of contractor are you REALLY letting in?!?  Do they ACTUALLY know anything about dampness?!?

The bottom line…if you suspect you have damp, do your research first and contact a professional reputable company who can demonstrate their competence in the field and their proven track record of dealing with damp problems. As we said earlier, reputable companies are highly unlikely to take this ‘door-to-door’ approach…

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