Areas we cover
Gloucestershire & the Forest of Dean
The practice is based at Berry Hill, Coleford, so the Forest of Dean is home ground. Forest stone cottages, former miners' housing and Victorian terraces make up much of the stock, and they behave very differently from modern cavity-walled housing.
Local coverage
Towns and villages covered
Instructions are regularly taken in Coleford, Cinderford, Lydney, Newnham and the surrounding parishes. The full list of towns and villages for this area is being finalised.
If the property you are buying is not listed, call 07967 328055 and say where it is — you will get a straight answer about coverage and travel.
Local building stock
What we survey here
- Forest stone cottages, often rubble-filled and solid-walled
- Former miners' housing and small Victorian terraces
- Later cement renders and impermeable finishes on old walls
- Ground stability questions where historic mine workings are near
Damp in solid stone walls
The most common cause of misdiagnosed damp in the Forest is a permeable stone wall finished with cement render or modern paint, so moisture that once evaporated is trapped. A Level 3 report distinguishes that from rising damp and from a failed detail, because the repairs are entirely different in cost.
Historic mine workings
Parts of the Forest sit above former coal and iron workings. Where movement or ground stability is a question, the report says what the evidence supports and what specialist enquiry is worth making, rather than guessing.
Other areas covered
Surveying in Gloucestershire & the Forest of Dean
Describe the property and you will get an honest recommendation on survey level, a fixed fee and the earliest available date.