Independent RICS Home Surveys & Forensic Building Inspections Across London

Description: An advanced aerial building pathology inspection utilising ultra-high-definition 4K drone cameras to examine external roof slopes, chimney flashings, parapet walls, valley gutters and elevated rainwater assemblies. The unmanned aerial survey delivers photographic and video evidence detailing visible external defects, weathering, missing coverings and masonry degradation in locations unreachable from ground level.

Value: Supplies clear, documented photographic and video evidence of elevated envelope failures without the substantial expense, time delays, or logistical disruption of scaffolding and specialist access towers. It allows surveyors to isolate external building defects responsible for penetrating damp, providing uncompromised evidence for pre-purchase price negotiations, leaseholder disputes, or long-term planned maintenance.

This service can be beneficial when:

• Multi-storey elevations, high parapets, or concealed valleys prevent safe inspection from street level.
• Internal moisture mapping detects active water ingress across upper ceilings or chimney breasts.
• Rainwater goods, box gutters, or flashing details are suspected of failing and discharging moisture into brickwork.
• Homebuyers or conveyancing solicitors need an impartial assessment of high-level fabric condition prior to exchange.
• Unbiased pictorial proof is required to cross-examine contractor estimates or structural repair proposals.

Surface swab or lift samples are submitted to an accredited laboratory for advanced qPCR DNA analysis.

Diagnostic Value: Accurately identifies exact mould species, measures contamination concentrations and detects hidden fungal growth inside cupboards or behind dry lining. Delivers impartial scientific evidence to guide safe environmental remediation.

Description: Deploys a calibrated air-sampling pump to draw measured air volumes through specialised filter cassettes, capturing suspended fungal spores within internal living environments. Where beneficial for baseline comparison, parallel outdoor control air samples are collected simultaneously. The cassettes are submitted to an independent testing laboratory to establish total airborne spore concentrations and identify specific fungal types where sample analysis permits.

Value: Surface swabbing only determines whether mould DNA exists on a chosen contact patch. By contrast, volumetric air pump testing directly screens the circulating atmosphere that occupants breathe. This provides essential diagnostic evidence when investigating suspected airborne spore proliferation in spaces where high moisture is present but visible fungal growth has not yet broken through onto decorated surfaces.

This service can be beneficial when:

• Unseen fungal contamination is suspected within hidden cavities, sub-floors, or behind wall linings.
• Occupants report persistent, unresolvable musty odours or ongoing indoor air quality concerns.
• Assessing living spaces affected by recurrent condensation, inadequate airflow, or elevated humidity.
• Prospective property buyers or letting agents require documented baseline air quality data before completing transactions.
• Independent scientific verification is needed following plumbing leaks, flooding, or recent remedial works.

Note: Air pump sampling records active airborne spore concentrations present under the environmental conditions at the time of testing. All laboratory counts are interpreted alongside building moisture profiles, thermal patterns and mechanical extraction rates. We operate solely as an independent diagnostic surveying practice; we do not sell ventilation systems or carry out remedial treatments.

Small plaster samples are carefully taken from affected walls and submitted to an independent laboratory for salt analysis. The laboratory tests for the presence and precise concentration of hygroscopic salts, including nitrates and chlorides.

Diagnostic Value: Soluble ground salts are drawn up through masonry during rising damp and remain in plaster permanently. Salt analysis scientifically differentiates true rising damp from condensation or historic leak contamination.

Note: Plaster sampling requires minor material removal and is our only add-on involving minor invasive work.

Comprehensive environmental air quality and gas screening tailored to specific property concerns.

Screening Suite Includes: IAQ air quality assessment, Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC/VOC), Formaldehyde (HCHO), Particulate Matter (PM1.0, PM2.5, PM10), Sewer Gases (H2S, NH3, CH4), Combustion Gases (CO, O2) and ventilation performance.

Diagnostic Value: Air quality issues are often linked to damp, leaks and mould, but they cannot always be identified by a visual inspection alone. This testing helps detect hidden airborne contaminants, gases, chemical vapours and fine particles that may affect the property’s condition and indoor environment. It can also help identify problems such as poor ventilation, sewer gas ingress, off-gassing from building materials, combustion-related gases, or airborne particles following water damage, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the property’s condition.

It is also useful where a property has persistent unpleasant or unexplained odours. The testing can help investigate foul smells caused by damp, water damage, stagnant water, drains, sewer gases or chemical vapours, allowing the source of the odour to be identified more accurately.

Testing includes:

• Indoor Air Quality Testing- IAQ
• Volatile Organic Compound Testing- TVOC / VOC
• Formaldehyde Testing- HCHO
• Fine Particulate Matter Testing- PM1.0 / PM2.5 / PM10
• Dust and Smoke Particle Testing- PM1.0 / PM2.5 / PM10
• Sewer Gas Testing- H2S / NH3 / CH4
• Gas Leak Screening- CH4 / C3H8
• Carbon Monoxide Testing- CO
• Hydrogen Sulfide Testing- H2S
• Ammonia Odour
• Testing- NH3
  Oxygen Level Testing- O2
• Ventilation / Stale Air Assessment- IAQ / TVOC
• Drain Smell Investigation- H₂S / NH3 / CH4
• Chemical Odour Investigation- TVOC / VOC / HCHO / NH3
• Post-Leak Air and Surface
• Condition Assessment- PM2.5 / TVOC
• Combustion Gas Safety Screening- CO / O2 / CH4
• Building Material Off-Gassing Assessment- TVOC / HCHO
• Airborne Pollutant Screening- PM1.0 / PM2.5 / PM10 / TVOC

Description: A specialised environmental diagnostic service designed to detect and verify biological residues and organic contamination across residential and commercial buildings. Depending on the nature of the suspected contamination, samples are extracted using sterile surface swabs, targeted material recovery, or specialised analytical techniques before submission to an accredited laboratory for evaluation.

Value: Delivers forensic laboratory confirmation of biological matter and organic residues that remain completely undetectable through visual surveys alone. Independent scientific testing provides uncompromised evidence regarding bodily fluids, waste ingress, bacterial proliferation and animal contamination, ensuring property managers, prospective purchasers and legal advisers obtain an impartial diagnosis of internal sanitary conditions.

Testing categories can include:

• Human bodily fluids: Blood and suspected blood residues; urine and urine residues; semen and suspected semen residues; saliva and saliva residues; and other suspected bodily fluids (subject to laboratory capability).
• Human waste and associated contamination: Faecal matter and suspected faecal residues; biological residues associated with human waste; and laboratory indicators of faecal contamination where test protocols exist.
• Animal waste and biological residues: Droppings and faecal matter from pests or domestic animals; urine residues; animal bodily fluid residues (subject to laboratory capability); and biological matter linked to animal activity within sub-floors and roof spaces.
• Bacterial contamination: General bacterial presence; specific bacterial indicators associated with sewage or greywater ingress; and targeted bacterial organisms where laboratory testing is available.
• Other biological and organic residues: Suspected organic deposits on masonry, timber, or floor coverings; residues resulting from human or animal occupation; and mixed biological matter that cannot be verified by eye.

This service can be beneficial when:

• A property has experienced soil pipe breaches, drainage overflows, or escape of blackwater.
• Pervasive, foul, or unexplained organic odours persist despite cleaning efforts.
• Sub-floor voids or roof spaces exhibit suspected rodent, avian, or pet contamination.
• Certified sanitary evidence is required following tenant eviction, long-term property neglect, or trauma incidents.
• Objective laboratory verification is needed to determine decontamination requirements before purchase or lease.

Note: The exact sampling method is determined by the suspected material, the substrate investigated and the required depth of laboratory analysis. As an independent surveying company, all findings are fully objective and completely free from any financial connection to cleaning or restoration contractors.