Independent surveys damp, timber, wall ties & insulation - Aldred Ltd

Independent surveys damp, timber, wall ties & insulation - Aldred Ltd Aldred Ltd established 2004, fully qualified Property Care Association (PCA) independent surveys

27/03/2026

The following video where a contractor is reinstating lath and lime plaster ceilings to a heritage property illustrates how many traditional property ceilings are formed.

With existing aged plastered ceilings of this type they can over time become fragile, sag, crack and dramatically fall down. This being especially so where there are roof coverings / lofts / masonry directly above from which debris can fall down and with that comes weight of that debris upon the upper side of the plastered ceiling for which the plastered laths were never designed to carry such additional loads.

An issue often seen with re-roofing of properties where the associated debris of the work can unfortunately be seen inappropriately left upon the loft floor even hidden beneath loft insulation laid over it.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1CRSS6ss2F/?mibextid=wwXIfr

27/02/2026

Prior to plasterboard coming into common use traditional property timber stud walls and ceilings were plastered by a technique called lath and plaster, where timber battens typically 25-38mm wide and around 3-8mm thick are small nailed to the timber studs leaving gaps of around 5-6mm to which lime plaster mixed with horse hair is applied often in 3 coats - the first key coat as shown below, then a levelling coat and finally a finishing smooth coat - the system is however prone to cracking and failure with the ‘key’ coat failing and in a stud wall that lime plaster debris accumulating inside the base of the stud wall where it can cause a number of issues. In addition wood boring insect attack to the timber laths and studs can be difficult to address without rebuilding in pre-treated timber:

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1D79UtmzB4/?mibextid=wwXIfr

26/01/2026

For all the homeowners wondering what all that debris is on the loft floor of their traditional property it often related to what is known as ‘torching’ or ‘parging’ that over time has fallen away from the underside of the slate or tiles. Here is an interesting little video clip of it being carefully applied which I hope you enjoy:

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1GTjsZ1Cfn/?mibextid=wwXIfr

We certainly get to see some interesting buildings as we survey around the UK:
16/01/2026

We certainly get to see some interesting buildings as we survey around the UK:

What is a carbide meter test (sometimes referred to as a 'Speedy' test) for dampness within masonry that with the client...
14/12/2025

What is a carbide meter test (sometimes referred to as a 'Speedy' test) for dampness within masonry that with the client's / vendor's permission we often undertake?

In some cases plaster within a property may be damp on its room side surface say from excessive amounts of occupancy produced moisture in the air being absorbed by the plaster but one may appreciate that in such cases, the masonry behind that plaster may be acceptably dry.

The carbide meter / Speedy meter is a helpful test to see how damp that masonry is behind the surface plaster.

The downside to such a test is it is destructive to undertake requiring slow speed drilling using a masonry bit of around 16mm diameter through the decorative surface and plaster then into the masonry itself to collect the particles of that masonry. Background to the test is given as follows:

My father Ken Aldred worked at ICI, initially on a chemical plant, where calcium carbide was made by mixing lime and coke in a furnace. The purpose being to then bring that calcium carbide into contact with water and the vigorous chemical reaction of doing so produced acetylene gas on a commercial scale.

It is this chemical reaction of calcium carbide producing acetylene gas when brought into contact with any moisture within a masonry sample that is the basis of the 'carbide meter' which is in essence nothing more than a metal flask with a pressure gauge to measure the amount of resultant gas pressure inside it.

The speed of masonry drilling should be relatively slow so as to minimise heat produced by that action from localised drying of the sample material being collected.

The area under investigation is drilled with surface plaster discarded and the fine particles of masonry drillings caught in a test bowl that is then weighed on scales within the meter box to a pre-set balance. That measured amount of masonry material is then placed within the metal meter flask.

A measured amount of calcium carbide is placed in a detachable 'cup' end of the flask with the flask so shaped that the particles of masonry drillings and the calcium carbide in powder form are not brought together until the reassembled flask is gently shaken. Any resultant chemical reaction of the calcium carbide coming into contact with moisture that may or may not be within the sample masonry drillings activates the pressure gauge on the base of the flask from which readings are then photographed and logged for use within the report.

The meter is traditionally marketed under the name of 'Speedy' which it is sometimes referred to.

Just for fun the following online video links show the chemical reaction of calcium carbide and water being brought together and resultant flammable acetylene gas:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/RKTUU_tIOF4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovcYzWvyKVo

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/a0JhBOBPnlY

Calcium carbide lamps were used in days gone by where the user would light the acetylene gas produced from a regulated amount of water dripping onto calcium carbide crystals. My great uncle Frank Aldred was badly burnt when knocked off his motorbike in a road traffic accident the carbide meter lamp on his motorbike ignited the petrol from the ruptured tanks of the vehicles involved:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/xEVmSa8pUk0

Apologies for not posting anything new for a while as I have been extremely busy with surveys but here is something that...
06/11/2025

Apologies for not posting anything new for a while as I have been extremely busy with surveys but here is something that may be of interest and a reminder to be vigilant be that as a surveyor when walking around properties or homeowner:

In this case what might be easily mistaken for a harmless w**d in a lawn and likewise growing against the side of a house we recently inspected in Birkdale Southport, is actually a highly invasive plant that can amongst other things cause structural damage to foundations, below ground drains and readily grow up through ground floors in buildings - commonly referred to as 'Japanese arrow bamboo' or Metake bamboo with a Latin name of Pseudosasa japonica (not be confused with the highly publicised invasive Japanese Knotw**d). The arrow bamboo will grow rapidly with its rhizome (think of them as runners) extending horizontally within the soil to send up new shoots to further growth. It devalues properties and there are legal implications if allowed to spread to neighbouring properties see: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13516853/uk-bamboo-hell-invasive-plant-epidemic.html

Further to our previous post mentioning a large wasp nest in a loft - here is how you may see them commence and obviousl...
12/09/2025

Further to our previous post mentioning a large wasp nest in a loft - here is how you may see them commence and obviously prudent to remove them at this far more manageable stage if discovered.

A recent survey in Cumbria to a period property - I paused to consider which posed more risk, the large wasp nest in the...
13/08/2025

A recent survey in Cumbria to a period property - I paused to consider which posed more risk, the large wasp nest in the centre of the photo, or the ill advised spray foam insulation to the underside of the roof timbers................another item of note being the sagging / spreading of the roof putting the timber hangers that are supposed to be vertically straight in tension to support the loft floor / bedroom plastered ceilings below, going into compression and bending like a bow as a result of that roof sagging / spread........

Gravimetric moisture profile / laboratory analysis of wall for dampness & salt (chloride & nitrate) contamination for on...
23/07/2025

Gravimetric moisture profile / laboratory analysis of wall for dampness & salt (chloride & nitrate) contamination for one of our clients

Not the best advert for cavity wall insulation shown in the attached photos as the yellow coloured blown fibre material ...
02/07/2025

Not the best advert for cavity wall insulation shown in the attached photos as the yellow coloured blown fibre material obstructing the sub floor vents / air bricks that the building relies so heavily upon. Moisture content of suspended timber ground floor consequentially rose above to the the threshold of decay and rot to the floor timbers followed in addition to increased dampness to masonry exposed to that excessive amount of moisture laden air.

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