Damp treatment scam: how to avoid it and pay a fair price

A damp treatment scam is more common than you might think. Faced with damp walls, some homeowners are offered work costing several thousand euros, sometimes without any real diagnosis. Yet an effective solution often costs far less. Here is how to spot abusive practices and treat your damp at a fair price.

The most common abusive practices

The damp market attracts serious professionals, but also unscrupulous sellers. Some methods come up again and again and should put you on your guard.

• doorstep selling, with an unsolicited visit that leads to a huge quote;
• a diagnosis presented as free, whose cost is actually built back into the final price;
• oversized work, with no link to the real cause of the damp;
• pressure to sign quickly, with a discount valid only on the same day;
• vague guarantees that are hard to enforce once the job is finished.

Why some quotes reach astronomical sums

On the very same damp wall, the bill can vary tenfold depending on the company. Generalised injection, drainage, tanking, a complete redo of the renders and travel charged at a premium all end up inflating the total. On top of this, several layers of middlemen sometimes add their own margins. The customer then mainly pays for a sales chain, not just the treatment of their damp.

How to avoid a damp treatment scam

To avoid a damp treatment scam, a few simple habits are often enough to make all the difference.

• always ask for several detailed quotes and compare the items line by line;
• have the real cause checked, because a leak or infiltration is not treated like rising damp;
• be wary of a paid diagnosis presented as compulsory before any advice at all;
• refuse to sign on the spot and give yourself time to think it over;
• favour non invasive solutions, which are lighter and less expensive.

Treating damp at a fair price, without heavy work

Not all damp calls for a major building site. On a clearly identified case of rising damp, an anti damp device supports the drying of the wall with no drilling and no chemicals. At Humidistop, the ATE and ATG polarity inverters are sold at the direct factory price, with no middlemen. We do not charge for any home diagnosis: you send us a few photos and we point you to the right model.

These devices are made in France, guaranteed for 10 years and tested by the Emitech and Nexio laboratories. An improvement is generally seen between 18 and 24 months, provided the installation recommendations are followed. The aim is simple: an honest solution, at a clear price, far from over the top quotes.

Frequently asked questions

Is a paid damp diagnosis compulsory?

No. A first opinion can be given from photos and a precise description of the symptoms. A paid diagnosis can be useful in complex cases, but it should never be imposed as a mandatory step before any advice at all.

How do you recognise a serious company?

It explains the cause before proposing a solution, provides a clear and detailed quote, puts no pressure on you to sign and welcomes comparison. If someone talks price before even understanding where the damp comes from, be careful.

Pay for a result, not for a scam

If you fear falling victim to a damp treatment scam, take the time to understand the cause and to compare your options. Discover the ATE and ATG devices in our online shop and treat your walls at a fair price, with no heavy building work and no middlemen.