How do I prepare my home for your visit?

FLOOR COVERINGS, FURNITURE AND ALL PERSONAL EFFECTS

The works specified by their very nature create a considerable amount of dust and disruption. It is the client's responsibility to have all floor coverings, carpets and underlay lifted and removed from the areas to be treated.  Furniture and personal effects must also be removed from the areas to be treated. No allowance is made in our initial estimate for the clearance of any items from the working environment.

We are unable to accept any responsibility for damage to client’s personal effects, fixtures/fittings, floor coverings/carpets and other sensitive items, which remain in the working environment.

If it is not possible to remove floor coverings, freestanding furniture and personal items completely, these items should be covered by the client with suitable protection. In order to enable our operatives to carry out the works, a minimum 2 metre clear access is required in front of all walls to be treated. However, for tanking work floor coverings must be removed completely to allow the tanking membrane to be sealed. Please carry out FULL PROTECTION of any laminate, timber, tiled or other flooring to be left in situ to rooms and walkways where remedial works are to be undertaken or materials transported to and from work area prior to any remedial works.

Fine plaster dust will remain suspended in the air even after our operatives have completed their works and will continue to settle, requiring removal by the client or others. We suggest that client's own dustsheets remain in place until all dust has settled.

WALL FIXED OBSTRUCTIONS – WHERE APPLICABLE

Our estimates typically do not include the temporary removal and subsequent re-fixing/reinstatement of any wall fixed obstructions including:

• all types of radiators and radiator brackets, including standard or hospital type radiators, radiators with thermostatic valves, electric storage heaters, Servowarm radiators. Valve heads must also be removed from any thermostatic radiators and the system drained down
• service meters and boilers
• pictures, mirrors, wardrobes, cupboards, shelves, kitchen/sink units, sanitary fittings and fixed/installed gas or electrical appliances
• electrical fittings including plug sockets or switches, telephone sockets or any TV or media cables/sockets.
• Where tanking (lateral damp penetration treatment) is required to walls fitted with coving/cornice, the item will require removal by others prior to treatment. Repairs to damage caused to the ceiling whilst removing the item are outside of the Company’s quotation. Where we gain instruction for the Company to remove coving or such items, no liability will be accepted for any damage caused or replacement of the item/s removed nor will responsibility be accepted for wall or ceiling areas damaged as a result of their removal.

SKIRTING BOARDS

Skirting boards will be removed by our operatives at the client’s own risk. Due to the nature of dampness in structural walls it may not be possible, in some circumstances, for the client or others to re-fix the original skirting boards as these may break on removal or may be affected by timber rot. Broken/defective skirting boards will be cleared from site.

We recommend that original or new skirting boards are not replaced/re-fixed until the treated wall has dried out completely. When refitting skirting boards, to prevent any moisture tracking from the floor, the gap between the floor and the plaster must not be in-filled. If skirting boards have to be refitted prior to complete drying out we recommend that as a precaution the back of the skirting board is painted with gloss paint to prevent any residual moisture from passing from the treated wall into the timber.  The replacement/refitting of the skirting boards is not included in our contract.

PROTECTING FLOORS

Any floor coverings, including sanded or varnished floor boards, must be protected by the client. The Company takes no responsibility for any damage caused in any way including by contact of materials used to carryout works in any area. Whilst we take every effort to minimize the debris caused by the removal of plaster and render from walls treated and the subsequent re-rendering and plastering, some splashing of materials is likely. Our operatives will cover direct areas with dust sheets. Should an area (particularly freshly sanded floor boards) be required to be left entirely clean, then the client should make arrangements for a suitable floor covering to be laid throughout the room being treated and all other areas necessary for our operatives to gain access to the work area. We recommend that where necessary thick card board be laid and securely fastened to avoid this problem.

Please note that the mopping of a floor, where plaster dust is present, may lead to staining of the timbers/floor covering by wet plaster dust. We recommend that the area is thoroughly brushed and vacuum cleaned prior any wet cleaning.

HIDDEN PIPEWORK/ELECTRICAL CABLES

Our team should be notified of any hidden pipework or cabling prior to works.