"ATICS" Ltd. Home Page
Services We Offer - Who Uses Us? - The
Company
We are independent surveyors, and we check
buildings for:
ATICS offers a consultancy service to professionals and home owners who have identified a potential problem of fungal decay (wet and dry rots) or insect attack in building timbers. On the basis of particularly thorough and detailed surveys, the company's consultants are able to make accurate diagnoses of the nature and cause of problems and to give specific advice on remedial treatment which almost always leads to substantial savings in overall treatment costs.
The importance of accurate diagnosis is demonstrated by research which shows that dry rot is misdiagnosed with surprising frequency, leading to unnecessary and expensive repairs; and both dry rot and woodworm are commonly treated with chemicals when the attack is no longer active. Difficulties such as these can be avoided by employing a specialist consultant.
In addition, ATICS` adoption of a conservative approach in treatment specification can significantly reduce the amount and cost of treatment without any compromise in effectiveness and will avoid inappropriate removal of original timber and plaster.
As a specialist, the company's consultant routinely prepares expert opinions for use in litigation.
For the Householder, Prospective Purchaser, owner of
Commercial Property,Councils, Project Managers, etc.
ATICS will carry out a thorough inspection of the timbers of the property together with those other factors (such as the state of rainwater goods, roofing, subfloor ventilation, etc) which have a direct bearing upon the maintenance of sound timbers within the structure. Our consultant will raise floorboards in all rooms sufficient to examine all joists, especially where these abut external walls or in his opinion require further examination for any other reason. Where this is found to be impracticable, for example where floor tiles are present, this fact will be detailed in the report with a further recommendation. Our consultant will look for evidence of the commonly occurring timber pests detailed below, report on the location and extent (if any), and recommend further action where it is considered necessary.
The causative factor(s) of decay will be described together with the remedial action which must be taken to prevent recurrence or continuation of attack.
This information will be submitted to the client in the form of a typewritten report, together with a quotation where applicable.
Our consultant will be carrying out an inspection to the best of his ability. It should be borne in mind by the client that some timbers which may be infested cannot properly be inspected, for example:
The area where plaster covers the underside of a staircase; where roof spars are felted or covered by plaster when forming the sloping ceiling of a loft room; the reverse sides of joinery timbers; where the presence of roof insulation inhibits full inspection; in a very shallow pitched roof and a flat roof; built-in wall plates showing no external evidence of damp or damage; etc.
Our report will detail these limitations in the scope of the inspection.
For the Chartered Surveyor, Architect, Designer, Engineer and all professional clients
ATICS Ltd in addition to the above services can advise through independent
consultants on any timber problem. For example, advice can be
given to:
For the Estate Agent
A fixed price quotation or a clean bill of health on a property will move a sale faster and give clients the satisfaction of a speedy, safe deal. This will be reflected in referral rates to the practice.
The Company
Since its foundation in 1978, 'ATICS' has established a high reputation for the quality of its timber infestation consultancy services. The company has surveyed buildings of almost every age and size for clients ranging from individual householders to corporate bodies; commissions have included large historic structures such as Hampton Court Palace and Smithfield Market as well as more modest commercial and domestic buildings.
ATICS is strongly committed to the conservative repair and treatment of timbers in historic buildings and has pioneered new treatment techniques for the control of dry rot which minimise destruction of the original fabric of the building.
Guarantees Offered by Competitors