Module 5 · Conducting a Damp Inspection
5.7 Documenting Findings & Evidence
7 min read
Everything in this module produces information, and information not captured properly is information lost. The gap between the visit and the write-up is where surveys go wrong — details blur, photographs become unidentifiable, and a specific measurement becomes "about half a metre". This lesson is about closing that gap.
Learning objectives
By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
- Capture observations, readings and photographs in a structured way on site.
- Photograph so images remain interpretable months later.
- Record limitations and uninspected areas as you go.
- Build an evidence set that supports the report without needing your memory.
Key terms
- Evidence set
- The complete record — observations, measurements, photographs, conditions and limitations.
- Provenance
- Knowing where each piece of evidence came from: which room, which wall, which height, when.
- Contemporaneous note
- A record made at the time. Carries far more weight than one written up afterwards.
- Chain of evidence
- The traceable line from observation, through measurement and context, to stated probable cause.
Free — enrol to continue
Read the rest of Conducting a Damp Inspection
Module 1 is open to everyone. The remaining six modules — building science, each damp mechanism in depth, meters and thermal imaging, the full inspection method, and report writing — are free too. We just ask for an email so you can pick up where you left off, and so we can send your certificate when you finish.