Module 7 · Proportionate Remediation
7.6 Proving the Fix Worked
8 min read
Damp work is unusual in that the outcome is not visible on completion. A re-plastered wall looks perfect the day it is finished whether or not it will still be dry in a year, and both the good repair and the bad one are indistinguishable at handover. That makes verification more than good practice — it is the only way anybody, including you, finds out whether the diagnosis was right.
Learning objectives
By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
- Design a verification stage into the specification from the start.
- Set targets that can be measured and defended.
- Interpret verification results, including partial success.
- Use verification as the feedback that improves your own diagnosis.
Key terms
- Verification point
- A recorded location, depth and method that can be re-measured after works to compare against the baseline.
- Baseline
- The pre-works measurements at the verification points. Without it there is nothing to compare against and no verification is possible.
- Target
- The value at which the works are considered successful, derived from the material's air-dry EMC in the finished conditions, or from a control.
- Verification period
- The elapsed time and conditions over which drying is assessed. Must span a heating season for anything driven by seasonal wetting.
Part of the paid course
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