By far the largest number of complaints we get about fraudulent damp proofing are related to Peter Cox damp proofing. I have a collection of hundreds of Peter Cox 'damp surveys' - every one of which is exactly the same. During 2015 and 2016, we have seen a big increase in the number of Peter Cox damp proofing quotes. Every single one of them is fraudulent mis selling of damp proofing. Recently we have seen Peter Cox attempt to sell damp proofing in Grade 2 Listed Buildings - this is criminal damage.
They all contain the line 'The damp proof course has broken down'.
None of us have ever seen a damp course broken down - I don't know WHAT broken down damp courses are supposed to look like - considering they can be slate, or plastic sheeting, or lime mortar with a pozzalanic additive like coal dust, or blue brick or a variety of other things, I'm really not sure how you can claim it is 'broken down'. Slate certainly doesnt break down - I think the only thing that's broken down is the limited intelligence of the moron from Peter Cox damp proofing who is trying to defraud you.
They all have the same number of pages - dozens of them with glossy photos of 'damp' and a title page or two of impressive looking, but worthless logos and associations. They quote their qualifications - CSRT and CSSW - meaningless rubbish that is 'awarded' after a day learning how to sell damp proofing at the Property Care Association - of which they proudly claim to be a founder member.
Every single case that we investigate is pure, unadulterated fraud. In not one case has the 'damp course broken down'. In most cases, the house has already had several injected damp courses, and several coats of tanking slurry - often from Peter Cox damp proofing. We document them, and collect them - and in some cases our clients take legal action to recover their wasted money.
We are seeing an alarming number of cases - many from the North East of the country - and often from houses with sopping wet cavity wall insulation. They are wrongly diagnosed as 'rising damp' - until such time as we are able to get to the house, survey it, and prove that it has nothing to do with anything rising, and a lot to do with sopping wet blown fibreglass insulation.
In these cases Peter Cox damp proofing use every trick in the book to get out of jail.
We've got secretly filmed interviews with Peter Cox damp proofing - including one idiot who when challenged to show us the 'broken down damp course' tried to tell us that the survey had been done by somebody else and he didnt know where it was broken. When I challenged him about his qualifications, and proved he had nothing that even reached NVQ Level 1, he almost broke down in tears. The man was a shambling moron - but we've found out that he is responsible for hundreds, if not thousands of fraudulent 'damp proofing' con jobs all over the Midlands.
They are often connected with dodgy insurance companies or loss adjusters, who recommend them to sort out leaks and 'escapes of water'. If you have an insurance claim and are told to get Peter Cox damp proofing - refuse - tell the insurers you want a professional consultant who can survey to the standards of BS7913: 2013 - and understands the real reasons for damp, and how to solve it. Ask to see the qualifications and background of ANY person from Peter Cox damp proofing.