When you've found a damp patch spreading up a wall or black mould in the corner of a room, you want a damp specialist in Croydon who comes and finds the real cause, tells you honestly what it needs, and gives you the price before any work starts. That is how Hills Maintenance & Repairs has worked for more than 30 years.
Rick started the firm after watching too many contractors cut corners on jobs they would never have stood for in their own homes, and damp proofing is a trade where that happens more than most. Every damp and mould job we take on across Croydon and South East London starts with finding out what is actually causing it, not reaching for the most expensive treatment on the shelf.
A local damp and mould team Croydon homeowners trust
We are based in Croydon and cover the whole of Croydon, from Addiscombe and Thornton Heath to South Croydon, Purley and Selsdon, plus the wider stretch of South East London, Kent and Surrey. You deal with a named local tradesman who knows the streets, not a stranger sent from miles away. He turns up himself, sees the job through, and leaves the place clean and dry.
You show us the problem, we look at it properly, and you get a clear written quote before we start. There are no "while we're at it" extras waiting for you on the invoice.
Damp and mould jobs we take on
Most weeks that means the damp proofing and mould work that keeps a home dry and healthy, from a single mouldy wall to damp that has been coming back for years:
- Damp proofing and new damp courses where a wall genuinely needs one
- Rising and penetrating damp traced back to its source and treated
- Black mould removed and the damp feeding it dealt with
- Condensation and the damp patches and mould it causes
- Anti-mould washes, then walls and ceilings made good ready to paint
- Damp behind a leak, a bad gutter or cracked render sorted at the cause
First, what is actually causing the damp?
Damp is not one problem, and getting the cause right is what saves you money. Before we quote, we work out which of these you have actually got:
- Condensation and mould: by far the most common, and usually the cheapest to fix. It comes from moisture in the air with nowhere to go, and often needs better ventilation and a mould wash rather than any damp proofing at all.
- Penetrating damp: water getting in from outside through a leak, a blocked or leaking gutter, cracked render or a failed seal. Fix the source and the damp stops.
- Rising damp: moisture drawn up from the ground through a wall with no working damp course. It is genuinely a job for a new damp course, but it is a lot rarer than some firms would have you believe.
That last point matters. Some damp companies only ever recommend a chemical damp course, because that is the expensive job they sell. We would rather tell you the truth, even when the truth is a cheaper fix.
Mould removal and damp & mould wash
Wiping black mould off with bleach makes it look gone for a week, then it comes straight back, because the damp that feeds it is still there. We remove the mould properly with the right anti-mould treatment, then deal with whatever is causing it, whether that is condensation, a leak or poor ventilation, so it stays gone. Once the wall is clean and dry we make it good and leave it ready to redecorate.
If you are a landlord, damp and mould is not just unpleasant, it is now something you are legally expected to put right for your tenants. We can treat it and give you the paperwork to show it has been dealt with properly.
What damp proofing costs in Croydon
It is the first thing everyone asks, and the honest answer is that it depends entirely on the cause. Clearing mould and sorting the ventilation behind it can be a job of a few hundred pounds. A full damp course or major penetrating damp work runs into four figures, which is why you will see damp proofing in Croydon quoted anywhere from around £1,000 to £5,000 for the bigger jobs. What decides it is what is actually wrong, how much wall it affects, and how much making good is needed afterwards.
That is exactly why we don't quote blind down the phone. You show us the problem, we come and find the real cause, and you get a clear written price before any work starts, free and with no obligation. There's no call-out fee, no cash-only pressure, and no "while we're at it" extras waiting on the invoice.
How to avoid a damp proofing scam
Damp proofing has more than its share of firms that overdiagnose, because a scary survey sells an expensive treatment. Before you let anyone start, check that they:
- Tell you the cause in writing, not just quote you for a damp course
- Are a named, local person you can ring back, not an anonymous number
- Don't knock on your door uninvited offering a "free damp survey"
- Are fully insured and don't lean on you for cash up front
- Are happy to recommend the cheaper fix when that is what it needs
Damp as part of a bigger job
Damp rarely stops at the damp. By the time you have noticed it there is often a leak still running, a stained ceiling, or blown plaster in the wall. We do the lot in-house, so the roof or gutter is fixed, the damp is treated, and the wall is re-plastered and made good by the same firm. One firm, one price, no one to chase.
A damp specialist you can actually talk to
Fully insured, with 30 plus years on the tools behind every job, and a real person to ring afterwards if anything is not right. Got damp or mould in your home in Croydon? Tell us what you've found using the form, by phone or on WhatsApp, and Rick will come back with a free, no-obligation quote, usually the same day.