Damp and moisture meters
Condensation beads on a concrete lintel and nowhere else in the room. Why is the lintel a cold bridge rather than a failed damp-proof course?
The condensation on the concrete lintel, and nowhere else in the room, marks that lintel as a cold bridge rather than a failed damp-proof course. Concrete loses heat faster than the wall around it, so moisture from the room air beads on the lintel. A damp-proof course is a barrier at the base of the wall. Droplets on the lintel do not test that barrier. A moisture meter used on the beads is only an aid.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
Cold bridges show where the fabric is colder than the surrounding plaster. A concrete lintel is a typical place for that, and the clue here is that the beading stops at the lintel. A failed course would be looked for low down, often beside salts or a line, not as droplets on the head of an opening with the rest of the room dry.
Heat and ventilation at that opening are a different question from injecting a wall. Do not let the word damp pull this lintel into a damp-proofing quote. The survey can record the beads and the fact they are limited to the lintel. It cannot run a whole heating season, and it should not call the course failed from a cold lintel alone.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Were the beads limited to the concrete lintel, with the rest of the room clear?
- Did you see low-level salts or a tide mark on the same wall?
- Are you calling the lintel a cold bridge, not a failed damp-proof course?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat the beading as condensation on a cold concrete lintel.
- Do not commission a damp-proof course from this lintel alone.
- Ask how the room is ventilated and heated before you blame the wall base.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
If the lintel is wet, has the damp-proof course below it failed?
No. Wetness on the lintel fits a cold surface in the room. The course at the base of the wall is a different place and a different question.
Does the survey specify insulation for that lintel?
No. The survey identifies the lintel as a cold bridge. It does not design a lining and it does not prove a particular treatment.