Damp and moisture meters
Is the cornice, together with a bathroom with no extract, any evidence on condensation tracking along the plaster, or only a note of what was visible?
It is only a note of what was visible, not evidence that condensation is tracking along the plaster. The cornice is the mould where wall meets ceiling. A bathroom with no extract is a room without a fan. Naming them together records both facts. The survey has not measured humidity, has not traced a path along the cornice, and has not decided that steam is marking the plaster. It has not tested the ventilation, and it has not specified a fan.
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?
A cornice is run or cast plaster. Its soffit can hold a faint mark if the bathroom is often steamy, but that is only a possible place, not a proved stain. No extract means no fan dedicated to shower moisture. The visit did not time how the room clears, did not sample the plaster, and did not measure condensation on the mould.
Tell the solicitor the missing fan and the cornice are a visual note, not a condensation finding. If the bathroom stays wet after use, an electrician or a ventilation fitter can advise on a fan as a separate job. The home survey has not designed that fan and has not checked the existing wiring. The lender is reading the same limit. Do not read the cornice as a damp map of the ceiling.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Was the cornice only recorded as visible plaster?
- Did you note the missing extract without measuring humidity?
- Have you left any tracking along the plaster unproved?
What are the typical next steps?
- Treat the cornice and the missing fan as a visual note.
- Ask a fitter about a fan only as a separate instruction.
- Tell the solicitor condensation was not measured.
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
Does a stained cornice elsewhere in the house prove this path?
No. A stain in another room is a different observation. This paragraph pairs one cornice with a bathroom that has no extract. It does not carry a stain from elsewhere onto this plaster. The survey did not trace moisture along the mould. Another room's mark does not test this bathroom.
If a window opens, does that replace the missing extract in the report?
The survey has not said so. An opening light is not what was recorded. The note is that no extract was seen. Whether a window is enough for this room was not tested, and no air change was measured. The report does not swap the missing fan for a window.