Damp and moisture meters
The report places scullery quarry tiles, a hollow sound and a damp floor the meter was not used on in one paragraph. Which of those were inspected, and which were merely named?
The quarry tiles were seen, and a hollow sound was heard, so those two were inspected by eye and by ear. The damp floor was not inspected with a meter, because the report says the meter was not used. A hollow sound can mean a loose tile or a void beneath it. It is not a moisture reading. Naming a damp floor without using the meter leaves that damp untested. The survey has not decided how wet the floor is. One paragraph mixes a sighting, a sound and a test that did not happen.
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?
Quarry tiles are the thick fired tiles of an old scullery floor. A hollow note underfoot suggests a tile has left its bed, or that there is a void in the screed. That sound is evidence of something loose or empty. It is not evidence of how much moisture is present, because the meter stayed unused. Damp in a solid scullery floor can come from the ground or from the gully side. Neither source was measured on the day. Do not rewrite that sound as a damp result.
Tell the solicitor the meter was not used, so the floor should not be described to a lender as proved damp or proved dry. If the hollow tiles matter, a later inspection can lift a loose one, where that is agreed, and look at the bed. The survey did not do that, and it took no readings. Keep the tiles and the sound as what was inspected. Keep damp as something this visit did not measure. Do not let the paragraph become three confirmed defects.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Where was the hollow sound, and how much of the floor did it cover?
- Why was the meter not used on this scullery floor?
- Were the quarry tiles cracked, or only sounding hollow underfoot?
What are the typical next steps?
- Separate the tiles seen, the hollow sound and the unused meter.
- Do not describe the floor as damp proved by a meter.
- If the bed matters, have a loose tile looked at later by agreement.
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
Is a hollow tile the same finding as a damp floor?
No. The hollow sound was heard, and the meter was not used, so damp was not measured. A loose quarry tile can sit on a dry bed or a wet one. The survey has not decided which. Keep the sound as an inspection of the tiles, and keep damp as something this visit left untested.
Can the tiles be relaid without a moisture reading?
They could be lifted, but relaying them without knowing why they sound hollow would be a guess. The survey saw the tiles, heard the sound and did not use a meter. It has not specified a new floor. Whether the bed is wet, and whether that would spoil a new finish, stays open until the floor is investigated.