FAQ

Japanese Knotweed grows quickly but will usually take the path of least resistance – the easiest path to allow for maximum growth. Research shows that Japanese Knotweed can and will damage property, walls, fencing and drainage by exploiting any existing weakness in the structure. The plant is capable of making a small weakness far worse as it grows and expands so what was a small crack becomes larger and more problematic.

Japanese Knotweed can cause damage, but the risk is real so it is always better to act quickly and remove the risk before these problems occur.

Contact us we are a suitably qualified company (a member of the Property Care Association PCA)do not ignore your Japanese Knotweed because it won’t go away without treatment. We will send a certified surveyor of Japanese Knotweed (CSJK) that will give you advice on how to remediate the problem.

Please contact the PCA on 0844 375 4301or www.property-care.org  to check that the company you are thinking about using are members of the PCA.

Cutting back Japanese Knotweed will only solve your problem for a short while, it will grow back. If you are looking to remediate the problem then let your Japanese Knotweed grow so that we can offer a full range of Japanese Knotweed remediation solutions to you. There are a range of tailor made options available for the remediation; these vary from site to site, as no two sites are the same. We will help you to choose the right Management/Treatment plan for your own individual set of circumstances. Removal of Japanese Knotweed by digging it up is an option but can be very expensive as it must be taken to a specialist licenced tip by a licenced waste carrier for Japanese Knotweed, this would be impractical for most residential properties. Japanese Knotweed rhizome (foraging stem) below the ground can grow to 3m deep and 7m wide so it requires a significant dig to extract the plant in this way. In most residential cases the most appropriate method for removal of Japanese Knotweed is by using a 5-10 yr. herbicide Management/Treatment plan.

Contact us, we are a suitably qualified company that can help (a member of the Property Care Association PCA) do not ignore your Japanese Knotweed because it won’t go away without treatment. We will send a certified surveyor (CSJK) that will give you the correct advice on how to remediate the problem.

It is not an offence for a neighbour to have Japanese Knotweed on their land/garden as long as it is more than 7m away from your boundary, however Japanese knotweed spreads quickly and easily, so it is worth discussing the Japanese Knotweed potential problem with your neighbour and asking for reassurances that they are taking appropriate steps to ensure that it does not cross the boundary into your land/garden. Lenders, banks and building societies surveyors will be checking for Japanese Knotweed within 7m of your property boundary when surveying for lending purposes, (this includes re-mortgages). So, it’s also worth considering distances and once again asking your neighbour for reassurance that the plant is being treated by a suitably qualified company that is a member of the Property Care Association (PCA) nearly all lenders require this. If treatment isn’t already in place, we suggest sharing our contact details with them and we can discuss treatment options.

The sooner you discuss it with your neighbours, the sooner they can look to put a solution in place. Pass them our details today.

Start by booking a Japanese Knotweed Survey with us, we will confirm that it is Japanese Knotweed, show you exactly where the Knotweed is and confirm with the use of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) risk level chart 1-4, which is used for valuation purposes. We will always recommend the most efficient cost effective solution for your circumstances.

DO NOTattempt to conceal the Japanese Knotweed, you are legally required to declare its existence to the buyer and your solicitor will require you to specifically confirm this.

We can provide a Japanese Knotweed survey; design a fully tailor-made Management/Treatment plan with our own guarantee. We can also provide insurance backed guarantee (IBG)so that you, your buyer and any mortgage providers or other lenders involved in the sale are reassured and satisfied that the Japanese Knotweed is being treated and will be remediated.

Call us for a Japanese Knotweed solution that perfectly suits your circumstances.

Depending on the condition of the Japanese Knotweed when treatment starts it can take up to 3 years to remediate a Knotweed infestation. After 3 years of treatment, we look to monitor the site for at least a further 2 years to ensure that there is no regrowth. These visits take place at the end of the growing season from September onwards to ensure that the Knotweed has had every opportunity to show itself. Following 2 full years of no regrowth, a certificate of remediation is issued and our guarantee begins.

Don’t wait until you want to sell or until your neighbours are complaining to find a way of getting rid of Japanese knotweed, act today and give us a call.

Whilst we use chemicals in most cases to treat and remove the Japanese Knotweed we follow strict industry guidelines set out by the HSE. Chemicals used do not persist in the soil for prolonged periods of time.

We do not spray unless the weather conditions are appropriate so chemical use is kept to a minimum and wash off into the soil and watercourses minimised wherever possible.

In most residential cases the cost of non-chemical treatment is NOT cost effective and would also lead to prolonged use of machinery and the removal of waste to landfill. We make every effort to choose the most appropriate treatment methods that would have the least impact on the environment.