We recently conducted a Building Survey on the above property.
The following is an extract from a report about a different, but relatively modern house, below is an example and snippet from a report to giove you an idea whats included from our Chartered surveyors:
The property appears to be of ‘crosswall’ construction. This type of structure is common in this area, although there could be issues in the future with rot, due to a lack of ventilation within the wall structure. Also, the walls are thin and may not be very well insulated; the property could be cold in the winter months. This could obviously be improved by adding further insulation internally. We are aware of some restrictions with regards to mortgage applications for this type of property, and this could become more of an issue if inherent problems begin to occur in the future. It could be beneficial to discuss with a reputable building contractor about the feasibility of adding ventilation to the top and base of the external timber walls.
There is what appears to be vertical thermal cracking to the front elevation and this is thought to be of little significance. This happens when the masonry expands and contracts in different seasons. The cracks should be raked out to a depth of around 2cm and repointed with a lime mortar, with any damaged masonry being replaced. Lime should be used and not cement as it is more flexible and could help prevent the crack from opening up again in the future. If the cracks open up again, further advice should be obtained from a structural engineer, as the cracking could be difficult to prevent without the installation of an expansion joint.
The extension’s brickwork is not keyed into the original building. This is where the brickwork/blockwork is ideally cut back to leave a tooth like shape, into which the new bricks/blocks are laid. This keeps the integrity of the wall and also the strength, as the wall remains “in bond”. It is assumed a wall starter kit has been used to construct the extension, where a metal fitting will be screwed to the wall to provide a key for the new brickwork/blockwork. This work should have been completed as part of Building Regulation approval and documentation should be obtained by your legal advisors.
There is a suspended timber floor at ground floor level. This type of floor must have a cavity below, that is properly ventilated, to avoid such issues as rot or woodworm developing, and to prevent ground gas accumulating.
The floors are thought to have no in-built thermal insulation. A large amount of heat can be lost through the floors. You may therefore wish to consider insulating floors and further specialist advice would be required for this purpose.
The subfloor ventilation is limited in comparison with modern building methods. It is important to have good subfloor ventilation for suspended timber floors to help prevent the onset of rot and woodworm infestation. We therefore recommend that the subfloor ventilation is improved by an appropriately experienced building contractor. The timber floor should also be inspected by an independent PCA (Property Care Association) registered timber treatment specialist, to see whether or not there is any rot or woodworm that requires treatment.
The subfloor ventilation is limited in comparison with modern building methods. It is important to have good subfloor ventilation for suspended timber floors to help prevent the onset of rot and woodworm infestation. We therefore recommend that the subfloor ventilation is improved by an appropriately experienced building contractor. The timber floor should also be inspected by an independent PCA (Property Care Association) registered timber treatment specialist, to see whether or not there is any rot or woodworm that requires treatment.
