Gold Crest have Surveyors based throughout England and Wales and Slough is an area where we regularly conduct Level 2 Homebuyer Surveys and Level 3 Building Surveys (also known as Structural Surveys). If you are looking for a Surveyor in Slough, we can help.
This in extract from one of our Surveyor’s Reports:
There are external wall structures of the building that are of natural stone. The walls appear to be of 350mm solid masonry. There is cracking to the wall over the kitchen extension that is likely to be caused by faulty drainage. A specialist drainage contractor report will, therefore, be required, which should involve a water retention test, possibly followed by a CCTV inspection. The local water company may be responsible for drainage repairs and this should be confirmed by your legal advisors. If a defect is found, it is likely that the drains will be able to be sleeved. All cracks should be raked out to a depth of around 2cm to ensure a good key for the new mortar. Lime mortar (not cement) should be used to allow the brickwork to breathe. If the cracking opens up again after any drainage repairs, further advice should be obtained from a structural engineer, as further work to support the property could be required.
The extension’s brickwork is not keyed in to 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 what appears to be sand and cement pointed mortar joints to the brickwork/stonework. This material is not ideal and is likely to cause damage over time. Water becomes trapped in the edge of the masonry and when there are freezing conditions, the water expands, which can cause the face of the masonry to perish. It could prove beneficial to have a reputable and experienced building contractor to rake the joints out to a depth of around 2cm and repoint the masonry with a lime mortar, which should help the brickwork breathe. You should search the Federation of Master Builders register, which is available online, for contractors who have experience with lime building products.
Slough Surveyors
We observed evidence of a large amount of dampness to the external boundary wall under the patio area and this appears to be caused by overflowing gulleys or a cracked gulley pipe underground. This is causing water to seep into the brickwork causing this dampness to appear. Overtime this will get worse and could lead to dampness internally and even cracking to the external walls due to ground movement. It is recommended in the wall structure section for the drainage to be inspected by a reputable drainage specialist in the form of CCTV report. All cracks should be raked out to a depth of around 2cm to ensure a good key for the new mortar. Lime mortar (not cement) should be used to allow the brickwork to breathe. If the cracking opens up again after any drainage repairs, further advice should be obtained from a structural engineer, as further work to support the property could be required.
Whether it is Slough or any other part of England or Wales, we can usually conduct a Survey within any undue delay. So for a Surveyor in Slough, call us now.
