Building Pathology 3 Flashcards
Tell me about a report you have prepared relating to the causes of failure, likely results of failure and appropriate remedial measures.
Finch Avenue-
Significant damp readings internally on ground floor level with the worst areas being near ground level in the old post office section.
Traditional Solid Sandstone walls had been rendered with a cement render, which was damaged and painted with impervious masonry paint. The stone walls were spalling in places.
Furthermore, the building was on a gentle slope with part of the post office slightly below ground level. This area was uninhabited for a number of years with no heating or ventilation and had a musty smell.
I recommended removing the cement render, impervious paint and repoint the walls with a lime mortar and re-render with a lime render to allow the walls to dry out naturally as it was originally designed. I recommended that the old post office section be partially damp proofed with bitumen type tanking membrane undertaken by specialists. I advised for the heating to be upgraded and for the ventilation to be increased to reduce humidity levels and help walls dry out.
Why would you use non-technical lay language in a report?
Not everyone is used to buying, renovating and selling properties therefore it is important that our clients can understand and implement the information that is given to them in the report so they can get the most out of the service I am providing and it ensures that there is no ambiguity or confusion.
Why was this important?
This was important so the client could understand why these issues occurred and what could happen if they were left untreated and how they can repair them and comfortably enjoy the property.
Tell me about information you have gathered from an inspection to formulate necessary remedial/preventative works including specific detail in a schedule of works.
What would you include in a schedule of works?
When have you referred out for specialist advice on a defect or issue?
When there has been structural issues that could not be fully diagnosed or I couldn’t provide remedial advise on how the defect could be repaired and its origin.
Tell me about the appropriate level of detail in a building survey you have provided to a client.
What supporting information would you include within such a report?
Tell me about an unusual defect you have identified and the remedial works employed.
Tell me about your reasoned advice on the type of report which would be appropriate for a specific client/situation, e.g. mortgage valuation, level 1/2/3 survey, defect report, Technical Due Diligence.
Finch House- Level 3 survey
This was a traditional solid sandstone wall property dating to the 1850’s.
I informed the client due to the age and complexity of the build that a level 3 survey would be able to provide them with the adequate technical due diligence so that they could better understand the construction of the property, any defects as well and how to maintain and improve the performance of the property.
Tell about BRE guidance you have applied and the reasoned advice you provided as a result?
BRE 251 Assessing cracks in houses.
Due to the amount of cracking found to the rear elevation and the garage. Plus the proximity of the drains. And being in a ex-coal mining area, on clay subsoil and in a flood area there is a high probability of foundational movement caused by ground movement. Therefore a structural engineer was advised to provide further investigation.
17 Hill Field, Selby, how did you establish the clay deposits/ex coal mining area/ flood risk?
Desktop research:
Geology Britain was able to show the soil composition.
Local knowledge and coal mining authority website map
UK Flooding map.
Tell me about the undulating bricks/gap between the garage and garden room.
There was a visible undulation to the brickwork under the window to the side of the garage.
Furthermore, there was a large crack to the rear of the garage adjoining the garden room which was between 15-25mm wide therefore a category 4 in the BRE digest 251.
How did you establish that there was no building regulation approval for the garden room?
There garden room had no heating, no electrics and had no thermal insulation. Furthermore, from speaking to the vendor they informed me that no building regulations certificate was obtained.
Talk me through your advice to the client.
I recommended further investigation of the drains due to the possibility of foundations movement caused by ground instability. I also recommended that a structural engineers report is undertaken due to the amount of cracks to the rear of the property and garage and that a specification of repair works should be obtained from them.
