Inspection Flashcards
According VPGA 8 what matters can impact on the market’s perception on value that should be considered on an inspection for valuation?
Surrounding area, communications and facilities
Characteristics of the property:
- Dimensions, areas and use(s) of constituent elements
- Age, construction and nature of buildings or structures
- Accessibility
- Installations, amenities and services
- Fixtures, fittings and improvements
- Plant and equipment that would normally form an integral part of the building
Characteristics of the site
- Natural hazards
- Flooding
- Non-natural hazards such as ground contamination
Potential for development or redevelopment
- Any physical restrictions on further development
What is radon?
- Natural radioactive, odourless and tasteless gas
- Low levels in the outside air, but collects in enclosed places like buildings
What is the risk of radon exposure?
Long term exposure increases the risk of lung cancer
How is radon mitigated in buildings?
- New buildings can be protected by installing a radon-proof barrier/membrane within the floor structure
- Radon sump – small cavity under the floor with a pump drawing air from it, reduces underfloor pressure with respect to radon in the soil and vents the radon gas outside the building where it dissipates
- Improved underfloor and indoor ventilation, sealing large gaps in floors and walls in contact with ground
According to the RICS Professional standards and guidance: Environmental risks and global real estate, 1st edition, 2018, what factors can negatively impact a valuation?
- Contamination
- Flooding
- Asbestos
- Invasive non-native species
- High voltage overhead tension lines
- Telecommunication base stations
- Solar farms
- Wind farms
- Mineral and shallow mine workings
- Hydraulic fracturing and other energy recovery methods
- Natural subsidence risk
- Radon affected areas
- Waste management processes illegal waste dumping
- Ozone depleting substances
- Energy performance ratings
- Earthquake-prone and geo-thermal areas
Name some common Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs):
- Insulation lagging
- Insulation boards
- Cloth in fire blankets, mattresses, curtains, gloves
- Profiled sheets: roofs and wall cladding
- Flat sheet and partition board: bath panels, soffits, walls, ceiling linings
Other than ACMs, name some other deleterious materials?
High alumina concrete
Calcium chloride cement
Mundic
What is high alumina cement and what is its risk?
- Rapid strength development made it popular in 1950 to 1970
- Mainly used in pre-cast beams
- Mineralogical ‘coversion’ sometimes caused reductions in concrete strength and increased vulnerability to chemical attack
- Some buildings collapsed in the 1970s and it was banned
What is calcium chloride cement and what is its risk?
- Used as an accelerating admixture in concrete up until mid-1970s
- Causes corrosion to embedded metal
- Outlawed in May 1977
What is mundic and what are its risks?
- Mineral mine waste in Devona and Cornwall
- Used as aggregate in concrete blocks and concrete construction between 1900 and 1950
- Chemical changes causes concrete to deteriorate
What needs to be completed before visiting a premises or site?
- Carry out a pre-assessment of the hazards and risks likely to be encountered
- Including the requirement for appropriate PPE
What matters need to be considered before visiting a site or premises?
- Travel
- Lone-working
- Condition of property
- Occupation
- Activity
- Site rules and welfare
- Roofs
- High structures
- Dangerous substances
- Diseases
- Special access
- Special risks
- Access equipment
- Other equipment (PPE: gloves, safety helmet, safety footwear etc.)
- Environmental matters (weather conditions, temperature extremes)
- Personal matters (level or fitness, vertigo etc.)
What matters should be considered when arriving and during site inspections?
- Structural stability
- Timbers, glass and sharp objects
- Roofs
- Unsafe atmospheres
- Danger from live and unsecured services
- Radio frequency (RF) hazards
- Slip and trip hazards
- Falls from height
- Hidden traps, ducts and openings
- Impact of other people/animals on the property
- Contamination
- Rural environments
- Adverse weather conditions
- Vermin and birds
What are key signs of structural stability/instability that should be looked for on inspection?
- Chimney stacks, gable walls or parapets
- Leaning, bulged and unrestrained walls
- Rotten or corroded beams and columns
- Roofs and floors
- Corroded metal fire escapes, platforms, balconies and walkways
What timbers, glass and sharp objects should be looked out for on inspection?
- Rotten and broken floors and staircases
- Projecting nails and screws, broken glass
- Loose glazing in windows, partitions, walls and doors
- Sharp edges and projecting objects
What are examples of unsafe atmospheres that should be considered when undertaking an inspection?
- Confined spaces with insufficient oxygen
- Rotting vegetation
- Stores containing flammable materials
- Excessive mould or fungi growth
- Insecticides, herbicides and fungicides
- Gas build-up in subfloor voids
How should the risk of falls from height be assessed when working on site?
- Using ladders, step ups, etc.
- Working near unprotected edges
- Use of MEWPs, scaffolds and access towers
- Working near excavations or shafts
What are some examples of hidden traps, ducts and openings that you may come across on inspection?
- Lift and service shafts, stairwells and other unguarded openings
- Manholes
- Surfaces concealed by debris or standing water
What are the risks associated with other people or animals that may be encountered on property inspections?
- Squatters and trespassers or dogs
- Aggressive tenants or property owners
What are the contamination risks that need to be considered on property inspections?
- Asbestos, lead and other substances hazardous to health
- Chemicals in storage
- Contaminated water supplies
- Contaminated air-conditioning systems (legionella bacteria)
What is English bond brickwork?
Brickwork formation where each course consists of alternate headers and stretchers
What is Flemish bond brickwork?
Brickwork formation where each course consists of alternate headers and stretchers
What is a solid wall?
- Typically two bricks wide with each row of bricks interlocking to forma completely solid 9 inch brick wall
- No gap between the bricks to insulate
- Identified by alternative between a mix of headers and stretchers
How thick is a solid brick wall?
230mm with plaster finish
What is a cavity wall?
- Has two layers of brick with a gap in between
- Gaps is between 20 to 100mm thick
- Developed as a way to alleviate damp
How thick is a cavity wall?
280mm with plaster finish
From external inspection only, how can it be determined if a brick wall is of solid or cavity construction?
The presence (solid) or absence (cavity) of headers
What are cavity wall ties?
- Ties used in buildings with cavity walls
- Used to join the two leaves of a cavity wall together providing additional support to ensure the structure is safe and stable
- The tie design prevents water from transferring to the outside of the wall – this usually comes in the form of a twist in the centre
- Building regs require 2 ½ wall ties per m² of masonry
What are the different types of cavity wall ties?
- Double triangular
- Vertical twist
- Butterfly
What is the size of a standard brick?
215 x 102.5 x 65 mm
What is the size of a standard block?
440 x 100 x 215 mm
What is a rafter and purlin roof?
Roof constructed with purlins and rafters
What are rafters?
- The beams of a roof construction that are angled upward from the ground
- They meet at the top of the gable at a ridge beam
What are purlins?
The horizontal beams of a roof construction that are used for structural support in the construction of a roof
What is a roof truss?
Structure that consists of pieced of straight wood or steel joined together in triangular shapes to support the weight of the roof
What are the different types of roof truss?
- Monopitch truss (right angle)
- Asymmetrical truss (off centre)
- Attic truss (symmetrical)
What is a trussed roof?
- Structural framework made of timber or steel and is specifically designed to bridge the space above a room to provide maximum ventilation and support for a roof
- Consists of roof of angles, channels, plates and eye bars
- Permanent frame structure which determine the shape of roof and ceiling typically consisting of rafters, webbing/posts and struts used to support the roof
What is a building frame?
- Structure in which weight is carrid by a skeleton or framework, as opposed to being supported by walls
- Essential factor in a framed building is the frame’s strength
- Steel and reinforced concrete are the most common materials in large contemporary structures
What are the characteristics of grade A offices?
- Located in the most desirable area
- New of highly maintained structures
- Steel or reinforced concrete frame
- Fully accessed raised floors with 150mm void
- Suspended ceilings with void of 350mm
- 2.6m clear floor to ceiling height
- Latest elevator
- HVAC systems
- LG7 compliant lighting
- Exceptional disability access
- Excellent BREEAM rating
- High energy performance rating (A or B)
- On site car parking
- Cycle racks, lockers and male and female shower facilities
- High profile reception area
- Food court, café, restaurant, coffee shop
- Gym
- High-tech security
What are the characteristics of grade B offices?
- Former grade A office property aged 10 – 20 years
- Well maintained
- Elevator and HVA systems that are functional but no longer industry leading
What are the characteristics of grade C office?
- Located in less desirable areas
- Much older than grade A or B
- Out of date furnishings
- Poor maintenance services
- No elevators or decent disabled access
What is a portal frame?
- Type of structural frame
- Beams supported by columns at either end
- The joints between the beam and the columns are ‘rigid’ so that the bending moment in the beam is transferred to the columns
- Typically span 15 – 50 m
- Frame spacing 6 and 8 m
- Clear height between 5 – 12 m
- Roof pitch between 5 – 10° (6°) is commonly accepted
What are portal frame structures typically used for?
- Typically low rise structures
- Industrial and warehouse buildings
What are the benefits of a portal frame structure?
- Large spaces can be enclosed with little use of material and so lower costs
- Efficient for enclosing large volumes
What is considered optimal site cover for an industrial development?
- 35% - 40%
- 50% is likely to lead to congestion
What is the floor loading requirement for industrial buildings?
- Between 30 and 40 kN/m²
- Design rule of thumb for 2.5 kN/m²of eaves height
- Institutional apparent over-specification is for buildings to be able to accommodate as wide a range as possible for future occupiers
What is typical office coverage for industrial properties?
10% of the total floor area
What is the typical fit out provided by developer’s for industrial property?
- Offices with carpet
- Roller shutter or sliding door to main factory
- Landscaping to site perimeter
- Higher specification:
- Electrically operated loading doors
- Heating and lighting in factory
- Dock levellers
What is a dock leveller?
- Used to bridge the difference in height and distance between the warehouse floor and vehicle
- Height-adjustable platform use to ensure smooth transition between dock and truck preventing forklift accidents
What is a typical retail unit?
- Rectangle with depth 3 to 4 times the width
- No changes in floor level
- Staff and stockroom facilities provided
Where will brickwork typically crack?
Along mortar as this is weakest point
What are the 4 types of cracking typically seen in brick work construction?
- Horizontal line cracking
- Triangular cracking
- Stepped cracking
- Cracking running down to floor level
What is horizontal line crack indicative of?
Cavity wall-tie failure
What is triangular cracking indicative of?
Lintel failure
What is stepped cracking indicative of?
Structural failure
What is cracking running down to ground level indicative of?
Below ground movement
What are the four types of damp?
- Penetrating
- Rising
- Condensation
- Plumbing failure
What are the three causes of rising damp?
- No damp proof course
- Failed damp proof course
- Bridged damp proof course
What is a sign of condensation in a property?
Presence of black mould growth
What items would you take on an inspection?
- Mobile phone – with camera
- Tape measure/dister
- File, plans and other supporting documentation
- PPE – such as high-vis
- Notebook and pen
What considerations should be made of the immediate area when undertaking an inspection?
- Location / aspect / local facilities / public transport / business vibrancy
- Contamination / environmental hazards / flooding / high voltage power lines / electrical substations
- Comparable evidence / local market conditions / agents boards
What considerations should be made during an external inspection?
- Method of construction
- Repair and condition of the exterior (describe from the roof downwards)
- Car parking / access / loading arrangements
- Defects / structural movement
- Check site boundaries with OS map and/or Title Plan
How can the age of a building be assessed?
- Asking the client
- Researching the data of planning consent of building regulations approval
- The Land Registry
- Local historical records
- Architectural style or architect’s certificate of practical completion
What should be considered during an internal inspection?
- Layout and specification
- Repair and maintenance
- Defects
- Services – age and condition
- Statutory compliance – e.g. asbestos, building regulations, health and safety, Equality Act, fire safety and planning
- Fixtures and fittings and improvements
- Compliance with lease obligations
- Tenant alterations
What should be considered specifically during property management inspection?
- If occupied, check the lease compliance, statutory compliance, state of the building, requirement for repairs/redecoration, user and details of actual occupier
- If unoccupied, check the statutory compliance, state of the building, repair and maintenance issues, security arrangements, landscaping, risk of vandalism and damage to the building
What should be considered specially during inspection for valuation purposes?
Factors which can influence the valuation of a property such as location, tenure, aspect, form of construction, defects, current condition, occupation details etc.
What are the 4 common forms of foundation?
- Trench or strip footings
- Raft
- Piled
- Pad
What is a trench or strip footing foundation and what are they typically used for?
- Shallow foundation that avoids bricklaying below ground by almost completely filling the trench excavation with concrete
- Generally used for residential dwellings, for walls and closely spaced column
What is a raft foundation and when are they typically used for?
- Shallow, slab foundation formed by reinforced concrete slabs of uniform thickness that cover a wide area, often the entire footprint of a building
- Spread the load imposed by a number of columns or walls over the area of foundation
- Typically used:
- Floor areas are small and structural loadings are low, such a two-storey domestic construction
- Where ground conditions are poor and strip or pad foundations would require significant excavation, e.g. soft clay
- Where it may be impractical to create individual strip or pad foundations for a large number of individual loads
What is a piled foundation and when are they typically used?
- Long and slender reinforced concrete cylinders (piles) in the ground to deeper strata when less good load-bearing ground conditions/high loads
- Typically used for large structures and in situations where soil is not suitable to prevent excess settlement
What is a pad foundation?
- Generally shallow foundation system, but depends on ground condition
- Form of spread foundation formed by pads that support localised single-point loads such as columns and framed structures
What is efflorescence?
- While marks caused by hydroscopic salts in the brick work
Formed when water reacts with the natural process, contained within the construction material and mortar - Water dissolves the salts which are then carried out and deposited onto the surface by the natural evaporation that occurs when air meets the surface of the wall
What is spalling?
Damages brickwork where the surface of the bricks starts to crumble because of freeze/thaw action after it has become saturated in the winter months
What is the typical specification of new retail units?
- Constructed either of steel or concrete frame
- Services capped off
- Concrete floor and no suspended ceiling
- Let in shell condition with no shop front, ready for retailer’s fit out
What are the two main methods of construction of new office buildings?
- Steel or concrete frame
- Steel framed buildings usually have less columns and wider span between columns
- Concrete frame buildings usually have more columns, lower floor heights and a shorter span between columns
What are the different types of air conditioning systems?
- VAV – variable air volume (highest capital cost but most flexible)
- Fan coil – usually 4 piper (lower initial costs and good flexibility but higher running and maintenance costs)
- Static cooling – chilled beam and displacement heating (natural approach to climate control with lower capital and running costs but less flexibility_
- Mechanical ventilation – when fresh air is moved around the building
- Heat recovery systems
- Comfort cooling – simple form of air colling system
What is R22 refrigerant?
- Colourless gas was once commonly used propellant refrigerant air conditioning applications
- From 2015 the use and replacement of refrigerant is illegal as it is a greenhouse as with high global warming potential
What are the types of fit out for offices?
- Shell and core – where common parts of the building are completed, and the office floor areas are ready for fit our by the occupier
- Category A – such as to a Grade A specification
- Category B – to complete the fit out to the occupier’s specific requirements, such as installation of cellular offices, enhanced finishes and IT
- Cellular offices are usually set out on a 1.5m planning grid
- Typical space allowance for normal office use is approx 1 person for 80 – 100 sq ft.
What is the basic constriction of an industrial or warehouse premises?
Usually a steell portal frame building with insulated profiled steel cladding walls and roof
What are the current institutional specifications for industrial property?
- Minimum 8m clear eaves height with 10% roof lights
- Minimum 30 kN/m² floor loading
- Plastic coated steel profiled cladding with brick or blockworks walls approximately 2m
- Full height loading doors (electronically operated)
- 3-phase electricity power (415 volts)
- 5% - 10% office content with WC facilities
- Main services capped off
- Approximate site cover of 40%
What is an inherent defect?
Defect in the design or material which has always been present
What is a latent defect?
Fault in the property what could not have been discovered by a reasonably thorough inspection of the property
What would you do if you identified a building defect during an inspection?
- Take photo of the defect
- Try to establish the cause of the damage whilst still on site
- Inform your client of your investigations
- Recommend specialist advise from a building surveyor or in the case of movement, a structural engineer
What are the three common causes of defect?
- Movement
- Water
- Defective / non-performance / deterioration of building materials
What are the different types of movement?
- Subsidence
- Heave
- Cracking
- Thermal expansion
What is subsidence?
- Subsidence is the vertical downward movement of a building foundation caused by the loss of support on the site beneath the foundation
- This could be a result of changes in the underlying ground conditions
What is heave?
- Expansion of the ground beneath part or all of the building
- Could be caused by tree removal and subsequent moisture build-up in the soil
What is wet rot?
- Fungal attack that can effect timber when it becomes damp
- Signs include wet and soft timber, a high damp meter reading, visible fungal growth and musty smell
- Can cause timber decay and threaten structural stability
What is dry rot?
- Wood decay caused by one of several species of fungi that digest parts of the wood which give the wood strength and stiffness.
- Signs include fungus, known as mycelium, which spreads across the wood inn fine and fluffy while strands and large, often orange mushroom-like fruiting bodies, a strong smell and red spores, cracking paintwork and cuboidal cracking / crumbling of dry timber
- Can destroy timber and masonry
What are the common building defects in period residential, office and shop buildings?
- Dry rot
- Wet rot
- Tile slippage on the roof
- Death watch beetle
- Damp penetration at roof and ground floor level
- Water ingress around door
- Window openings and structural movement / settlement
What are the common building defects of modern industrial buildings?
- Roof leaks around roof lights
- Damaged cladding panels
- Cut edge corrosion
- Block valley gutters
- Water damage from poor guttering or burst pipes
- Settlement / cracking in brick work panels
What are the common building defects in modern office buildings?
- Dam penetration at roof and ground floor level
- Water damage from burst pipes or air conditioning units
- Structural movement
- Damaged cladding
- Cavity wall tie failure
- Efflorescence
- Poor mortar joints in brickwork
Why can contamination exist at a property?
Issues such as heavy metals, radon and methane gas, diesel, oil and chemicals
What are signs of contamination a surveyor should look out for?
Evidence of chemicals, oils, oil drums, subsidence, underground tanks, bare ground etc.
What are the three typical phases of investigation for contamination?
- Review of site history with a desk top study and site inspection and investigation
- Investigation to identify the nature and extent of contamination with detailed soil samples taken using bore holes (intrusive)
- Remediation report setting out remedial option with design requirements and monitoring standards
When instructed to value a site with contamination, which approaches should be considered?
- Do not provide any advice until a specialise report is commissioned
- Caveat the advice provided with an appropriate disclaimer highlighting the issues / use a special assumption
- Deduct the remediation costs from the gross site value
What is Land Remediation Relief?
- Form of tax relief that applies to contaminated land or derelict land in the UK
- It allows UK companies to claim up to 150% corporation tax deduction to expenditure in remediating certain contaminated or derelict sites
What are deleterious materials?
Materials or building techniques that are dangerous to health, environmentally unfriendly, tend to fail in practice or can be susceptible to change over the lifetime of the material
What are some signs of problems with deleterious materials?
Include brown staining on concrete, concrete frame buildings, 1960 and 70s buildings as well as in modern buildings
What are some examples of deleterious materials?
- High alumina cement
- Woodwool shuttering
- Calcium chloride
What are hazardous materials?
Materials harmful to health
What are some examples of hazardous materials?
- Asbestos
- Lead piping / lead paint
- Radon gas
What should you do if you discover hazardous materials on an inspection?
Recommend specialist report and make appropriate assumptions as required
What should you do if you discover asbestos in a property?
- If the asbestos is undisturbed then it does not need to be removed.
- Check the asbestos register for the property to confirm this is on record
- If not instruct an asbestos survey for the premises
What is Japanese knotweed?
- A fast-growing strong clump-forming plant with tall dense annual stems
- Stem growth is renewed each year with deeply penetrating underground stems
- It is an invasive non-native species in the UK
Why is Japanese a concern for property owners and managers?
- Not easy to control
- Costly to eradicate – specialist company must remove and dispose of it
- Invasive plant that can damage hard surfaces such as foundations and tarmac
- Lenders may refuse a loan if it is present at a property
What does Japanese knotweed look like?
- Purple/green hollow stem
- Green leaves
- Creamy-white flower produced in late summer and early autumn
What is the consequence of allowing Japanese knotweed to spread?
- Criminal offence under Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
- Local authorities can issue Antisocial Behaviour Orders (ASBO) and lines up to £2,500 if a landowner ignores it, does not control it and allows it to grow onto adjoining land
Name some invasive species which property owners and managers should be aware of?
- Japanese knotweed
- Himalayan balsam
- Giant Hogweed
- Hybrid Knotweed
What are the four types of damp?
- Rising damp
- Penetrating damp
- Damp caused by defective plumbing
- Damp caused by condensation
How is damp measured?
Damp meter
What is 3 phase power and why is it needed in industrial properties?
It accommodates higher loads (single phased is used in residential)
The following electricla equipment usually requires three phase pwoer:
- Air conditioning
- Plant and heavy machinery
- Heating systems
- Motors and pumps
What is the RICS publication in relation to asbestos?
RICS Guidance Note: Asbestos: Legal Requirements and Best Practice for Property Professionals and Clients, 4th edition, 2021
What is the RICS publication in relation to Japanese Knotweed?
RICS Guidance Note: Japanese knotweed and residential property, 1st edition, 2022
