Inspection Flashcards
How can you identify a Victorian house?
Built prior to 1901 Patterned bricks Built in terraces Barge boards – distinctive decorative wooden panel, popular in Victorian period. Bay and sash windows Enclosed stone or brick porches Date stone High ceilings and good-sized rooms Multiple fireplaces
What is a barge board
Long, straight boards fitted in an inverted V-shape to the gable end of the roof of your property.
Covers exposed ends of the roof rafter offering protection
What defects might you expect in a Victorian Property
Penetrating dampness
Rising damp
Condensation
what is rising damp?
The upward movement of moisture through capillary action into the structure
what is capillary action
Process where liquids move vertically or horizontally (against gravity) in tight spaces.
tell me about the property you inspected in Brockley?
1, Property type 2, address 3, purpose of inspection 4, construction 5, age 6, Potential problems (defects, contamination, asbestos) 7, notes taken 8, valuation impact
- Victorian period end of terrace house.
- Situated in a predominantly residential area in South East London.
- Assisting a senior colleagues valuation on a right to buy case
- Solid brick walls, replacement concrete tiles with Dutch gable, replacement uPVC windows
- pre 1900s Victorian
- cracking caused by nearby tree
- cracks visible on 2 of 3 storeys, in particularly below window frames
- costly remedial work may be needed, adjustment if worse than standard for road
Can you name 3 pros and 3 cons of a pitch tiled roof?
\+ve Traditional appearance Low maintenance Efficient water run off Longer life span Increased durability due to strong quality materials Gives loft space
- ve
- Costly compared to flat roofs
- Weight can make it not suitable as need good foundation
- difficult installation
- tiles are brittle
what is the function of a roof?
Keep out rain, snow and wind
Deny access to pests
Insulate and prevent warmth being lost
What is a warm roof?
Roof that has insulation as a key part of its structure
What is a cold roof?
Roof that does not include insulation in its structure
tell me a little bit about flat roofs
Generally defined as having a pitch less than 15 degrees
A fully flat roof would not allow rainwater to drain away
Cheaper than pitched roofs
tell me a little bit about pitched roofs
Pitch of at least 15 degrees
Typically 40-50 degrees, can go as high as 70.
name 3 roof material types for pitched roofs and tell me a little bit about them
Clay – can be moulded to different sizes
Slate – generally rectangular in shape
Concrete – available in wide range of colours and shapes, tend to be heavier than slate or clay
Thatch – uses organic materials such as wheat straw, water reed and sedge
What tile can be used to round the edge of a hipped roof?
Ridge tile or hip tile
Would you expect the house you inspected in Hythe to have a cold roof?
Yes, majority of houses with pitched roofs will have a cold roof.
Insulation is laid on the floor of the loft area, immediately above the ceiling of the upstairs rooms of the house. This means that the roof space is at close to outside air temperature.
This is fine for most houses unless they are looking to use the loft area as an extra room.
Where two sides of a roof meet is called what?
The ridge
pros and cons of flat roofs
+ve
cheaper upfront cost than pitched alternatives
quicker build due to simple structure
- ve
- more maintenance required
- more likely to hold water
what external features did you make note of at the house in Brockley?
- Roof – concrete tiled tiled roof
- Render – naked brick with barge board and Dutch gable
- Brickwork – english bond
- Chimney flashing – replacement lead flashing
- Windows – UPVC
What is brick render?
Type of cladding for the exterior of a brick building.
purpose of rendered brick
- Protect house walls from bad weather
- Attractive appearance
Did you exclude anything in your inspection of the Shop in Croydon?
Yes
Staff toilets
Store with height less than 1.5m
structural walls
tell me about the inspection you did in for the House in Hythe?
1, Property type
2, address
3, purpose of inspection
4, construction
5, age
6, Potential problems (defects, contamination, asbestos)
7, notes taken
8, valuation impact
1, The property was a mid-terrace dwelling
2, located in a semi rural area of Hythe in east Kent.
3, I inspected for IHT purposes as the returned value was significantly lower than my desk top valuation
4, traditional cavity brick construction with pebble dash render
5, 1950s
6, Leaking roof, damage to flashing and internal ceilings, causing damp
7, extremely dated features
8, Adjusted comparables and i advised my client that the returned value was reasonable having regard to the condition of the property observed on inspection
How can you check if a mezzanine is a mezzanine and not a floor part of the structure?
Check if there are pillars/columns underneath it
Is it bolted to the wall on the side or the floor?
Is there give in the floor if I jump up and down
Ask the occupier / building manager
what do you know following the CPD event you attended on Defects, specifically in relation to damp.
Dampness is most common problem in housing
Well insulated, heated and ventilated houses less likely to have a problem
Condensation, Rising damp, penetrating damp
Damp can be caused when there is no damp proof course (DPC) or it is defective
Damp can be resolved using: DPC Injection silicon, Dry rods or physical insertion
what is condensation
The inside air condenses and forms droplets which are often seen on walls and/or windows.
occurs when the air outside is colder than the air inside.
how can you prevent condensation
Ensure adequate ventilation using windows and extractor fans
how can homeowners prevent rising damp
Before purchasing a house find out if it has a damp proof course and membrane. If it doesn’t have one or is defective build a new one.
Ensure that the level of garden soil directly next to the house does not rise higher than the level of the damp-proof barriers.
Ensure that rainwater goods are well designed and maintained.
what are rainwater goods
Gutters and downpipes
carry water away from a building to prevent it from entering the building or running down the walls
what is a damp proof course?
Physical barrier that prevents water moving up a wall, protecting against rising damp.
Plastic DPCs are installed into the wall in the construction phase.
What is penetrating damp?
Any water that leaks through the wall, roof or ceiling; this type of damp spreads horizontally.
What can cause penetrative damp?
Leaking roof (loose/broken tiles, damaged flashing) Defective gutters (loose or blocked) Leaking downpipes Damaged exterior walls (cracks to pointing, cladding, render or pebbledash) Poorly fit doors or windows Leaking interior pipes
how can you spot penetrating damp
Damp brown stain patches internally on the wall or ceiling
Large bubbles appearing in the plaster
Resolution tips for penetrating damp?
Seek out a RICS accredited building surveyor
Ask neighbours if experiencing similar problems
Regularly check roof
Ensure exterior pointing and paintwork is applied properly.
What is pointing
The process of finishing mortar joints in a brick or stone masonry construction
