Inspection Flashcards
What is the suggested 4 step process when undertaking an inspection?
- Consider your personal safety - know your firm’s H&S policy
- Inspection of the local area
- External inspection
- Internal inspection
What should you take on an inspection?
- Mobile phone
- Relevant PPE
- Laser disto
- Files, plans, any relevant documents
- Note pad and paper
What should you consider in the immediate area?
Location - proximity to public transport, local facilities and business vibrancy
Environmental factors - contamination, flooding, sub stations, power lines
Local market - comparable estates, agent boards
Talk me through an external inspection
- Consider method of construction
- Repair and condition of the building
- Parking / access / loading
- Defects or movement
- Check site boundaries
Talk me through an internal inspection
- Layout and spec
- Repair
- Defects
- Services
- Statutory compliance - asbestos, H&S, Equality Act
- Fixtures / fittings / improvements
- Compliance with lease obligations (if occupied)
What are the different purposes for inspection?
- Agency (what impacts marketability)
- Valuation (anything impacting value)
- Property management (occupied - lease compliance, non-occupied - condition, security, statutory compliance)
What are the 4 types of foundation?
- Trench - used in resi, for walls or closely spaced columns
- Raft - slab foundation to spread load of lightweight structures
- Piled - concrete cylinders in ground
- Pad - slab under columns to spread load
What are the forms of brickwork?
Solid Wall - solid brickwork incorporating different patterns (header and footer)
Cavity wall - two layers of brickwork filled with insulation and tied together (often with weep holes)
What is the institutional spec for a shop?
- Steel or concrete frame
- Services capped off
- Concrete floor and exposed ceiling
- Shell condition ready for shop fit out
What is a stretcher and a header?
Stretcher - brick laid horizontally with long side of brick exposed
Header - brick laid flat with the short end of the brick exposed
What is the institutional spec for offices?
- Steel or concrete frame
- Full access raised floors with floor boxes
- Ceiling height of 2.8m
- 300-500 lux of daylighting
- A/C and double glazed windows
- Passenger lifts
- 1 cycle space per 10 staff and 1 shower per 100 staff
- Workspace density 1 person per 10 sq. m
What is the institutional spec for a warehouse?
- Steel portal frame construction with insulated profile steel cladding
- 8m eaves
- 30kn sq/m floor loading
- Full height loading doors
- 3-phase power
- 10% office content
- Site cover of 40%
What air con systems are there?
- VAV - variable air volume
- Fan coil
- VRV - variable refrigerant volume
- Static cooling
From Jan 2015 - R22 refrigerant systems is illegal
What are the type of fit outs?
- Shell and core - common parts of building completed, office areas are ready for fitout
- Cat A - ready for fit out
- Cat B / Cat A+ - complete fit out to the occupier’s requirements e.g offices, IT etc.
What is an inherent defect?
A defect in the design or a material which has always been present
What is a latent defect?
A fault to the property which could have not been discovered by a reasonably through inspection
What would you do if you found a defect on-site during an inspection?
- Take photos
- Try to establish the cause whilst on site
- Inform your client
- Recommend specialist advice from a building surveyor or structural engineer
What are the 3 main causes of defects?
- Movement (subsidence, heave, cracking)
- Damp (dry rot, wet rot, rising damp)
- Defective building materials
What is subsidence?
The vertical downward movement of a building foundation caused by the loss of support
Can be caused by changes in the underlying ground conditions
What is heave?
The expansion of the ground beneath the building
Can be caused by tree roots or moisture build up in the soil
What is wet rot?
Caused by damp and timer decay
Signs include:
- wet and soft timber
- high damp reading
- fungal growth
- musty smell
What is dry rot?
Caused inside by fungal attacks
Signs include:
- Fungus
- Cracking paintwork
- crumbling or cracking of timber
What is the key bit of statutory legislation relating to Contamination?
Environmental Protection Act 1990
Talk me through the RICS guidance on Contamination?
RICS Guidance Note ‘Contamination, the environment and sustainability’ 2010
- Surveyors must understand obligations, responsibilities and comply with the law
- Polluter or landowner pays for remediation
- Desk top study consider the previous use of the site, local history, planning etc.
What are the causes and signs of contamination?
Causes:
- heavy metals
- radon and methane gas
- diesel and oil
- chemicals
Signs:
- oil spills
- subsidence
- underground tanks
- bare ground
