Inspection Flashcards
What is the 4 step process to inspection?
- Considering personal safety (PPE etc)
- Local area inspection
- External inspection
- Internal inspection
What would you look for when inspecting the local are?
- Agents signs / comps
- Public transport access
- Business vibrancy etc
What would you look for when inspecting the externals of a property?
- Method of construction
- Repair and condition
- Car parking / access
- Check site boundaries with title plan
- Defects
What would you look for when undertaking an internal inspection of a property?
- Layout and specification
- Repair and maintenance
- Defects
- Statutory compliance e.g. asbestos, fire safety etc
What to take on an inspection?
- Mobile / camera
- Measurement equipment
- Floor plans
- PPE
- Pen, paper
What are the types of inspection?
- Valuation - to understand all the factors that can influence the valuation of a property.
- Agency - to understand all the factors that can influence marketability
What are the types of foundations?
- Trench - residential
- Raft - lightweight structures on poor soil
- Piled - high loads
- Pad - spread column load evenly (industrial)
What are the 2 types of brickwork?
Solid wall - normally at least 1 brick thick, tied together with Flemish bonds
Cavity wall - 2 layers of brickwork tried together with metal ties and filled with insulation
How do you know of a property is a solid brick wall?
You can see both the stretcher (long face if the brick) and a header (short face)
What is efflorescence?
White marks caused when water reacts with natural salts in brickwork
What is spalling?
Damage to brickwork caused by freeze thaw
What is the institutional spec of retail shops?
- Steel or concrete frame
- Services capped off
- Concrete floor
- Let in shell condition
What is the institutional spec for offices?
- Steel or concrete frame (steel frame = fewer columns & higher ceiling heights)
- Typical space approx 1 person to 8 sq metres
- Raised floors and floor boxes
- 300 - 500 lux average
- Passenger lifts
- 1 cycle space / 10 staff
- 1 shower / 100 staff
What are the types of air con?
- VAV - Variable air volume
- Fan Coil - usually 4 pipe
- VRV - variable refrigerant volume
- Static cooling
5 comfort cooling
What are the types of office fit out?
- Shell and core - common parts are completed and office space left as shell
- Cat A - adding basic finishes to shell and core e.g raised floors
- Cat A+ - Plug and play option that’s a cross between Cat A and Cat B, includes meeting rooms and breakout space
- Cat B - fit out involves taking the empty Cat A space and tenant works with professionals to create finished office product
What is the institutional spec for industrial accom?
- Min 8M clear eaves height
- Full height loading doors
- Approx site cover of 40%
- 5-10% office content
What are the 2 types of building defect?
- Inherent - defect in the design that has always been present
- Latent - fault in the property that could not have been discovered reasonably through inspection
What steps do you take if a defect is detected?
- Photograph
- Notify client
- Recommend advice from building surveyor
What are the 4 types of movement?
- Subsistence - vertical downward movement
- Heave - expansion of ground beneath building
- Horizontal cracking - May indicate cavity wall tie failure
- Shrinkage cracking - often occurs with new plasterwork
What are the types of rot?
- Wet rot - caused by damp
- Dry rot - fungal attack
What are the types of damp
- Penetrating - leaks in roof
- Rising - usually stops 1.5M from floor
- Condensation - lack of ventilation
What are some common building defects?
Older property - rot, tile slippage
Office - effofloresence
Industrial - cut edge corrosion, roof leaks
What is a Phase 1 Environmental Review?
desk top study and investigation for any environmental issues which affect a property
What are some signs of contamination?
- Oil drums
- Near petrol stations
What are deleterious materials?
Materials that can degrade with age
E.g Reinforced autoclaved, aerated concrete (RAAC)
What are hazardous materials?
Materials harmful to human health
E.g asbestos, lead piping
What is the key document for Japanese knot weed?
RICS Professional Standard: Japanese Knotweed and Residential Property (2022)
What does Japanese Knot weed look like?
Purple / green hollowed stems with green leaves
How can Japanese knot weed be disposed of?
- Chemicals
- Digging out
(Must be done in accordance with Environmental Protection Act 1990)
What are the 2 types of building defect
Inherent - always been present
Latent - fault that would not have been discovered reasonably through inspection
