Inspection Flashcards
Inspection
What is dry rot caused by?
Caused by a fungal attack
What are the three common causes of defects ?
“1. Movement
2. Water
3. Defective / non-performance / Deterioraction of building materials”
What are important considerations for defects ?
“Check whether there are any warranties for the building from the contractor and professional team.
Understand the purpose of snagging on a newly built property
(Snagging is the process of identifying and correcting minor issues in a new build property)”
What signs should you look out for with contamination ?
“Evidence of chemicals
Oils
Oil drums
Subsidence
Underground tanks
Bare ground”
What are the penalties for Japanese Knotweed?
A criminal offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
1) Local authorities can grant Common Protection Notices (CPN) and fines of up to £2,500 per person (£20k for an organisation) if landowners ignore it, do not control it or allow growth onto adjoining land.
2) Magistrates Court can impose a £5000 fine or 6 months in prison.
3) Crown court can impose an unlimited fine or 2 years in prison
What does RICS Professional Standard Japanese Knotweed and residential property March 2022 outline?
“1. Provide best practice guidance based on market information and recent research of Japanese Knotweed.
2. Ensuring RICS members provide the best advice to users of valuation and condition reports.
3. Provides a decision tree - based on risk level to help valuers determine the most app management approach needed for JK.”
What is the RICS guiance on Japanese Knotweed?
“RICS Professional Standard Japanese Knotweed and Residential Property 1st January 2022
(effective 23rd March 2022)”
What are the four common forms of foundation ?
“Choice depends on the ground conditions and building loadings
1) Trench or strip footings - residential dwellings for walls and closely spaced columns.
2) Raft - slab foundation over the whole site to spread the load for the lightweight structures on remediated land/ sandy soil conidtions.
3) Piled - long and slener reinforced concrete cylinders (piles) in the ground to deeper strata when less good load-bearng ground conditions - high loads
4) Pad - slab foundation systems under individual systems under individual or groups of columns to that the column load is spread evenly “
How can a desktop study consider contamination?
Consider the previous use of the site, local history, planning register
What is horizontal cracking? What might it indicate?
Horizontal cracking in brickwork = may indicate cavity wall tie failure in a brick wall
What is shrinkage cracking?
“Shrinkage cracking often occurs in new plasterwork during the drying out process.
Also can be the consequence of excess water evapourating while the concrete dries.”
Other reasons for cracking ?
“Other cracks may be due to differential movement such as settlement cracks.
Thermal expansion/movement can also cause cracks”
What are the three phases for investigating contamination ?
“Phase 1 - Review site history with a desktop study and site inspection and investigation.
Phase 2 - Investigation to identify nature and extent of contamination with detailed soil samples taken using bore holes (Intrusive).
Phase 3 - Remediation report setting out remedial options with design requirements and monitoring standards.”
What is the penalty for allowing the spread of Japanese Knotweed?
“Magistrates court can impose a maximum fine of £5,000 or max prison sentence of six months or both!
Crown court - can impose unlimited fine or max prison sentence of two years or both!”
What is solid wall construction ?
“The simplist type of wall is constructed in solid brickwork with headers normally one brick thick and there are different bricklaying patters incorporating headers - such as flemish bond to tie together the layers of brick.
Headers and stretchers.”
If you are instructed to value a site with contamination, approaches to be considered are?
“1. Wouldn’t provide any advice until a specialist report is commissioned.
2. Caveat the advice provided with an app disclamer highlight the issue use of a special assumption
3. Deduct the remediation costs from the Gross Site Value.”
What are the different inspection purposes?
“Valuation
Property Management
Agency “
What have RICS said on Contamination?
RICS Guidance Note: Contamination the environment and sustainability 2010
What is cavity wall construction?
“In a cavity wall, two layers of brickwork are tied together with metal ties
With a cavity that may be filled with insulation
No headers used
Evidence of cavity tray, air brick or weep holes may have been seen.”
What are some sign to potential problems with deleterious materials?
Brown staining on: concrete, concrete frame buildings and 1960s and 1970s buildings as well as in modern buildings
Please can you provide some examples of hazardous materials?
“Asbestos
Lead piping/paint
Raidon gas”
What is the key legislation on Contamination ?
Environmental Protection Act 1990 as amended
What is your role as a surveyor with hazardous materials?
“Recommend specialist reports and make appropriate assumptions in your advice.
Always check contents of an asbestos report/register.”
How can contamination exist?
“Comes from particular industrial, agricultural or commercial activities.
For example chemical or waste spills and leakes
The reasons for contamination can include poor waste management.
Issues relating to heavy metals, radon and methane gas and diesel/oil/chemicals.”