Inspection (L3) Flashcards
What are some different types of cracks?
- Horizontal cracks = signs of cavity wall failure
- Shrinkage, occurs in drying process
Cavity wall vs Solid Brick Wall?
- Cavity Wall = stretchers, intergrity comes from cavity wall ties, however developers now sometimes develop using breeze blocks, with thin layer of brick for authenticity, therefore must look for other signs including cavity wall tray or weep holes
- Solid Brick Wall - headers/stretcher, intergrity comes from header
What are some factors that would prevent lending?
- Serious defects
- Invasive plants, japanese knotweed
- Uninhabitable conditions
For what purposes are inspections undertaken?
Valuation, Agency, Management Purposes
What are some risks from inspecting?
Surveying Safely describes lone working, noise and vibration, toxic and hazardous materials, long drives, fast moving water/traffic
Why is it important to plan an inspection?
Risk of abandonment if unprepared, eg no access, unsafe
What are the four types of inspection?
- Desktop, locality, exterior and interior
Four types of foundations?
trench/strip, pad, slab/raft, piles
What is the order of Surveying Safely
- Introduction
- Personal Responsiblity for members and firms
- Assessing hazards and risks
- Occupational hygiene and health
- Visiting premises or sites
- Residential property surveying
What would you do if you encountered trespassers on an inspection?
Do not inspect and inform the client.
What is the legislation relating to trespassers?
Occupiers Liability Act
What is Japanese Knotweed?
Invasive plant species that can cause structural problems
What is the best practice for knotweed?
RICS Prof. Standard Japanese Knotweed and Residential Property 2022
What landmark might give you an idea that Japanese Knotweed is present?
Railway lines
What does the japanese knotweed professional standard outline?
a holistic approach to the weed to ensure RICS provide the best approach, contains a decision tree based on the week risk level to help valuers determine the best management strategy.
What are the management strategies of japanese knotweed?
a) Visible impacts on the building - do not loan, specialist removal
b) visible impacts on access - could loan but value impacted
c) low impact in vicinity
d) more than 3m away won’t affect value
How do you identify japanese knotweed?
Green and purple hollow stems, green heart shaped leaves with white bell shaped flowers
How do you remove japanese knotweed?
must be done a by a professional and is costly
What are the penalities?
Countryside and Wildlife Act - £5000 plus 6mths in prison
County Court Fine + 2yrs in prison
Local Authority £2500
Policied by the EA
How can you identify contamination?
Oil tanks, bore holes, review site history, if any found take photos and attempt to identify/inform the client
How would you value a site with contamination?
Wait for specialist report, caveat report with a disclaimer, deduct any remediation works from gross value
What is a deleterious material?
something that decays with age, eg wood roll shuttering, high aluminous vents, calcium chloride, RAAC (HOT TOPIC!)
What are the common defects for period residential property?
- damp
-subsidence - dry and wet rot
- tile slipage
- deathwatch beetle
- water ingress
- structural movement
- settlement
what is the dry/wet rot
dry rot is fungal, in dry areas (basements etc) has cuboidal cracking
wet rot caused by damp, signs of wet timber
What is radon?
radioactive gas, found in soil and rocks
reduce risks with ventilation and plasterboard
what is a warranty?
a written guarantee promising to repair or replace an item within a specified period of time
why are warranties important?
understanding where the liability is
what information do you compile before attending an inspection?
desktop inspection - plans, travel, site history, epc register
How do you research previous uses of a site?
Local Authority planning portal, land registry
what is the RICS guidance on contamination?
RICS Professional Standard Contamination, the Environment and Sustainability 2010
what is included in an inspection form?
date, location, weather, surveyor, client into/contact details, proximity to local amenities, contaminants, specs, floor areas, use, services
why is weather important to note?
certain defects may only be noticeably in certain weather conditions eg leaking when its raining. Covers you for liability
