Inspection - Level 1 Flashcards
What RICS Documents are there for Inspection?
RICS Surveying Safely 2nd Edition
- Assessing hazards and risks, how to safely visit premises of sites, fire safety
Where in the red book is inspection referred to?
VPS 2 - Inspection, Investigation and records
To what extent should you inspect a property?
Depends on the terms of Enagement and extent necessary to produce a professionally adequate valuation - Red Book
The valuer must tame reasonable steps to verify the information relied on in the preparation and valuation, if not already agreed, clarify with the client any necessary assumptions to be relied on.
What are the purposes for inspection?
- Valuation
- Agency
- Property Management
- Rating Appeal
What is Japanese Knotweed?
This is an invasive plant that can damage hard services such as foundations and tarmac, it is not easy to control, costly to eradicate and a specialist company must remove and dispose of it.
What relevant law is there for Japanese Knotweed?
Environmental protection Act 1990
How do you identify Japanese Knotweed?
Green shovel shaped leaf, with a stem similar to bamboo with purple speckles
Which new RICS Guidance Note should you refer to if you come across Japanese knotweed?
Japanese Knotweed and Residential Property 1st edition 2022
What is the method of inspection?
- Inspecting the locality
- Inspecting Externally Top to bottom
- Inspecting Internally
How much time should you spend on an inspection?
As long as necessary
What equipment would you typically need during an inspection?
- Camera
- Laser/Tape measurer
- pen and paper
- Plans
- PPE
- Safety Device/ Sky Guard
- Inspecting template - VPGA 8
During an internal inspection, what would you note down about the property?
- Layout and specification
- Repairs and maintenance
- Defects
- Services
- Fixtures and fittings
When would you not need to inspect a property?
- Client requests a desktop valuation
- Re-Valuation
- Recently inspected and no changes
If a property is not to be inspected, where would this be specified?
VPS 1 - Terms of Engagement
What are 4 things you might note down about the locality for a retail inspection?
- Footfall
- Vacancies
- Quality of tenants in surrounding areas
- Location
What are value significant features?
- Location - prime or secondary
- Dimensions
- Access
- Site coverage
- Construction - be able to describe
- Age
- Accommodation - Inc. parking
- Installations and amenities
- P&M
- Specification
- Qaulity
- Repair
- Use
- Hazards
- Sustainability
During and inspection if you come across a defect, what should you do?
- photograph it
- Recommend specialist/building surveyor if not competent to deal with it or provide advice
What are the causes of cracking?
- Subsidence
- Settlement (compressed weight of a building)
- Ground Heaves (ground swell)
What is subsidence?
Occurs when ground under property is unstable and sinks. Vertical and horizontal cracking in concentrated areas. Cracks must be at least the width of a penny and often visible externally as well as internally. Tell-tables-measure crack expansion over time
What is settlement?
Downwards Movements as a result of the soil being compressed by the weight of the building within ten years of construction.
What is ground heaves?
Ground heave is the upward movement of the ground usually associated with the expansion of clay soils which swell when wet (has a large tree been removed recently?). As the soil generally cannot expand downwards or sideways, the result is that the exposed upper surface of the soil rises. The impact of heave is opposite to the effect of subsidence.
What is Dry Rot?
Wood destroying fungus that digests the wood. Occurs when damp/lack of ventilation combines to provide ideal environment for fungal attack. Brittle timbers which are easily broken or crumbly. Fungus and spores often evidence. Doesn’t need to be near source of moisture. Potentially far more damaging/costly to treat than wet rot
What are common building defects?
- Wet Rot
- Dry Rot
- Electrical and Cavity Wall Tie Failure
- Damp
What are the different types of damp?
- Penetrating (defective roof, brickwork, guttering)
- Rising (ground water drawn upwards through direct contact with brickwork and mortar)
- Condensation (insufficient ventilation – most common)
What is Wet Rot?
Timber decaying in the presence of high moisture levels (timber must be exposed to water for a long period). Identifiable via black, localised fungus growth. Feels soft and spongy, looks darker than surrounding timber. Damp, Musty Smell
What is electrical and cavity wall tie failure?
Evident is horizontal cracking. Two skins – brickwork and blockwork, come apart
What is asbestos?
- Three main types are brown, white and blue. White is least harmful, blue is most and usually found in pipe lagging. Naturally occurring mineral used in construction between 1950s and 1980s, but not banned until 1999 so may be present in 90s builds. Commonly used for pipe/boiler insulation, fireproofing/insulating in partition walls, plaster, floor/roof tiles and corrugated roofing.
- Deleterious materials are those that are either dangerous to health, commonly cause failures in buildings or are environmentally damaging. They are the result of degrade from age of a building
- E.g. asbestos, lead, chlorofluorocarbons, HAC (high alumina Cement) concrete
What is spalling?
Damage to face of brickwork. Most common cause is water penetration resulting from failed mortar, water can penetrate the bricks and freeze causing expansion. Eventually the brick will fail and the face will ‘spall’ off. Highlights importance of maintaining exterior pointing. Why mortars fail - weak mix or wrong specification. Efflorescence- white salty deposits left on brickwork when water evaporates. Not structurally an issue, but affects aesthetics.
What are the different types of Construction Types?
- Timber Frames
- Brick and Block
- Steel Frame
- Concrete Frame
- Portal Frame
Construction type - what is Timer Frame?
Structures built from timber, making up the studs, plates, joists and rafters. Still commonly used in residential, but with brick external elevations as opposed to wood used centuries ago
Construction type - what is Brick and Block?
In modern traditionally built houses the walls are built in two leaves. There is an internal blockwork wall and the external wall built of brick or stone. These, together with some internal partitions which are also built of blockwork, will support the structure of the house. One of the cheapest construction types.
Construction type - what is Steel Frame?
Steel frame construction is commonly used in high-rise, industrial, warehouse, residential buildings and so on. Its advantage include High Strength. Relatively Low Weight
Construction type - what is Concrete Frame?
The properties of concrete make it an extremely versatile building material, flexible when freshly mixed, yet strong and durable once hardened. Concrete frame structures are a very common and reinforced concrete construction is used to build a huge variety of structures, from skyscrapers and roads to bridges and damps.
Construction type - what is Portal Frame?
Portal frames were first developed during the Second World War and became popular in the 1960s. They are now commonly used to create wide-span enclosures such as: warehouses, agricultural buildings, hangars, entertainment and sports venues, factories, large retail units, and so on, where a clear space is required uninterrupted by intermediary columns. They were originally used because of their structural efficiency, meaning that large spaces could be enclosed with little use of materials and for a low cost. 50% of constructional steel used in the UK is in portal frame construction.
What is the typical construction for shops?
Steel/concrete frame with concrete floor and no suspended ceiling. Left as shell for retailer to fit out.
Common defects:
- Dry/Wet rot
- Damp penetration at roof and ground level
- Water ingress around door/window openings
- Structural movement/settlement
What is the typical construction for Offices?
Steel/concrete frame. Steel have less columns and wider span between columns. Often with raised floors with floor boxes and ceiling voids. Air con, double glazing and passenger lifts. 8 to10m2 general workspace density.
Common defects:
- Damp penetration at roof and ground elvel
- Damaged cladding
- Cavity wall tie failure
- Efflorescence
- Poor mortar joints in brickwork
- Structural movement/settlement
What is the typical construction for Industrial?
Steel portal frame with insulated profiled steel cladding walls and rood. Plastic coated steel profiled classing with brick or blockwork walls to approx. 2m. Minimum 8m clear eaves height. Minimum 30KN (KiloNewton)/sq.m flooring loading. Full height loading doors. 5-10% office content and WC facilities.
Common defects:
- Roof leaks around lights
- Damaged cladding panels
- Cut edge corrosion
- Blocked valley gutters
- Water damage from poor guttering
- Settlement/cracking in brick work
Foundations - What is Trench and Strip Footing?
Used for residential dwellings, for walls and closely spaced columns
What are the types of foundation?
- Trench and Strip Footing
- Raft
- Piled
- Pad
Foundations - What is Raft?
A slab foundation over the whole site. Spreads the load for lightweight structures e.g., for remediated land and sandy soil conditions
Foundations - What is Piled?
Long and thin reinforced concrete cylinders – used where there are less good load bearing ground conditions/high loads
Foundations - What is Pad?
Slab foundation system under individual or groups of columns so that loads is spread evenly
What is Efflorescence?
White marks caused by hydroscopic salts in the brick work, it is formed when water reacts with the natural salts by way of chemical process
What should I be looking for in the surrounding area?
- Wider local context.
- Situation.
- Aspect.
- Local Facilities.
- Public Transport.
- Contamination/environmental hazards.
- Flood risk.
- High voltage power lines.
- Telephone masts.
- Comparables.
- Local market conditions.
- Agents’ Boards.
What do you need to do before attending site?
- Health and Safety checks - Risk assessment, PPE
- Access arrangements
- due dilligence research - desk based review to help prepare
What should I be looking for externally?
- Building age.
- Construction method of building and specific elements.
- Site-specific location.
- Site access.
- Car parking.
- Loading access and requirements.
- Repair and condition.
- Contamination.
- Asbestos.
- Site boundaries, which could be checked using Title Plan or lease plan.
- Defects, e.g. structural movement, subsidence, heave, cracking, cladding.
What is land remediation relief?
Tax relief applied to contamination land
What age properties would you likely have asbestos?
Pre 1989 when it was banned
What does the concept of safe person mean?
This concept means that each individual is responsible for assessing their own risk as well as risk and harm to colleagues and other individuals on an inspection
What legislation relates to the health and safety?
Health and Safety at work Act 1974
What is the hierarchy of risk control?
Elimination, Substitution, Engineering Controls, Administrative Controls and PPE
What guidance relates to common hazards?
- RICS Surveying Safely Guidance Note, 2nd Edition, 2018
- RICS Asbestos: Legal Requirements and best practice for property professionals and clients, Guidance Note, 4th Edition, may 2021
What are the steps of a risk assessment?
- Identify the hazard
- Decide who may be harmed and how
- evaluation the risk and decide on precautions
- record the findings and implement them
- Review the assessment and update if necessary
- advice those affected of the outcome
what is the difference between hazard, risk and harm?
Hazard = is something with potential to cause harm
Risk = is the likelihood of the harm
Harm = could be injury or ill health
What is contamination?
Contamination occurs when a proeprty has hazards such as asbestos, lead or other substances, chemicals in storage which have leaked, contaminated water supplied and contaminated air-conditioning systems, caused by legionella bacteria
What are the risks of carrying out an inspection of a construction site?
- Excess noise and vibration
- Exposed to toxic materials
- Moving vehicles
- Working alongside builders
What guidance note did you have regard to for health and safety?
RICS Surveying Safely, Guidance Note, 2nd Edition 2018
What type of hazards should you be aware of on inspection?
- Heights
- fire safety
- toxic materials and chemicals
- asbestos
- flooding
- driving to inspection
- manual handling
- structural stability
- dampness and mould
- animals and vermin
- adverse weather
is there legislation relating to asbestos?
Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012
What are deleterious materials?
High Alumina Cement, Woodwool Shuttering, Calcium Chloride - materials that can degrade with age, causing structural issues
How would you test for damp?
Protimeter Moisture Measure
What is Grade A Specification?
- New or comprehensive Refurbishment
- Good location
- Good access
- High Status
- Air conditioning
- Raised flooring
- Suspended ceiling - height 2,650mm
- 2 lifts minimum
- 2.5kn loading
- 10m2 minimum area per person
- natural light
- wellbeing features
- Cat A Lighting
- cycle parking
- showers
What guidance refers to Grade A specification?
British Council for offices: Guide to Specification 2019
what legislation relates to contamination?
Environmental Protection Act 1990
what is the difference between inherent and latent defects?
Latent = Fault that could not be discovered by a reasonbly through inspections
Inherent = defects in design or material which has always been present
What is a hygrometer?
Measure amount of humidity in the air
How does a disto laser measure work? how do you care for it?
Send out laser beam, measures the time taken to reflect off a surface to determine distance. Least effective in sunlight, long distances or reflective surfaces such as tiling.
Ensure calibrated by using a confident measurement checkpoint
What are the 3 stages of contamination investigation
- Review the site history through desk-based research or site inspection
- Identify nature and extent of contamination
- Remediation report setting out remedial options
What is an anemometer?
Air movement within a building, ventilation, wind speed
What is the lone working policy and where is it found?
Guidance can be found in the RICS Surveying Safely, Guidance Note 2nd edition 2018 as well as on the Valuation Office Agency Intranet
How to keep yourself safe when inspecting alone
- Update your calander where you will be and when and who you are meeting
- Contact name and numbers of the person you are meeting
- Expected arrival time
- Reporting in regular intervals
- VOA’s safety device - SkyGaurd - ensuring always with them on inspection
Specialist help - who to ask for advice?
Defects - Chartered Building Surveyor
Contamination - Chartered Environmental Surveyor
Asbestos - Asbestos Consultant
