I’ve had a bad building survey… what should I do now?
/At Calsurv, we often receive calls from potential purchasers asking to talk through the findings of a recent building survey that they have had carried out. We thought it would, therefore, be useful to put together a guide for how to tackle any issues that might come up as a result of a building survey... In this blog, read about the most common defects and how to remedy them.
If you have invested in a RICS Survey – congratulations! We believe that too many purchasers rely on the valuation report produced by mortgage companies. We ask clients to bear in mind that valuation reports are carried out for the benefit of the lender, whilst a RICS building survey is for the benefit of the purchaser.
The RICS suite of surveys, carried out by chartered surveyors, allow a purchaser to make an informed decision when purchasing a property. They highlight the condition of the building and flag up any potential expenditure that may be required in the future. At best, they provide reassurance and allow a purchaser to budget for repairs and renewals. They can even, potentially, be used to negotiate some money off the sale price of the house. At worst, a building survey provides the purchaser with prudent information that may stop the sale progressing.
Unfortunately, RICS surveys do not always make for a comfortable read as they often highlight defects that have not been apparent to purchasers on their previous visits. Your surveyor will spend time on site simulating domestic usage (e.g. opening and closing doors, testing the gas supply) as well as recording the fabric of the building (e.g. taking damp metre readings, recording roof pitches, inspecting roof trusses, examining the drainage). The survey will, therefore, include considerations that will not be revealed during a ‘normal’ estate agent viewing.
Below, are the most common defects that we observe in the properties we survey and include some information on what to do next…
1. Damp to external walls - this is relatively common and elevated readings are usually caused from the absence, or failure, of a damp proof course (DPC). Sometimes, the external ground levels are elevated above internal floor level and this also bridges the DPC. In order to remedy this, ensure the DPC is kept in good condition and/or the external ground level is reduced if necessary. Elevated damp readings can also be caused by a lack of effective drainage to the abutment between the external walls of a building and the ground. The installation of a channel (or French) drain will serve to drain water effectively from this sensitive junction and mitigate the build up of damp.
2. Failure of flashings – particularly around the base of chimney stacks and/or at the junction of roofs and parapet walls can lead to damp penetrating into a property. This is particularly prevalent when cement has been used to hold lead flashings in place. As the lead expands and contracts with the fluctuating temperature, it can cause the cement flashings to crack. We recommend replacing cement flashings with lead flashings, as well as including soakers to slate or plain tiled roofs.
3. Failed glazing panes – these can be difficult to identify as the presence of dirt on a pane of glass can hide any trapped humidity. Inspections taking place in summer, where there is little condensation build up, can also make the identification of failed glazing difficult. If moisture build up is evident between the panes of glass, it is usually due to the failure of the sealing to the double glazing. This will likely require the replacement of the glazing in order to resolve this issue.
4. Elevated damp metre readings internally – one of the most common defects we encounter on surveys and caused by a number of sources. If high humidity levels persist, they can lead to the degradation of the fabric of the building, damage to decorations and can even impact health. Elevated readings are common where warmer air condenses on colder wall surfaces and also where moisture is trapped against a wall (such as behind curtains or where items are stored against a wall). Other sources of elevated moisture levels include poor ventilation (in high humidity spaces such as kitchens, bathrooms, loft voids and sub floor spaces), the presence of a tumble dryer (especially condenser appliances) and failed rainwater goods to the outside of a property (particularly in corner locations and next to rainwater outlets). In order to address these issues, rooms with high humidity readings will require the installation of improved mechanical ventilation (ideally a MVHR system), whilst roof and sub floor spaces need a better through-flow of air. This can be achieved by introducing new vents, either through the roof coverings or through the external walls. Windows should also feature trickle vents and tumble dryers should be of a vented type in order to ensure humid air is transferred to the outside of a property. Failed rainwater goods can lead to the saturation of the adjacent brickwork and, therefore, where leaks are observed, they should be sealed with mastic as soon as possible. Rainwater pipes and gutters should also be regularly inspected and cleared to ensure their free running. Other causes of damp within a property include moss to the roof surfaces (which leads to the trapping of water onto the timber structure below), leaks to the internal drainage (which may require the renewal of pipes and/or a CCTV survey if these areas are concealed) and uncapped chimney pots. If chimney pots are left uncovered, rainwater can be expected to ingress the stack and cause dampness to chimney breasts within the property.
5. Cracking to external brickwork – this often sounds the ‘scariest’ of building defects, however, it rarely is a serious cause for concern. Most cracking is caused by the movement of two differential parts of a building. For example, in a Victorian property, the bay window often has shallower foundations than those provided to the main building and, therefore, normal seasonal movement (particularly on clay soil) can lead to cracking. Similarly, cracking is often apparent where a newer extension has been added to an existing structure. This cracking can be exacerbated by the absence of movement joints in the wall but may also indicate inadequate foundations to the new addition. Cracking may also be the result of the failure of a lintel above an opening (such as a window or door), the close proximity of a large tree to a property, settlement and/or subsidence. Rarely, can such cracking not be rectified with, for example, Helifix crack stitching repairs, however, in some cases this defect can prove costly. If in doubt, hire a Structural Engineer to advise on any cracking.
6. Failure of the pointing – this is one of the most common defects we note on site and can lead to damp penetration and spalling of the brickwork. Localised renewal of pointing is almost always recommended, however, if failure covers a wide area of brickwork, then it may be that all pointing to the external facades need to be renewed. Originally, buildings were likely to have been pointed up with a lime pointing. This is sacrificial to the brickwork in that it allows for evaporation of water from the pointing as opposed to the face of the bricks. Lime pointing also is more accommodating of any movement the building experiences. In recent years, much of the lime mortar in buildings has been replaced by harder cement pointing. This has the reverse effect, forcing water into the bricks and causing spalling damage through the process of freeze-thaw action. For this reason, any pointing renewal works should be conducted using mortar with a lime content. It is also important, that where a building has been rendered and painted, any cracks are repaired as soon as they develop. This avoids water becoming trapped behind the paint film where it can then cause damage to the pointing and the brickwork behind.
7. Leaking to roofs – leaks to the roof coverings of a property can lead to the degradation of a timber structure below as well as cause damage to the internal decorations. It is, therefore, important that the roof coverings are kept in a good condition. Where a roof has been clad with slate, the nail fixings can corrode and lead to the eventual slipping of the slates. Where a roof has been clad with concrete and/or clay, the covering itself may erode and crack, leading to water ingress. Due to their poor pitch, leaks are often more prevalent to flat roofs, particularly those that comprise of mineral felt. This type of roof covering is also sensitive to UV degradation and, overall, has an effective life of between 10 and 20 years. After this time, cracking and/or crazing to the surface can occur. The only way to address this is to effect patch repairs and, eventually, renew the roof coverings, ideally with a GRP system. Leaks to flat roofs are also more likely where rainwater goods discharge over their surface. We also recommend improving the pitch of the roof where possible and ensuring rainwater goods are connected directly into the sub surface drainage.
8. Cracked ceramic floor coverings – where tiles are laid to a floor (usually in kitchens and bathrooms), cracking is commonplace. Where cracking is observed, it is often caused by the absence of a rigid board beneath the tiles. This means that when the floor is trafficked, the tiles and grout deflect under the weight. In order to rectify this, the tiles will need to be taken up, a rigid backer board be installed and new tiles relaid.
Remember that when purchasing a property, you need to consider the building as an investment… If you have any doubts, talk to your surveyor and or commission a specialist to investigate further. Read the ‘next steps’ section of your building survey carefully. It may be that your surveyor recommends pricing the suggested remedial works with a builder so you have a better idea of the costs involved. Either way, don’t panic… it is rare that building defects are unable to be ‘fixed’ - you just need to be aware of any big spends prior to signing on the dotted line.
If you would like to talk to us about any concerns you have, feel free to complete one of our on-line forms or pick up the phone.