What is wet rot?
Wet rot is wood rod caused by damp and timber decay. Most common signs are wet and soft timber, musty smell and fungal growth.
What are the inspection purposes?
Valuation purposes - val influences - tenure of the property, location, construction defects
Property management - policing the lease
Agency - assessing marketability
How do you assess marketability?
Dry rot
Type of wood rot caused inside by a fungus attack. The wood is brittle and breakable.
What is subsidence?
The vertical downward movement of a buildings foundations caused by the loss of site beneath the foundation.
What are typical movements in a building?
Horizontal cracking, subsidence, heave, shrinkage cracking
What is shrinkage cracking?
Often caused in new
What is heave?
What is horizontal cracking?
Expansion of the ground beneath part of the building, ie can be caused by tree removal of tree and subsequent moisture build up.
Failure of the cavity wall ties.
3 types of asbestos?
Brown blue and white
What is asbestos?
It is a common form of magnesium silicate used until 1999 in construction due to its stability and resistance to fire
What is a deleterious material
Materials can degrade with age causing structural problems. Such as RAAC, calcium chloride.
When inspecting an industrial unit what do you look for?
Damage from forklift, rust on the stale portal frame, cement from the roof in case it contains asbestos
When inspecting office what do you look for?
When inspecting retail what do you look for?
Japanese knotweed?
An invasive plant which can damage hard surfaces such as foundations and tarmac
What does jap knotweed look like?
purple green hollow stemmed in summer, in winter it is dried out stick
What is the RICS Prof Statement on Jap Knotweed?
Japanese Knotweed and Resi Property 2022
What is the purpose of Prof Stan Japanese Knotweed and Resi Property?
To assist RICS members who encounter Japanese
knotweed while undertaking resi valuations or surveys. It includes guidance on inspection and impact on value.
Types of dampness?
Rising - moisture rising from the ground floor walls up.
Penetrating - caused by rain entering the building via roof or walls
Condensation - due to poor ventilation, lack of air
Efflorescence?
White marks caused by hydroscopic salts in the brick work. Caused when water evaporates from the brick’s surface.
Walk me through an inspection?
What are the four steps of inspection?
- Consider personal safety
- Inspect the local area
- External inspection
- Internal inspection
Internal inspection steps?
Start from top
