Inspection L1 knowledge Flashcards
Name the 4 stage process of inspections
- Consider personal safety
- Inspection of local area
- Internal and External inspection
What equipment do you take on inspections
- Mobile phone / camera
- Laser Measurer and spare batteries (calibrated)
- Inspection sheets, plans and supporting information
- PPE – COVID 19 equipment, hard hat, steel toe capped boots, High Vis,
- Pen / Paper
Describe inspection of local area
- location, aspect, local facilities, public transport.
- potential contamination or environmental hazards, flooding etc.
- Comparable evidence, local market conditions, agency boards
Describe external inspection
- Method of construction
- Repair and condition of building
- Car parking and access
- Defects and structural movement
- Site boundaries with OS map / title pla
- Date building – asking client, researching planning consent, local historical records, architectural style, Land Registry
Describe inspection purposes
- Valuation (valuation influences) – looking at factors that would impact the valuation - location, tenure, construction, defects, current condition, occupation. Measurement also undertaken
- Property Management (policing the lease) – if occupied, check lease compliance, repairs decoration, state of building.
- Agency – (marketability issues) – consider the condition of the building, repair and maintenance, marketability, presentation of accommodation, statutory compliance
Describe different types of foundations
- Trench or Strip Footing – fill trench with concrete instead of brick - residential dwellings, for load bearing walls and closely spaced columns, extensions and conservatories
- Raft – a slab foundation over the whole site to spread the load for lightweight structures on remediated land and sandy soil conditions.
- Piled – long reinforced concrete cylinders in ground to deeper strata and used when ground conditions are not suitable for heavy high loads
- Pad – slab foundation system under individual or groups of columns so column load are evenly spread
How can you tell the difference between a cavity wall and a solid brick wall
Solid brick wall will have both headers and stretchers, atleast 1 brick thick
If cavity wall, no headers (short facing) and is likely ot have cavity tray (prevents damp) and air holes
Name common brick defects
Efflorescence - white marks on bricks caused by salts on bricks, when water reacts with salts in mortar and deposited on bricks
Spalling - bricks crumble due to freeze thaw weathering
What is a defect
A defect is a deficiency in the construction process, whether that be the design, construction materials or workmanship. Latent and Inherent defects
What is a latent defect
Is a defect that cannot be discovered by a reasonably thorough inspection of the property
What is a inherent defect
a defect originating from the building design or a material that has always been present
What is a snag
a snag is a small defect or problem that remains in the property after building work is completed, usually damaged or broken (scratch on window)
What would you do if you found a defect
take photo, try to establish the cause, inform the client and potentially recommend specialist advice
What are common causes of defects
water, movement, defective building materials
How would you identify subsidence
Diagonal cracking - caused by vertical downward movement of a buildings foundations caused by loss of support on the site, beneath foundations
How would you identify heave
vertical cracking/uplift of paths - expansion of ground beneath buildings, caused by removal of tree roots
What is horizontal cracking in bricks a sign of
Cavity wall tie failure
Name the different types of damp
Wet rot, Dry rot, rising damp and condensation
How would you recognise wet/dry rot
wet rot - spongy/wet timber, musty smells and fungal growth - caused by damp (leak or plumbing), causing timber to decay
dry rot - cracked paintwork, cuboidal cracking/crumbling of timber, destroys timber and masonry, caused by fungal attack in wood, spreads in fluffy fine white strands
How would you recognise rising damp
stops around 1.5m above ground level, damaged skirting boards and tide marks on walls, peeling paint - water comes through the floor and rises, damp proof course fails
How do you recognise condensation
dark black mould and unpleasant smells - caused by lack of ventilation
Describe common defects in period buildings
dry rot/wet rot, tile slippage, rising damp, condensation, death watch beetle
Describe common defects in modern industrial buildings
Roof leaks around lights, damaged cladding, water damage from blocked gutters
How would you identify potential contamination on site
present of oil drums, subsidence, bare ground - recommend specialist to undertake surveys
