Inspection L3 Flashcards
(37 cards)
What are 4 steps to an inspection?
- Consider personal safety
- Inspect locality
- External inspection (start with the roof and work down)
- Internal inspection
What would you look for when inspecting the local area during an inspection?
Amenities
Location
Access
Contamination
Flood risk
Local market conditions
Comparables
What are you looking for during an inspection of the local area
Location amenities contamination flooding environmental hazards any comparable evidence and local market conditions
What is Japanese knotweed? so what does it look like what does it do and how to get rid of it
It’s got green, shovel shaped leaves it’s and purple stems with white flowers.
It’s an invasive plant that can damage foundations and services is very difficult to control and specialist companies have to deal with it has to be removed using chemical treatments or taking out and removing to a licensed landfill
What is the relevant law and guidance for Japanese knotweed?
Law: Environmental protection act 1990 as amended.
Local authorities can grant community protection notices if landowners do not control a spread of the Japanese knotweed.
Allowing it to spread as a criminal offense under the wildlife and countryside act 1981 with a 5000 pound magistrate cool and unlimited fine and imprisonment for The Crown Court
Guidance: RICS Guidance Note on Japanese Knotweed and Residential Property 1st edition
How would you deal with any defects you found on an inspection
I would take photographs,
try to establish the cause,
Inform client of investigations, recommend specialist advice from a building surveyor or structural engineer
What are hazardous materials
Material which is harmful to health for example asbestos and radon gas or silica dust in tiles and bricks
What are deleterious materials
Materials which degrade with age causing structural problems and negative environmental impacts for example high alumina cement and wood wool shuttering.
What would you do if you had contamination concerns?
Suggest a specialist environmental report e.g. a land quality statement or environmental screen report.
I would not provide valuation advice until the report is commissioned
caviat any advice provided with appropriate disclaimers
Deduct remediation costs from gross site value
Contamination types
Heavy metals
Radon
methane gas
Diesel
oil
chemicals
What impact would contamination have on a valuation
May impact your property valuation resulting in a discounted value depending on the severity remediation costs and market perceptions mostly led by further advice from a qualified professional such as a building surveyor.
Who pays for remediation
Whether the polluter or the land owner
What is contamination
The prices of making something dirty or poisonous or the state of containing unwanted or dangerous substances
What are some key legislation for contamination
Environmental protection act 1990
RICS professional standard: environmental risks and global real estate 2018
What is condensation and what are some causes and signs of it
the process where water vapor in the air transforms into liquid water on a cooler surface
Can be caused by lack of ventilation and heating
Signs - mould or water droplets on windows/walls
What is rising damp, and how might you spot this
Moisture from the ground that travels up through the walls usually up 21.5 m above ground level
damp patches, tide marks, and white powdery salt deposits on walls, especially at the bottom.
What is wet rot and dry rot
Wet rot is caused by damp and timber decay signs include a musty smell wet and soft timbers visible fungal growth and readings on a damp meter would be high.
Dry rot Is caused by fungal attack signs include fungal spores of fine fluffy white strands and large Mushroom like bodies a strong smell cracked paint work crumbling timber often occurs in areas of lack of air flow and warmth.
What is thermal expansion and how could you spot this
Movement can cause cracks through change in volume in response to temperature changes.
Hairline cracks. Vertical cracks in brick walls.
What are shrinkage cracks
Often form in plaster work during drying out
What might horizontal cracking suggest
In brickwork horizontal cracks indicate cavity wall tie failures
What is heave
Expansion of the ground beneath the building possibly caused by tree removal and subsequent moisture build up in the soil
What is subsidence
It’s a downward movement of building foundation often caused by loss of support of the soil or change in soil conditions
What are the most common causes for defects?
Movements such as thermal expansion heave subsidence shrinkage cracking damp so you’ve got wet rock dry rot rising damp condensation
Period properties generally have dry rot or rock and water ingress grass more modern industrial properties might have roof leaks around roof lights or damaged cladding modern offices might have poor mortar joints and efflorescence
