Recently, I received an email requesting me to conduct a pre-purchase inspection of a home, one of which would be an examination of the wall ties. The lender refused to take the previous survey. As it was conducted with the agent for the sale for free. cost. The customer then gave me a copy the survey report for free which was comprised of three pages, including the cover and a quotation.
The house is a basic two-storey semi-detached residence built around 1950. The elevations on the outside are the 275mm cavity brick walls with a hipped roof.
The report explains that the surveyor conducted an examination of the wall ties inside the cavity with an endoscope. They were found to be in damaged state, and an upgrade of the wall tie was required, but no additional information about the property or the work being provided.
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There are a few things that you should be aware of before proceeding further”installing remedial wall ties has its limitations’. It cannot correct any damage that resulted from the failing wall ties and does not eliminate or correct any movement caused by other forces or flaws that are causing damage against the structure. It is also essential to keep in mind that the forces currently that are affecting the wall due to the move are different to those that were thought of when the house was first constructed.
While completing the visual appraisal of the home, the following aspects were obvious, but they were not included in the earlier “Free report” that was which was prepared with the estate agents which have an impact on the structure as well as the brand new installation of the wall tie.
A retrofit insulation for the cavity walls was constructed to limit the inspection. However, there is no indication of a drilling hole in the leaf’s outer surface that would allow for an endoscope inspection. So how did the surveyor have inspected the wall tie.
There was a distinct tilt to the central portion of the gable elevation while the front and rear corners were level.
The first bedding mortar was a black ash-based.
Raking cracks were evident in the brickwork over the two window openings.
There there was no evidence of any movement in the foundations.
There was not any visible raising of mortar beds.
A visit to the interior of the house found the stairs running through the gable’s elevation, with the stairs/ landing exhibiting a distinctive slope to the Gable. But, there was no evidence of cracking of the stair stringer or the plaster.
A look inside the roof void revealed the ceiling joints that run from forward to the rear, and hip rafters attached on a wallplate that was on the leaf’s inside, without lateral restraints.
Based on the investigation, it was obvious that the house had been affected due to ‘Roof spread’ it occurs when downward pressure generated by the roof covering’s weight as well as other forces, such as wind or snow loads on the rafters, result in an increase in pressure put on the wall plate which, if not properly secured will begin to rotateand deflect. This could exert enough pressure to cause the wall structure to move. When the roof’s slope begins to shift downwards. This forces the walls to the outside which is a lengthy process that can result in severe damage to the structural integrity of a house.
The first indications of roof expansion are typically bulging, cracking, or leaning toward the top of the masonry, which can cause bowing walls. The ridge line within the roof must be horizontal. Movement in the structure can cause some deflections in the hips and ridges and the rafters may exhibit signs of moving, bowing or sagging and pushing down the ridge with the rafters.
When the of bowing in the fascia or gutter of a house is likely to be noticed, and there could be significant gaps at the joint between the roof timbers. Installing wall ties for remedial purposes won’t address the roof’s spread. If the issue is not dealt with by an appropriately designed restraining system and pressure continues to be transferred by the roof to the walls on the outside which could cause a malfunction to the tie-up system.
The force and deflection of the gable’s elevation has caused cracks in the masonry above the openings. This is typical due to the changes in the bonds at these points. the cracks will need to be repaired by undertaking Thorhelical repairs to the lintel as well as installing side restraints in the timbers of the first floor, as well as a remedial wall tie system that stabilizes the external structure. Alternatively, the wall can act as a separate panel when impacted by thermal differential movement or wind suction
Conclusion
It is evident that the prior surveyor/report had not identified the structural issues to the client. Instead, it only installed wall ties for remedial purposes to the elevations to the outside, but not taking the necessary remedial steps to stabilize the roof. the external cracks would have caused continual movement of the exterior wall, and in the long future, the structure would need to be dismantled and rebuilt, resulting in additional cost and disruption.
It is advisable to conduct some research prior to giving an inspection. A free survey conducted from an agent for estates ought to have sounded the alarm that they are able to pay for their services and would like to assume the risk.
Estate agents are employed by the ‘Seller’ as well as themselves and are more concerned in closing the sale as swiftly and as hassle-free as is possible and at the most affordable cost to increase their fees They do not have any interest in advising or assisting the interests that the purchaser has, regardless of how nice or helpful they appear to be.
It is the responsibility of purchasers to stay on guard when buying a home, it is probably the most costly purchase you’ll ever make, so why should you not ask a qualified professional surveyors to conduct the inspections? It’s your responsibility to cover the cost of an inspection, it’s the smallest cost you can pay to avoid purchasing an unsound property.
Hire a professional for the inspections of your home It’s probably the highest-cost purchase you’ll ever make.