This week our Surveyor, Patrick Moyle, has surveyed a property at Horley near Gatwick Airport for a client who is wanting to take on a Full Repairing Lease. A detailed protected Schedule of Condition has been prepared.

The property was built around 1990 and is therefore 27 years old. The roof covering although only 27 years old, is in very poor condition with Cut Edge Corrosion having occurred – steel work sheeting is corroding at the edges and the paint finish has curled up and deteriorated. Also the paint finish has deteriorated to the main area and the galvanising has failed resulting in corrosion.

The plastic roof lights have all discoloured. The roof now will have a limited life and we have advised our client of the short life span of the roof covering and that any future repair or renewal must be specifically excluded from the lease to ensure that to endure repair and maintenance of the lease they do not have to pay a considerable amount of money.

It is important when negotiating a lease to attach a Protective Schedule of Condition to it to ensure that no dilapidation issues arise at the end and to ensure that dilapidation costs are kept to a minimum. Our Survey also discovered numerous other issues with the building.

Polystyrene tiles were very popular in the 1970s/ 1980s as a form of decoration to the ceilings of a house. It is rare to come across polystyrene tiles now, but if we see it we recommend that they are removed as they pose a fire safety risk to the property, this is relatively easy and cheap to do. This photo was taken in Croydon whilst carrying out a Condition Schedule.

We recently carried out a Full Building Survey on a property in Dorking, Surrey. The rear pool looks as though it is slowly turning into a pond! The plant life and Tadpoles in the water indicated that the water has not been chlorinated or maintained properly for a very long time! Routine maintenance is important, especially with expensive luxuries such as swimming pools.

If you would like to speak to one of our friendly team regarding any of our services please call us on 01737 245947.

Recently we carried out a Full Building Survey on this property in Redhill, Surrey. There is a rear conservatory extension which has been ‘butted’ up against the original building, the tapered crack between the original building and the extension shows that there is structural movement, caused by inadequate foundations. It is important to have your property inspected if you are worried about any cracks that may appear on your property.

Call us on 01737 245947 to discuss any issues you may be concerned about, or alternatively visit our website https://www.briangalesurveyors.com/ to see the full range of property services we provide.

We recently carried out a Full Building Survey on a property in Horley, Surrey. It was immediately apparent that the property is poorly maintained externally. There was a lot of vegetation growth around the base of the walls and coming from the gutters. This will increase the likeliness of penetrating damp occurring which may lead to necessary remedial works, which can be expensive. It is good working practice to regularly remove vegetation away from the property and to clear the gutters.

Get in contact with our friendly team today on 01737 245947 or fill in the request form and we will be delighted to help with any queries you may have.

Recently during a Full Building Survey in Crawley, Sussex we noticed the property has Finlock Gutters. These are precast concrete gutters, when new they work perfectly well, but keeping them well maintained is essential. As you can see from the photos attached, the damage that defective gutters can cause. Many companies can line Finlock Gutters making them water tight, this is a very simple solution and should be carried out to prevent leaks. The alternative to this solution is removing the pre cast gutters and replacing with UPVC gutters, however this would be a more expensive option.

During a Full Building Survey we inspected a property in Horley, Surrey which has been newly altered and extended . There is a modern breathable membrane beneath the tiles. Unfortunately, where condensation is occurring, breathable membranes are meant to prevent condensation. It is not uncommon to find that not all breathable membranes work effectively and if issues like this occur, then proprietary tiles vents need to be installed to ensure a through flow of air through the roof void to prevent moisture laden air creating condensation issues.

When inspecting older buildings it is not uncommon to find wells in gardens. Many old wells are close to buildings and the sides of the wells must be regularly checked. If pressure from the soil pushes the brickwork in, then they can collapse allowing the ground around to move which can cause structural issues to the house. The well we recently inspected was near Norwood Hill, Charlwood and was in good order. The photographs show the bricks are laid upon each other with gaps so that water could run into the well. Due to the way they are formed, the construction is weak and regular checking should be carried out.

We have recently carried out a Full Building Survey on a Grade II Listed period timber frame building in Charlwood, Surrey. This was a classic example of a post medieval timber frame building with a central smoking bay. Smoke bays were an enclosed area through which smoke from the main fire rose- before chimney stacks and chimney breasts were invented. The structure within the smoke bay was smoke encrusted.

Unfortunately, the building required a considerable amount of work and this included rebuilding of the chimney stack to one section and major repair/ recovering of the roof due to water penetration saturating the beam beneath the central valley gutter. It is important  to keep these buildings in good order to prevent damp causing deterioration and also to regularly inspect parts of the fabric, otherwise if they deteriorate they can become a major Health and Safety issue.

Our Surveyors will be more than pleased to discuss any matters surrounding period and listed buildings.

Please contact us on 01737 245947 to speak with a member of our friendly team.