Chartered surveyors in Harmer Hill

Modern insulated construction to current Building Regulations, normally with a ten-year structural warranty, high levels of airtightness and mechanical ventilation in the newest homes.

What we usually find. Structural defects are uncommon; the recurring themes are condensation and interstitial damp where airtight construction meets ventilation that is switched off or never commissioned, along with workmanship snags in newer developments.

Worth knowing. On flats and any property with external wall insulation or cladding, establish the position on fire safety documentation early, as it can hold up a sale regardless of the building’s condition.

Normally solid walls of brick or stone with no cavity, lime mortar, timber suspended floors and lath-and-plaster internally. Any damp-proof course is either slate or absent altogether.

What we usually find. Damp at low level is the most frequent finding, usually where a slate damp-proof course has been bridged by raised ground or by later solid floors and cement render. Chimney stacks, roof coverings and rainwater goods are often at or beyond the end of their serviceable lives, and earlier repointing in cement rather than lime can trap moisture and spall the brick face.

Worth knowing. Solid walls cannot be treated like cavity walls. Injected chemical courses and internal tanking frequently move the problem rather than resolve it, so the cause matters more than the last remedy applied.