Recently, I received an email requesting me to conduct a pre-purchase examination of a home, one of which was an examination of the wall ties. The lender was not willing to take the previous survey. Since it was arranged through the estate agents at no cost. The customer then gave me a copy the survey report for free which was comprised of three pages, including the cover as well as the quotation.
The house is a basic two-storey semi-detached home built around 1950. The exterior elevations are the 275mm cavity brick walls underneath a hipped roof.
The report explains that the surveyor conducted an inspection of the wall ties inside the cavity by using an endoscope. They were discovered to be in damaged state, and an upgrade of the wall tie was required, but no additional information about the building or property being mentioned.
There are a few things that you should be aware of prior to proceeding”installing wall ties for remedial purposes has its limitations’. It cannot correct any damage that resulted from the problems with the wall ties, and does not eliminate or correct the force or flaws that are causing damage against the structure. It is also crucial to consider that the forces that are affecting the wall due to the move are different to those that were thought of when the house was built.
In the course of assessing the visual appeal of the house, these factors were evident, however they were not included in the earlier “Free report” that was which was prepared through the agent for estate that all had a bearing on the structure and brand new installation of the wall tie.
The retrofit wall insulation constructed that will restrict the inspection. However, there is no indication of a drilling hole in the leaf’s outer surface which would permit an endoscope inspection. So how did the surveyor have inspected the wall tie.
There was a distinct deviation to the central part of the gable’s elevation while the front and rear corners were level.
The first bedding mortar was made of black ash.
Cracks in the rook were visible to the brickwork over the two window openings.
There is no evidence to suggest any movement in the foundations.
There was no evidence of lift in the mortar beds.
A look inside of the house revealed the stairs running through the gable’s elevation, with the stairs and landing having a distinct slope toward the Gable. There was however no evidence of cracks in the stair stringer or the plaster.
A check of the roof void revealed the ceiling joints running from between the front and rear of the hip rafters that were fixed on a wallplate that was on the leaf’s inner side, but and there was no lateral restraint in place.
The findings made it clear that the property had been affected due to ‘Roof spread’ it occurs when downward pressure generated by the roof covering’s weight as well as other forces, like wind or snow load on the rafters, result in an increase in pressure put on the wall plate which, if not properly secured, will begin to turnor deflect. This can create enough pressure to cause the structure of the wall to move. As the roof begins to move downwards. This pushes the walls of the exterior outwards 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 cracks, bulging or leaning toward the top of the masonry, which can cause bowing walls. The ridge’s line within the roof must be horizontal. Movement in the structure could cause some deflections in the hips and ridges and the rafters may be able to show signs of the ridge bowing, sagging, or moving which is pulling down the ridge along with the rafters.
In the final stages, when of bowing in the fascia or gutters of a home is likely to be noticed, and there will likely be a significant opening in the joint between the roof timbers. Installing wall ties for remedial purposes do not solve the roof’s spread. If the issue is not dealt with by the correct restraining device and pressure continues to be put on the roof by the exterior walls and cause a breakdown to the tie-up system.
The deflection and pressure to the gable’s elevation has caused cracks in the masonry that is over the openings. This is very common because of the alteration in bonding of these areas, these flaws also have to be addressed by carrying out Thorhelical repairs to lintel, including lateral restraints in the timbers of the first floor, together with a wall tie system to stabilize the external structure. Alternatively, the wall will function as independent panels when it is affected by thermal differential motion and wind suction
Did you know? For wall tie installers near me you can get in touch with the team at Northwest Wall Ties
Conclusion
It is evident that the previous surveyor/report had not identified the structural issues to the customer, and 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 cracking on the exterior could have led to continual movement of the exterior wall and in the long future, the structure would need to be dismantled and rebuilt, which would have resulted in additional cost and disruption.
It is advisable to conduct some research prior to conducting an inspection. A free survey conducted by an estate representative must have set off alarm bells that they are able to pay for their services and would like to assume the responsibility.
Estate agents are employed by the seller and not for themselves and are more concerned in closing the sale as swiftly and hassle-free as they can and at the most affordable price in order to boost their earnings They do not have any interest in providing advice or taking care of 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 would you not hire a professional surveyors to carry out the inspections? It’s your responsibility to cover the cost of an inspection, it’s the smallest cost you can pay to ensure that you don’t purchase an investment property that has structural problems.
Engage a professional to conduct the inspections of your home It’s most likely that it will be your highest-cost investment you’ll make.