Posts Tagged ‘Soils’

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Where would we be without trees?

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I have no objection to tree hugging although, in some cases, if the tree is too close to your home then I would advise you to get rid of the tree.

This is not being anti-tree (if there a term for this?). Instead I am simply recognizing that trees take a lot of water out of the ground and if the sub-soils heave or contract due to that influence then house stability may be compromised.

The graphic below (lifted from a national newspaper article – sorry about the jaded quality) shows “safe” distances whereby trees can safely co-exist with housing.

Approximate "safe distances" for trees to be close to housing.

If any one tree is within the “safe influencing distance” suggested then it could cause subsidence issues to your home and/or its drainage system.

Conversely, if a group of trees is clumped together they collectively could all be outside the safe distance but act as if within that safe distance.

House foundations are designed to accommodate some ground movements: in extremely bad soils (clays are the worst) foundations may have had to be especially designed and constructed to cope with such hostile conditions.

In other cases the danger that trees pose is indirect: consider tree roots being too close to a drain run (but well away from a home) – those roots can grow into the drains that then fracture and that water leakage either (1) removes fine deposits within your soil and that causes house subsidence or (2) that water swells the soil and that expansion causes soil “heave” (the opposite to subsidence) that causes the same massive damage to your home.

Removal of trees can also cause the ground to swell up (heave) and so tree removal is not something to be done without first taking professional advice.

So – foundations, trees, drains, sub-soil types and their various interactions are all connected. If you disturb that delicate balance inappropriately then you will have potential consequences that may not be insurable. On the face of such damage your insurance claims should be covered but if the insurers believe the damage was self-inflicted because you planted trees too close to your home, or removed them inappropriately, then you run the risk of your claim being reduced or completely thrown out.

This places the burden of maintaining trees firmly on landowners shoulders. Crowning, lopping, root pruning, root barriers, etc…. are all matters that may need to be considered when advising on trees.

Be warned.

If you are southern England and need advice and opinion, simply call me or use the CONTACT FORM above. Stuart Parrett.

Strange things do happen: it started with FLIES!

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Let the buyer beware

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A lady called me to ask why her new home was filled with flies. I don’t know, I replied, where are the flies? In my windows, she replied. Perhaps the frames or trickle-vents are not sealed properly? After a few minutes she insisted I call out to “look and advise” (for a small fee, of course).

Minor window frame seal problems accounted for the flies: two minutes inspection time was all that I needed. BUT…… like in Question of Sport on TV – what happened next?

Over a cup of coffee, whilst chatting through how she should tackle the builders, I simply said ‘why have you got such a large gap between floor and skirting boards (in her dining room)”?

Oh, that’s nothing – the Builders had to inject concrete under the floor for some reason just after we moved in. They drilled through the floor surface and a big machine pulled up outside and pumped concrete for ages, she reported. “But you have a suspended concrete floor and you cannot just pour concrete into the void under it” I replied.

After a while, after feeling very uneasy about what the Builders had done, I decided to stop and not alarm the lady owner. She did not pick up on my own alarm and so I left site and one happy client.

The following week I was in the offices of the Local Planning Authority on another matter and decided to have a quick look at the Building Control file of last week’s “fly visit”. To my utter astonishment I uncovered a nest of letters from one contractor to another; inputs from Engineers and the Developer HQ office and Site Manager (it was a large development). Engineers were concerned that surface water discharge systems on-site were causing the chalk sub-soils to liquefy and withdraw support for garages, roads, drains and housing above. The worst, thus far, was reported as my own clients’ home.

I studied the file and saw correspondence over about six months expressing concerns and debate about what should be done. In essence I had discovered a hornet’s nest. Land and buildings were subsiding and a land stabilization scheme had to be considered/implemented.

To cut a long story short we subsequently negotiated with the Developers to buy-back my clients home and to reimburse all her expenses and fees involved in moving into another home out of that area.

There are several stories here but the lesson to be learnt is that ANY HOME CAN HAVE SERIOUS PROBLEMS and it pays to take advice from a practical SURVEYOR; one that offers an exceptional after-sales service and has the skills to not only find faults. “Service” starts with the obvious but can diversify into multiple related other areas. In this case no Solicitors were required – this was quite unusual but did reduce costs considerably as we did not need to know exactly what was happening, just how the problem affected marketability and value. The problem remained with the Developer.

If you are in southern England and need advice simply call me or use the CONTACT FORM above. Stuart Parrett +44 (0)1489 896 174.

Is it worth surveying a brand new home?

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I complete many surveys for Building Companies; Part Exchange cases mainly. Often I am asked by a home owner “Should I have a survey on a brand new home? Would it be worth it?”.

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This is one of the hardest questions to answer. Yes? No? Maybe?

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The way I handle such a question is to first ask why they are asking – often a clue develops in that conversation. Others handle this differently and I so-called SNAGGING REPORTS that say that a door is non-compliant due to some obscure Regulation breach and that it has a small scratch by one hinge etc….

Has a solicitor advised a report? Has what I have been doing in their own/current second-hand (old) home frightened them into action? Have they been watching too much TV? Have they had a Lender Valuation report copy and something has upset them?

Often potential purchasers see the Environmental Report and are frighten so much that they google Surveyors and ring to get free advice on that report – this is common.

Sometimes purchasers see something closeby to their new home, eg: an electrical sub-station, and ask if they could get cancer if they moved in – I am not joking!

Sometimes purchasers see that the local sub-soils are predominantly of shrinkable clay and ask me to complete a full Building Survey (on a new home) to ensure them that subsidence is not affecting their potential purchase.

I suppose that what drives many of these types of comment is the fact that purchasers often feel out of their depth: they need and seek re-assurance and asking for the most expensive form of survey fulfills that inner need.

In some cases they ask for a full building survey but when I ask if they also require a market valuation they say “no – I have had a Lenders Report and they say the price is ok”, or they say “I don’t need a Rebuild Cost Assessment because I have insured it for the purchase price”! Rational?

So, how do I answer this question – Is a new home survey really worth it?

First – discover why they are asking. What drives the request? MOTIVATION?

Second – ask what type of home it is and where it is; what is its value? QUALITY? SCALE?

Third – ask at what stage of construction is it at? PRACTICALITIES?

My answer then falls into place.

If it is part built then I report that to ensure a good build-quality they could employ me to check, weekly, during the remaining build-period and to then snag and de-snag the final structure. Obviously this is expensive but would deliver the best build quality and finish possible.

I often refer to the fact that defects often need time to manifest themselves: a missing internal door lintel may not show any distress until months or even years later. A survey after snagging would probably not reveal that problem or risk. This is not negligence.

Is performance of a snagging list the best form of survey? I have seen “specialist contractor” snagging reports and they stagger me. They have merit but are usually filled up with comments such as “the top edge of the bedroom door is not finished in accordance with the British Internal Joinery Association Code of Practice No XYZ/123 and the fire-stop is 1mm too narrow to door head corner area etc….

The surveyor may be right in making such comments but the effect of his/her remarks is generally inconsequential in terms of reduced/increased fire risks. The fact is that if you buy a new car, it is not perfect and it will de-value immediately. The same is true of housing.

We are rapidly becoming American’ised and expect perfection and he-who-shouts-loudest often can succeed in getting works done because of such snagging reports. The “reasonableness test” of whether something not right is actually “wrong” is a moving target depending on circumstances:-

Referring to a part of the building element –

• Does it fulfill its designed performance?
• Has it been installed/built correctly?
• Will it be liable to age more rapidly?
• Does it look reasonable?
• Is it safe?
• Can it be repaired without disproportionate cost?
• Does the problem affect value or saleability? Etc…….

A case can be made to say that some “defects” do not need to be rectified. All things are in a state of imperfection and so why change them? A reason must exist.

My own approach is one of common-sense: is a repair needed? My thought processes will be influenced by the calibre and quality of the building, its weather exposure and if a problem affects value and saleability. My actions on site should not reflect the whims of my client.

“Do you need a survey” also depends on the reputation of the Developer: if they have a good after-sales regime then you can expect to rely upon that service, as well as the limited cover provided by the NHBC 10 or 15 year insurance policy on the home.

So – is a new home survey worth it? Well, yes. Yes, but the type of inspection(s) or report are open to opinion and that is determined by budgetary constraints and personal attitudes. Some clients say “as detailed as possible so I can screw the builder, please”.

So, I DO FIND IT DIFFICULT TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION. I do not like to see clients pay good fee money for less-than-practical-reports and so a certain definition of terms is always needed so I can define the right survey product for any particular client. Any mis-match of expectations will inevitably result in hassle for all parties concerned.

Once (years ago) a repeat client of mine asked for a “full survey” on a new home: when I began my questioning it transpired that the client had a very inflated opinion of the quality of her purchase and the builders ability to set right all faults. In that particular instance I decided to not quote or act for the client. Ducking out? Perhaps I did, but perhaps somebody else didn’t and I hope the client got what she wanted but, to remain professional, I do not report “to order”.

I consider the above a truly professional stance; others may say differently but I like to think my stance is both modern and appropriate to today. I would like to hear others’ views on this conundrum – got a view?

At the end of the day do you think it is wise to spend a massive sum and not take true, independent opinion on whether faults or defects exist? Talk to me BEFORE you let anybody else convince  you otherwise. Stuart Parrett +44 (0)1489 896 174 or use the CONTACT FORM above.