Root growth in drainage inspection chamber

iwanna

Ive just had a structural survey carried out on a house that I hope to purchase. The surveyor had a look in the access chamber and noted that although the drainage system appears to be in working order there is a lot of root from the nearby hedge in the chamber.

Having read what I can find on line I'm hoping the vendor will have this rectified under their buildings insurance before i take ownership but I'm not sure what all I can ask for - just the root cutting in the chamber ? Chamber re-lined? Full assessment of drains for leaks/damage and subsequent root-cutting & re-lining of these too?

Any input is much appreciated.

anotherbaldrick

I would insist on vendor getting a contractor in to excavate the ground around the outside of the manhole (say 9" wide ) and fill the excavation with concrete . Trimming back the root growth is no good , it will only re-grow. Either that or remove the hedge. Has the surveyor checked the bores of the pipes, drains , to ensure they are free of root penetration ?

iwanna

anotherbaldrick wrote: »

I would insist on vendor getting a contractor in to excavate the ground around the outside of the manhole (say 9" wide ) and fill the excavation with concrete . Trimming back the root growth is no good , it will only re-grow. Either that or remove the hedge. Has the surveyor checked the bores of the pipes, drains , to ensure they are free of root penetration ?

Thanks Anotherbaldrick. The surveyor didn't check any further (just avquick look into the inspection chamber) so I have concerns about the pipes & drains have root ingress too.

Furts

For your peace of mind establish if it is a brick chamber and crumbling, a concrete section chamber with roots through the joints or a plastic one that has distorted etc.

The extent or cost of the work will vary according to what is present.

Also, if the roots have reached the bottom of the chamber it is a certainty they will be into the drains. So, check out this too.

anotherbaldrick

iwanna wrote: »

Thanks Anotherbaldrick. The surveyor didn't check any further (just avquick look into the inspection chamber) so I have concerns about the pipes & drains have root ingress too.

To a degree it depends how old the house is , If fairly modern the drains would be plastic (your surveyor can tell you if they are)and I would not be worried about root penetration. If not the drains will be clayware and I would want to see a CCTV camera survey before proceeding. Roots can be insidious in ther hunt for moisture and once they get their tentacles inside they will block the drain..

cyclonebri1

anotherbaldrick wrote: »

To a degree it depends how old the house is , If fairly modern the drains would be plastic (your surveyor can tell you if they are)and I would not be worried about root penetration. If not the drains will be clayware and I would want to see a CCTV camera survey before proceeding. Roots can be insidious in ther hunt for moisture and once they get their tentacles inside they will block the drain..

Sound advice,

Truth is there is nothing you can do about the neighbouring hedge.

Yes, there may be height restrictions that can be applied but the roots will have their own way.

Avoid a property that has a known neighbour /hedge boundary issue is my view

Amendment, hedges are easily sorted,:A:A:A:A:A:A:A:A:A

keystone

How far away from the hedge is the chamber? How large are these roots? Half inch, one inch, six inches or just a load of threads? How is he certain that the hedge is the culprit? Have you looked yourself?

You should have a camera survey done of the complete drainage system in these circumstances.

You should not expect the vendor to carry out any work on the off chance that you might buy it but take any work needed into account when negotiating the sale price. The cost of a camera survey is down to you too.

Cheers

tony6403

Agree with Keystone.
If you are buying with a mortgage, the lender, having regard to the surveyor's report, will probably require a retention to cover the cost of the remedial works. That is the amount which you should be seeking to deduct from the purchase price.

iwanna

Thanks guys, some great advice here. I had this survey carried out independant from the mortgage (opting for their basic valuation survey only).

At the moment I'm only going on a 3x4" printed photo looking down into the chamber and it looks like a lot of thin twig type growth. Ive requested a soft copy of this photo to see if I can zoom in on any more detail but know I won't have peace of mind until I have it properly surveyed.

I will arrange (and pay for) a proper CCTV survey and take it from there - I guess if anything significantly expensive is required we can then look at either taking this into account from the purchase price or preferrably seeing if the vendors can have it done under their buildings insurance.

Thanks again I really do appreciate all your input.

cyclonebri1

iwanna wrote: »

Thanks guys, some great advice here. I had this survey carried out independant from the mortgage (opting for their basic valuation survey only).

At the moment I'm only going on a 3x4" printed photo looking down into the chamber and it looks like a lot of thin twig type growth. Ive requested a soft copy of this photo to see if I can zoom in on any more detail but know I won't have peace of mind until I have it properly surveyed.

I will arrange (and pay for) a proper CCTV survey and take it from there - I guess if anything significantly expensive is required we can then look at either taking this into account from the purchase price or preferrably seeing if the vendors can have it done under their buildings insurance.



Thanks again I really do appreciate all your input.

I'm on unsteady ground here, BUT, I have been in a similar situation regarding ins, they will say the neighbours ins covers their property, your, or rather your potential property, should be insured in it's own right, not rely on the neighbours ins.

They will also say if you do go ahead that you went ahead in the full knowledge of the situation, therefore it was accepted by you.

Sorry, not trying to be negative, more the devils advocate seeing what will happen, good look but take great care.

keystone

iwanna wrote: »

or preferrably seeing if the vendors can have it done under their buildings insurance.

No thats not the way things are done. You negotiate a price reduction to cover that work and do any work after you have taken posession and bear in mind the possibility of a retention as Tony mentioned.

Cheers