Home Buyers Report HELP!!!!

sylar

Hi,

This is my first thread on MSE.

We are first time buyers and have just had out home buys report back. There was a number of things on it that set off alarm bells and made us wonder about the property, After looking into them on MSE it says a lot of the things are the report is back covering and not 100% accurate. I have posted some below from the report and was wondering if anyone could help clear things up?

"The walls which are approximately 275mm (11'') thick, have a masonry inner leaf and an outer skin of brick and rendered masonry with the two leaves being separated by an air gap.

There is evidence of a bitumen damp-proof course to the rear ground floor extension, and a partial injected damp-proof course to portions of the original portion of the property. We assume a PVC or bitumen damp-proof course is present to the more recent two storey rear extension although the base of this was hidden by the timber decking.

Signs of high moisture meter readings were noted to several areas throughout the ground floor of the property caused most likely by an innefective damp-proof course in these areas or possibly debris within the cavity.

A full inspection of all ground floor walls should be carried out by a PCA registered damp-proofing contractor and any remedial repairs recommended carried out.

Investigations and estimates should be obtained before exchange of contracts.

In addition, the render to the front elevation breaches any damp-proof course that may be installed to this area and this should be taken off to 150mm above external ground level."

The brickwork finish externally and pointing is in average condition bearing in mind the age of the property. Render to the front is also in reasonable order although it has cracked in several areas requiring repair. It is important the render to kept in good condition as cracks can lead to moisture ingress which in turn can lead to
render failure and possible internal dampness.

Signs of slight differential movement were noted to the gable elevation at the junction between the shower room extension and the original portion of the property.This is only minor and the crack should be repointed to prevent the risk of moisture ingress.
The cavity walls of this property are formed in two leaves which are usually held together with metal wall ties. The metal ties used in properties built before the early 1980s were prone to corrosion which, if significant, could lead to structural movement. Due to the age of the property a precautionary wall tie contractors'
inspection prior to completion would be advisable as wall tie corrosion is known to exist in similar aged properties in the vicinity.
Where windows and doors have been replaced we are unable to determine if adequate provision has been made to support the outer leaf of brickwork above. Although no signs of failure were found, additional support may be required in the future.

It is not known whether the external cavity walls contain insulation and as this could reduce large heat losses, it should be considered as a possible improvement.

Before any work is carried out, the cavities should be checked to ensure no blockages are present which could lead to damp when the cavities are filled."

Sorry there is a lot there but we would be very thankful for any help offered. All of the above was marked as 3 on the report. It seems to be a lot of ifs, buts and maybe's to me but it is our first time buying and we are a bit lost off.

54druids

Having just moved from scotland, i have had experience of home reports and usually i would say they are not worth the paper they are written on, however in this case i would have run a mile. Of course it depends on what you are paying and how much it costs to put right. 3 usually means repair now so you need a builder to look at it before you do anything. Where are you based?

Full_of_angst

How old is the property?

vectistim

sylar wrote: »

"The walls which are approximately 275mm (11'') thick, have a masonry inner leaf and an outer skin of brick and rendered masonry with the two leaves being separated by an air gap.

Unless this is an early cavity wall that feels a bit thin to me for cavity wall plus render. How old is it, and where is it?

There is evidence of a bitumen damp-proof course to the rear ground floor extension, and a partial injected damp-proof course to portions of the original portion of the property. We assume a PVC or bitumen damp-proof course is present to the more recent two storey rear extension although the base of this was hidden by the timber decking.

Signs of high moisture meter readings were noted to several areas throughout the ground floor of the property caused most likely by an innefective damp-proof course in these areas or possibly debris within the cavity.

A full inspection of all ground floor walls should be carried out by a PCA registered damp-proofing contractor and any remedial repairs recommended carried out.

It's possible the bits of visible damp proof course were in response to previous damp issues. (A damp meter will still pick them up even after they've been stopped, since all it does is measure electrical conductivity) If the damp proof course that is visible was a response to damp then the owners may have some documentation - these things typically come with rather long guarantees.
Try and find in independent damp expert, not a contracting company. A company that makes its money dealing with damp will find some damp to treat.

In addition, the render to the front elevation breaches any damp-proof course that may be installed to this area and this should be taken off to 150mm above external ground level.

"

Fair enough, this is a possible cause of damp, although it's unlikely with a cavity wall - it's also rare for a cavity wall to be rendered.

The brickwork finish externally and pointing is in average condition bearing in mind the age of the property. Render to the front is also in reasonable order although it has cracked in several areas requiring repair. It is important the render to kept in good condition as cracks can lead to moisture ingress which in turn can lead to
render failure and possible internal dampness.

Is it in a really exposed area? A cavity wall in a normal location shouldn't need an extra layer of render to prevent rain penetration.

The metal ties used in properties built before the early 1980s were prone to corrosion which, if significant, could lead to structural movement. Due to the age of the property a precautionary wall tie contractors'
inspection prior to completion would be advisable as wall tie corrosion is known to exist in similar aged properties in the vicinity.

Again, try and find an independent expert, not a contractor - they will find an excuse to want to install new ties.
The normal tell-tale for an issue is repeated horizontal cracking along the cement runs between rows of bricks (old wall ties are made of iron and laid between bricks, when they get wet they rust and swell up lifting the bricks above them)

Where windows and doors have been replaced we are unable to determine if adequate provision has been made to support the outer leaf of brickwork above. Although no signs of failure were found, additional support may be required in the future.

"It looks all right, but I'd better write something here just to cover myself"

It is not known whether the external cavity walls contain insulation and as this could reduce large heat losses, it should be considered as a possible improvement.

What does the EPC say - does the EPC even say it is cavity wall?

Can you give us a link to the property details?

sylar

The Property is in the North East, it is an end terrace house dating about 1900. We are paying around £145K for the property

sylar

vectistim wrote: »

Unless this is an early cavity wall that feels a bit thin to me for cavity wall plus render. How old is it, and where is it?

It's possible the bits of visible damp proof course were in response to previous damp issues. (A damp meter will still pick them up even after they've been stopped, since all it does is measure electrical conductivity) If the damp proof course that is visible was a response to damp then the owners may have some documentation - these things typically come with rather long guarantees.
Try and find in independent damp expert, not a contracting company. A company that makes its money dealing with damp will find some damp to treat.

Fair enough, this is a possible cause of damp, although it's unlikely with a cavity wall - it's also rare for a cavity wall to be rendered.

Is it in a really exposed area? A cavity wall in a normal location shouldn't need an extra layer of render to prevent rain penetration.

Again, try and find an independent expert, not a contractor - they will find an excuse to want to install new ties.
The normal tell-tale for an issue is repeated horizontal cracking along the cement runs between rows of bricks (old wall ties are made of iron and laid between bricks, when they get wet they rust and swell up lifting the bricks above them)

"It looks all right, but I'd better write something here just to cover myself"

What does the EPC say - does the EPC even say it is cavity wall?

Can you give us a link to the property details?

Would a link to the estate agents site do for the property details?

vectistim

Should do, I'm not sure if you've posted enough yet to be able to post a link, but the rightmove link to a property includes a number, if you just provide that we can work off that, eg: 19228572 is a rather nice house in Durham that seems to have been for sale for approximately ever.

sylar

your-moveDOTcoDOTuk/property-for-sale/house-for-sale-lumley-terrace-chester-le-street-dh3-3-sale-id-527871471

This is the link for the property. If it help with the info?

I had to take www out of it and write DOT as it won't let me send links being a new user

sylar

Or Your Move Property Ref: 527871471

vectistim

The changes to the front seem slightly unusual - rendering and changing the windows (compare to next door). OK, it does look like it's cavity at the front, the EPC reckons there's some solid wall (gable end maybe?)

I guess they might have made a mess of the brickwork changing the window sizes so the render is probably just aesthetic. (Otherwise why hasn't next door got some?) As that seems to be a cavity wall hacking the bottom 6" of render off shouldn't really make much difference to damp penetration, but won't do any harm - was the damp identified at the front?)

I can't quite tell from the photo, but looking at next door the cement between the bricks looks a bit different in a horizontal line between the bases of the two windows - this _might_ be what's prompted the wall tie suggestion.

Based on the photos, what I can see of next door, and the EPC - it feels like this is mostly back covering by the surveyor. It seems like the current owners have looked after it pretty well. But certainly, ask about any guarantees for works done.

(Remember, this is just my opinion based on reading a few paragraphs and a quick gawp at the sales particulars and EPC)

sylar

Thank you vectistim, your reply has been really helpful! We've sent the report off to a family member who is also a builder to have a look into and depending on his thoughts may get him to visit the house with us. The damp penetration was the issue that was worrying us the most, and Google searches weren't really coming up with much so both your advice and (hopefully) that we're waiting to receive from the builder should help inform how we decide to proceed.

Thanks for taking the time to help.