Concrete build homes vs Brick build - What's the difference?

LiveOnce

Can anyone shed light on the difference between the two houses beyond the material? I get brick builds are your traditional builds, but wondering why concrete builds are considered non-traditional.

Thanks

kingstreet

There have been various issues with concrete build methods over the years which prompted the Government to pass the 1984 & 1985 Housing Acts, where some construction methods were deemed defective.

If buying a particular type of property, you need to ensure it is;-

(A) mortgageable in original condition
or
(B) mortgageable following an approved scheme of repair

to enable you to borrow on it, or ensure it is saleable when you want to move.

If it's neither, it's defective and unmortgageable.

First thing to establish is the construction name, such as Airey, Cornish, Corvus, Dorran etc and see if it's on the A or B lists above.

princeofpounds

Concrete varies in its composition and in the past in particular the long-term stability of the various mixes that were used were not well-understood. So many of the buildings essentially start to fall apart as a result of reactions between the concrete, weather, metals used in construction and so on. Many causes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete_degradation

Some of these problems are impossible to deal with without a rebuild. Others are quite straightforward to fix.

In some ways it's a bit of a shame the building and in particular the lending industry has become so frightened about non-conventional building methods. The technology we use to build homes is utterly archaic largely as a result of this.

Concrete technology in particular has moved on.

vectistim

When mortgage lenders are talking about concrete/non-traditional/defective housing they generally mean post-war prefabs that were put up in something of a hurry to re-house people.

These buildings generally consisted of concrete panels reinforced with iron/steel bars. Unfortunately the reinforcement was often too close to the surface and with a bit of wear and tear water gets in, causes the reinforcement to rust. Rusted iron can swell to as much as three times its original volume - when that happens the panel is knackered (to use the technical term).

To be fair to the builders of those houses I think they would be quite surprised to learn that there are still people living in them and relying on their original structure 60 years later, they certainly weren't designed, or expected to last that long.

LiveOnce

If a lender provides a mortgage and in their valuation they say it is ok to live in minus a few minor repair, how would you interpret that?

kingstreet

If the lender's surveyor feels the property is mortgageable in its current condition, subject to a few minor issues unrelated to the construction type, I'd say it fits my (A) list above.

If this is about a particular property, it may be a good idea to tell us the full story from the outset, as drip-feeding it often ends up with you getting the answer you want, not necessarily the one that's correct!

carefullycautious

My mum moved into one and was plagued with damp running walls. It was dreadful in the winter. I know which I would buy

kingstreet

carefullycautious wrote: »

My mum moved into one and was plagued with damp running walls. It was dreadful in the winter. I know which I would buy

... good job you never get "damp running walls" in brick-built property.

That would be an absolute nightmare!

ispookie666

The unacceptable concrete types

"Concrete walls built in Cornwall and Devon before 1950 where a test of the concrete has classified it in either class A/B, class B or class C

Unrepaired prefabricated reinforced concrete construction – whether designated as defective under the Housing Defects Act or not

Large Panel System (LPS) concrete built flats/maisonettes

Prefabricated/(pre)reinforced/poured or shuttered concrete construction including Easi-form construction (except by Laing from 1945 onwards and No Fines)"

This is from Natwest. A few lenders get cold feet about concrete construction. I did not go ahead with that house - was immediate post war and my risk taking apetite was zero.