missed problem in rics Full Structural Survey

oldcarpenter

Last weekend I visited an old friend who 18 months ago brought a Victorian semi. They had a rics .Full Structural Survey done that missed a cast iron 4 feet x 3 inch under floor original air vent under a door way. This vent came into a kitchen extension built I believe about 20 - 40 years ago. I’ve checked with local planning who have no knowledge of any building work done since original building. The kitchen has double glazing and large radiator but obviously is always cold. I have suggested they should sue for negligence, (a) for failing to notice or not reporting this in survey (b) failing to state in survey the solicitor doing the conveyance must check all necessary building work and extensions complied with local authorities. Am I being too aggressive because they are an elderly couple and plan to cover up the vent against my advice?

Bantex_2

Why would an air vent be structural?

bigadaj

No real comeback on this.

In fact with the ever increasing ventilation regs for gas appliances being implemented then this was probably just ahead of its time. Ventilation levels are now at the point where you almost can't heat a room or waste a lot of energy in doing so, we can't get our fire serviced because of lack of ventilation so have just bought a carbon monoxide monitor and continue to use.

Building_Surveyor

oldcarpenter wrote: »

Last weekend I visited an old friend who 18 months ago brought a Victorian semi. They had a rics .Full Structural Survey done that missed a cast iron 4 feet x 3 inch under floor original air vent under a door way.

So this was buried under the floor? ... Or am I reading this wrong

oldcarpenter

Building_Surveyor wrote: »

So this was buried under the floor? ... Or am I reading this wrong

No it came under the door and above the kitchen floor.There was a step down onto kitchen floor.

oldcarpenter

Bantex wrote: »

Why would an air vent be structural?

I don’t think it’s a structural fault but anybody with a little understanding of building knows it could be. A full structural survey quoted from RICS’s web page “ The most comprehensive report provides you with an in-depth analysis of the property's condition and includes advice on defects,” my worry is it may or has caused problems with dry rot to joist and flooring from the source of the moisture in the kitchen. The air flow should have been ducted under the floor of kitchen, it was not thereby a surveyor must deduct that the kitchen extension was built by a cowboy without building control and been reported in survey.