Help with type of steel frame house

jonnye1986

Hi all, I’m going to view  house in a couple of hours, I’m just wondering if anybody can help identify what type of steel frame construction it is from a photograph? 
Thanks in advance jonny 

weeg

In a word - no. Not nearly enough info.

tinytiddles

Looks like it might be a Dorman Long or Dorlonco (alternative name). Give it a Google, house next door looks the same as images on the web. My employer had a load of these and they were all falling apart - if you’re thinking of buying one and don’t have a bottomless pocket run a mile! The steel joints rust and become defective over time (note: they aren’t designated defective under the Housing Defects Act) and require a lot of investment to sort it out. 

artyclarty

tinytiddles said:

Looks like it might be a Dorman Long or Dorlonco (alternative name)

If that is the house I think it is, I second this - the name of the street is a dead giveaway!

We looked at #42 on that street a couple of years back and could not get a mortgage due to the expected lifespan of the the building coming to an end (constructed in the late 20s/early 30s, expected to last about 100 years). Same with the houses on Bunghill, my partner loves that style, just not really mortgageable.

If you're a cash buyer, no problem, just you really need to be on top of the maintenance. Mortgage, could be major stumbling block and then again when you want to sell.

jonnye1986

tinytiddles said:

Looks like it might be a Dorman Long or Dorlonco (alternative name). Give it a Google, house next door looks the same as images on the web. My employer had a load of these and they were all falling apart - if you’re thinking of buying one and don’t have a bottomless pocket run a mile! The steel joints rust and become defective over time (note: they aren’t designated defective under the Housing Defects Act) and require a lot of investment to sort it out. 

Thank you, the street name makes more sense now. Of all the houses in the street it seems to be the most looked after. I definitely don’t have a bottomless pocket, I’m guessing it would take a pretty expensive specialist survey to find out if there are any structural issues? 

jonnye1986

artyclarty said:

tinytiddles said:

Looks like it might be a Dorman Long or Dorlonco (alternative name)

If that is the house I think it is, I second this - the name of the street is a dead giveaway!

We looked at #42 on that street a couple of years back and could not get a mortgage due to the expected lifespan of the the building coming to an end (constructed in the late 20s/early 30s, expected to last about 100 years). Same with the houses on Bunghill, my partner loves that style, just not really mortgageable.

If you're a cash buyer, no problem, just you really need to be on top of the maintenance. Mortgage, could be major stumbling block and then again when you want to sell.

Thanks I’m not sure if it’s the same place, I’m in Durham. I’ve looked back at old maps and that’s about right, first appeard on a os map in 39. Fortunately im in a position where I don’t need a mortgage, I’m wanting the next house we move into to be where my family stays till the kids find their own way. But I also want to be able to get something back 20 years from now.