Surveyor says house is uninhabitable

Joliates1939

I remember years ago another family member removing some tiles and the adhesive was large black dots

Section62

Joliates1939 said:

My concern with removing the tiles is if they aren’t happy with what’s underneath they can just walk away leaving me with the cost of putting everything right before being able to put back on market. We are talking 10 ceilings here.

The issue here is probably that the tiles were put up in the first place to cover up issues with the ceiling above them - lath ceilings may be suffering from nail rot or poor adhesion between the plaster and laths, so sections of the ceiling might come down with the tiles.  Whatever they do, further remedial work is likely to be needed on the ceilings, it would be incredibly fortunate if a light skim is all that is needed.

Unless the tiles are fire retarding they represent a fairly significant fire risk - polystyrene burns well, and them being on the ceiling means flame can spread very rapidly. The smoke and fumes given off when polystyrene burns can be particularly bad.  Unfortunately it isn't easy to find out whether installed tiles are fire retarding or not.

I can understand why a surveyor and/or insurance company would red-light a property with so many rooms treated with polystyrene ceiling tiles.  Personally I'd hesitate to spend much more than a single night in the property.  On the other hand, this is something the buyers should have seen when viewing, and taken it into account when offering.

housebuyer143

Joliates1939 said:

Not sure if it was a bank surveyor, they definitely have a mortgage but funds won’t be released due to survey

This makes me think there is a retainer or something on the property, so the bank will not release all the money until the tiles are gone which is why they are asking that you do it? 
If this is the case, I don't think it's unreasonable to remove them because it's a problem you will face again with another buyer - that is, if the tiles are infact making it unmortagable.

LHW99

Section62 said:

Joliates1939 said:

My concern with removing the tiles is if they aren’t happy with what’s underneath they can just walk away leaving me with the cost of putting everything right before being able to put back on market. We are talking 10 ceilings here.

The issue here is probably that the tiles were put up in the first place to cover up issues with the ceiling above them - lath ceilings may be suffering from nail rot or poor adhesion between the plaster and laths, so sections of the ceiling might come down with the tiles.  Whatever they do, further remedial work is likely to be needed on the ceilings, it would be incredibly fortunate if a light skim is all that is needed.

Unless the tiles are fire retarding they represent a fairly significant fire risk - polystyrene burns well, and them being on the ceiling means flame can spread very rapidly. The smoke and fumes given off when polystyrene burns can be particularly bad.  Unfortunately it isn't easy to find out whether installed tiles are fire retarding or not.

I can understand why a surveyor and/or insurance company would red-light a property with so many rooms treated with polystyrene ceiling tiles.  Personally I'd hesitate to spend much more than a single night in the property.  On the other hand, this is something the buyers should have seen when viewing, and taken it into account when offering.

Putting up the tiles to cover issues with the ceiling is a possibility, although many years ago (1950's-60's) it was a popular way to put some insulation in, before glass fibre became common..

However if the ceilings are lath and plaster, it is likely that lumps will come off with the tiles anyway.

prowla

You could just run over them with a blowtorch.

(DON'T REALLY DO THAT!)

subjecttocontract

When we sold my MILs bungalow 10 years ago it had polystyrene tiles on the ceiling in a couple of rooms. There was no mention of them, no problems,  never raised as an issue and we didn't give it a thought. Perhaps times have changed.

GDB2222

Joliates1939 said:

I am selling my Dads house who died last year. It was advertised as needing re-wiring and we accepted an offer based on that.
The buyers intended building an extension, completely changing the whole of the downstairs including moving the kitchen and re-wiring at the same time. Their builder has already been round.
Apparently, their surveyor has said the ekectrics are unsafe and because every ceiling in the house is covered with polystyrene tiles, these 2 combined make the house uninhabitable. 

The buyers are saying they want all the tiles removed before moving in and I suggested their builder could come in between exchange and completion to do this. But now they are saying they can’t get insurance so can’t exchange.
E/A is pushing for us to remove all the tiles from the ceilings at our cost, which I am loath to do as I don’t know how much remedial work will be required afterwards. Any constructive advice appreciated. 

If you have the house insured at present, there's no reason why you can't keep it insured until completion.  It's only a matter of convention that the buyer insures from exchange, and the contract can simply be altered so that you retain the risk until completion. 

Then, after exchange, you give the buyer the right to come in and remove the ceiling tiles, or you get it done. 

I don't know why your solicitor has not suggested this. It's not rocket science.

Albermarle

housebuyer143 said:

Joliates1939 said:

Not sure if it was a bank surveyor, they definitely have a mortgage but funds won’t be released due to survey

This makes me think there is a retainer or something on the property, so the bank will not release all the money until the tiles are gone which is why they are asking that you do it? 
If this is the case, I don't think it's unreasonable to remove them because it's a problem you will face again with another buyer - that is, if the tiles are infact making it unmortagable.

It could mean having to auction the property instead.

demeggy

Brie said:

will removing the tiles make it easier to sell should this buyer back out?  Presumably others will get the same comment from another surveyor.

I was just thinking this.

I suspect you're going to be at a loss somewhere along the oine here unfortunately. It sounds like you won't be able to sell without getting rid of the tiles. As for skimming it, that's where it becomes a negotiation game with the buyers.

FreeBear

LHW99 said:

Section62 said:

Joliates1939 said:

My concern with removing the tiles is if they aren’t happy with what’s underneath they can just walk away leaving me with the cost of putting everything right before being able to put back on market. We are talking 10 ceilings here.

The issue here is probably that the tiles were put up in the first place to cover up issues with the ceiling above them - lath ceilings may be suffering from nail rot or poor adhesion between the plaster and laths, so sections of the ceiling might come down with the tiles.  Whatever they do, further remedial work is likely to be needed on the ceilings, it would be incredibly fortunate if a light skim is all that is needed.

Unless the tiles are fire retarding they represent a fairly significant fire risk - polystyrene burns well, and them being on the ceiling means flame can spread very rapidly. The smoke and fumes given off when polystyrene burns can be particularly bad.  Unfortunately it isn't easy to find out whether installed tiles are fire retarding or not.

I can understand why a surveyor and/or insurance company would red-light a property with so many rooms treated with polystyrene ceiling tiles.  Personally I'd hesitate to spend much more than a single night in the property.  On the other hand, this is something the buyers should have seen when viewing, and taken it into account when offering.

Putting up the tiles to cover issues with the ceiling is a possibility, although many years ago (1950's-60's) it was a popular way to put some insulation in, before glass fibre became common..

However if the ceilings are lath and plaster, it is likely that lumps will come off with the tiles anyway.

Had one room here with polystyrene tiles on the ceiling. Being stuck on with wallpaper adhesive, they came off fairly easily. Revealed some lovely cracks in the lime plastered ceiling.. Skimming a ceiling with existing cracks is a pointless task, even if you use scrim tape. The cracks will eventually reappear. Best thing to do after removing the tiles is either to board over (bit of a crap shoot at to whether you get screws going in to joists), or take the whole lot down. The latter option is very, very messy.

Quick fix would be to remove the tiles, make good any cracks with a bit of EasyFill or Fill'n'Finish, and slap a bit of paint on top.