Home Survey

Buying a house is probably the largest single investment you will make in your life. This being so, it is essential that you take reasonable precautions to ensure that the property is soundly constructed. Failure to see a serious fault could involve you in a large extra outlay of money for repairs.

When you buy a new house from a builder he is legally responsible for its construction and he will have to remedy any serious defects. On the other hand, if you buy a second-hand house it is your responsibility to find all the defects. You can either employ a building surveyor to carry out a full structural survey, for which he will charge a fee, or do the survey yourself.
The following guide should make it reasonably straightforward provided you do not rush the work, and are prepared to spend several hours looking closely around your house.

The professional survey

A building society or finance company survey is for valuation, and is carried out purely to ascertain if the house offers reasonable security for the loan. It only involves a brief visit to the house and you have no legal redress if you should discover after purchase that the house has some major defects.
If you use a building surveyor he will send you a written report on the condition of the house after he has inspected it. This report will fall into three parts :
1. A general description of the property.
2. A full report on the structure of the property and its condition-the roof, walls, floors, drains etc.-and also the cost of any necessary repairs.
3. A valuation of the property.
The building surveyor is legally responsible for his report to you. If he makes a mistake or an omission then you can sue him only if he has been negligent. Most surveyors put disclaimers in their reports (for example: "I have not inspected any parts of the structure which are covered, unexposed, or inaccessible and I am therefore unable to report that any such part of the structure is free from defect"). It is therefore very difficult to sue a building surveyor and be successful in the action, but, of course, the vast majority of surveys are carried out satisfactorily.

Doing it yourself

If you decide to do your own building survey it might be an idea to carry one out in your own home first. Then you will know exactly what is involved. First of all collect some inexpensive equipment together: a tape for measuring the size of the rooms; a torch-a rubber waterproof type is ideal; a plastic mirror for looking under floors and up drains; a penknife for digging into timber to check for wood-rotting fungi; a hammer, chisel and packing case opener for lifting floorboards; a pair of binoculars for looking at roofs and chimneys (this is not essential) ; and a clipboard with paper and pencil for writing notes.

You should also have available a pair of steps for climbing into the roof space and inspecting ceilings. Remember to wear old clothes, as roof spaces are full of dust and cobwebs.
The best procedure in carrying out a survey is to work systematically. Start with the roof space, and then work your way down through the rooms to the ground floor. Examine every part of the fabric of the house, and then move on to the outside of the house. As you proceed, write notes under the various headings below.

Roofing-the interior

The first thing to check for is insect (woodworm) and fungi (rot) attack. Carefully inspect every part of the roof, especially the hips, valleys, ridges, chimneys, and eaves (see Fig.5). 35, 36 and 37 describe different types of roof structure, and describes wood rot and woodworm in detail. Some of the common insects which attack timber, and the two main types of wood-rotting fungi, are described below.
The common furniture beetle is the most frequent cause of damage in Britain.
It attacks both softwoods and hardwoods, but usually the sapwood part only. The beetles are about 6in. (4mm) long and reddish to blackish brown in colour

The death watch beetle is the only beetle that cannot fly and therefore outbreaks of infestation are rare. It attacks mainly hardwoods, especially oak. The beetles are about ;in. (6mm) long and dark greyish brown in colour.

The longhorn beetle is found throughout the world, especially in North America. In Britain outbreaks of infestation are rare except in parts of Surrey. Various species attack both hardwoods and softwoods. The beetles vary in size from Qin. to 1 in. (6mm to 25mm) in length, and are brown or black in colour.

The weevil beetle is also found throughout the world, especially in New Zealand and Australia. It is increasingly becoming a problem in South Africa, North America and Britain. Various species attack both hardwoods and softwoods. The beetles are about 'in. (4mm) in length and are reddish to blackish brown in colour. They can easily be recognized by their long snouts...

Termites (white ants) are the most serious wood-destroying insects in the world. They are found extensively in warm countries such as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and parts of North America, but are unknown in Britain. They attack both hardwoods and softwoods. Termites are about .'in. (6mm) in length and pale white in colour.

Dry rot fungus can only start in damp wood where the moisture content exceeds 20%. It is also associated with areas that are badly ventilated and, once established, it can spread

A selection of some of the nasty types discussed in this chapter, showing the actual sizes of their respective flight holes: The common furniture beetle. The death watch beetle. The house longhorn beetle. . The New Zealand weevil beetle. . Schematic plan of the roof, identifying the common terms used here. The typical construction of a solid wall, employing both `stretcher' and `header' bonds in the brickwork.

). A bad case of an attack of dry rot fungus, which can be a particularly persistent pest to eradicate. Since it carries its own moisture supply along with it, dry rot can move across stone and brickwork to infect fresh areas of either damp or dry wood. Fig.io (bottom left). Wet rot fungus, most commonly found in the outside joinery of older homes. Here it is shown on a damp cellar wall, to comparatively dry wood. It is the most destructive and persistent of fungi, and it is therefore vital that you recognize it.

The reddish brown fungus itself is soft and fleshy, and shaped like pancakes or brackets. The growths from the fungus are either brittle grey strings, soft white cushions, or thick silver-grey sheets with patches of yellow and
:o lilac.

While the fungus or its growths may not always be visible, infected wood shrinks and splits up into cubical shapes with deep crosscracking. Since dry rot fungus is very difficult to get rid of once established treatment must be carried out as soon as possible.
Wet rot fungus also can only occur in damp wood where the moisture content exceeds 20%. It does not spread to dry woods and is therefore not as serious as dry rot.

The fungus itself is white and shaped like sheets, and the growths from the fungus are either flexible white strings or white sheets. The fungus or its growth may not always be visible, but the infected wood darkens and splits longitudinally. Once the source of dampness has been corrected the fungal attack will cease.

The easiest way to find out if timber has been attacked by wood-rotting fungi is to push a penknife into it. If it is soft and the knife penetrates easily, then the timber is probably infected. Many firms specialize in surveying timber for insect and fungi attack-they do the surveys free, but expect to carry out any necessary treatment of the timbers.
While you are looking for insect and fungi attack check that the roof construction is structurally sound by seeing if the timbers have sagged or split, or if the joints have opened up.

If the house was constructed prior to 1930 the underside of the tiles or slates will be visible since felt will not have been laid over the rafters. The slates or tiles should be sound and free from flaking or crumbling.

Finally, check the plumbing in the roof space. If a galvanized iron cold water tank is refitted check that it is free from rust inside and outside. Extensive rusting will mean installing a new plastic or asbestos tank ). The tank, pipes and ceilings should be insulated against cold weather. A burst pipe can cause a lot of damage, especially if the house is not occupied at the time.

Roofing-the exterior

Look carefully at all the elevations of the roof for broken or slipped tiles-use a pair of binoculars if necessary. A lot of metal straps holding the tiles or slates in place indicates that the roof will need re-tiling or re-slating. Finally, look at the ridge and hips for any broken or slipped tiles, and inspect the valleys for repairs, which will indicate problems that have already arisen (see HOME ENGINEER 26).
Flat roofs are generally constructed of builtup roofing felt, which has a life of twenty years, and asphalt, which has a life of forty years, Check both types for cracks, blisters and ripples, and examine the underside of the roof for leaks.

Chimneys

Carefully inspect the chimneys from all directions to see that they have not tilted or split, and that the mortar joints are in good condition. The metal flashing around the chimney must make a waterproof joint with the roof.
Check the chimney breast inside the house for blackish or brownish stains. These are caused by condensation in the flue, and this can only be rectified by inserting a flue liner. In severe cases the chimney may have to be rebuilt.
If a fireplace has been sealed up, the flue should be ventilated with a 9in. x 3in. (225mm x 75mm) vent to avoid these problems.

Walls

The walls of a house are generally built of brick, concrete, stone, or timber, and they may also be covered with a cement rendering.
With external brick walls, first of all determine whether they are of solid or of cavity (two walls with a space in between) construction. If the property was built prior to 1920 it is probably solid. Generally, a stretcher bond indicates a cavity wall, and a stretcher/header bond indicates a solid wall (see Fig.6). Solid walls are liable to penetration by rain.
Satisfy yourself that the walls themselves are structurally sound by carefully looking for cracks and bulges. Cracks in the walls of equal width throughout their length indicate that thermal expansion has taken place. However, cracks that vary in width indicate settlement of walls due to faulty foundations.

Then check whether the wall has a dampproof course. This is usually inserted 6in. (150mm) above ground level and should be clearly seen from the outside (or the inside of the wall if a floorboard is removed). If no dampproof course exists one should be installed to avoid rising damp).
If the wall is cement rendered check that the rendering is sound and does not have cracks, bulges or holes.
Many of the points for brick walls apply to concrete block walls.

If the exterior walls are totally built of block then they are usually cement rendered. Quite often the inner leaf of a cavity wall is built of lightweight concrete blocks, as this is an excellent material for thermal insulation.
Many of the points for brick walls also apply to stone walls. In addition, check for flaking on limestone and sandstone surfaces; granites are generally free from defects. All timber walls should be inspected thoroughly for insect and fungi attack.

In the next section, dampcoursing, central heating and drainage will be covered. This will provide you with a complete guide on how to discover in advance all major defects to be found in the home.
Fig.ii (above). The larva of the furniture beetle. The adult beetles f ly in under eaves or are brought into the home in secondhand furniture, and lay their eggs in rough timber surfaces. The developing grubs eat through six inches over three years before chewing a way out.