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RICS Surveyors structural survey report on building movement and fracturing following an adverse mortgage valuation of a property at Walsall
18th February 2018
Dear Madam
Walsall
Thank you for your instruction to investigate suspected structural movement at the above property following an adverse mortgage valuation.
The Building
The property is an ‘L’ Shaped detached bungalow constructed in the late 1970’s. It is likely to be constructed on shallow concrete strip foundations with cavity brick faced walls, pitched concrete tile roof, timber framed windows. Floors are likely to be of concrete construction and internal divisions are likely to be of block construction.
The Site
The property is situated on the west side of CountryWay within an estate of similarly aged properties within the small township of .
Reference to historical OS sheets suggests that the area was agricultural land between about 1870 and 1970 after which the current estate was developed.
The south elevation of the building almost abuts the boundary and is believed to be set slightly into the ground. Beyond the boundary waste ground rises at about forty five degrees for about twenty five yards until meeting the perimeter of a football ground. The waste ground is largely covered with brambles and some small trees, species not known.
The northern edge of the building is about 1.0m from the boundary where the site is retained by an approximately 1.5m high brick wall. About 0.75m beyond the wall is a similar bungalow.
The site rises gently from the road to the front elevation of the building. There is what appears to be an ornamental tree (probably cherry) and forsythia shrubs in the front garden.
The rear garden is retained by an approximately 1.0m high wall situated about 1.0m behind the rear elevation of the building. Beyond the wall the ground is flat and a line of small conifers are situated against the northern boundary. Beyond the rear boundary the ground riser further.
A manhole chamber that was opened at the north west corner of the property suggests that the drains run along the rear of the property and then down the northern side of the property.
Movement
The front wall has a fine fracture that would be classified on the BRE Digest 251 scale as 0 or 1.
The fracture is vertical in nature, is largely confined to the mortar joints, appears to be entirely above the engineering brick damp proof course from which it runs through the window opening and up to the roof edge. A brick below the window opening appears to have been disturbed. See Photographs 1 and 2.
There is no evidence of any movement in the vertical plane or evidence of rotation.
There are no corresponding fractures above the head of the window opening on the interior of the property. The area of wall below the window is obstructed by a radiator.
The northern wall of the property has a fine fracture that would be classified on the BRE Digest 251 scale as 0 or 1.
The fractures is vertical in nature, is largely confined to the mortar joints, appears to be entirely above the engineering brick damp proof course from which it runs through the window opening and then in a stepped manner up through the mortar joints up to the roof edge. Three bricks below the window opening have been disturbed. The pointing is missing from some of the vertical joints above the window opening. The disturbance of the bricks and loss of pointing make the movement appear to be more significant than it actually is. See Photographs 3 and 4.
There is no evidence of any movement in the vertical plane or evidence of rotation.
There is no corresponding movement on the interior face of the wall.
Factors Affecting Movement
Inherently poor foundation construction.
There is no evidence of this and it would be unlikely in a building of this age.
Failure of the retaining wall. There is no evidence of fracturing bowing settling or sheering of the retaining wall. Photograph 5
Failure of the drains.
There is no evidence the ground accommodating the drains adjacent to the retaining wall or along the rear elevation of the building is likely to have settled disturbing the drains. There are no trees or large shrubs that are likely to be within influencing distance
Trees The trees are of insufficient size or proximity or the building to affect it at present. Consideration should be given to controlling the ornamental tree. The owner of the adjacent waste land should be put on notice that trees growing within it have the potential to affect the building or services and that they are likely to be liable for any such damage. In reality due to the ground being higher than the subject property direct influence from trees is considered to be unlikely unless they fall over or parts fall off. See Photographs 6 and 7
Thermal movement
Thermal movement often manifests itself in buildings with fine vertical cracks of weak sections of brickwork due to openings such as windows and doors. In this instance the fractures are of the shortest sections of brickwork between ground an opening and the roof edge and this is very typical of this type of movement. The failure of the damp proof course to fracture because the engineering bricks due to their different thermal properties is also consistent with this type of movement.
Mortar Mix
Over strong mortar mixes can also cause vertical fractures due to shrinkage of the mortar but the movement is not consistent with this. Such fractures tend to be very vertical and usually fracture the brickwork.
Shrinkable clays or unstable soils.
The Geology report is attached at Appendix 1. Information was sought for an area within a 100m radius of the property plus 50m buffer zone. The geology report is an integral part of the report and should be read with it.
The property does not appear to be directly affected by such soils and the movement that has manifested is not consistent with failure due to these types of soil. However as a precaution the planting of large trees and shrubs or discharging large amounts of water into the ground should be avoided.
Conclusion:
The fracturing is likely to have been induced by thermal movement of the property. There is no evidence of any foundation failure. Factors at the site do not make it likely in the foreseeable future but as a precaution avoid planting large trees and shrubs and discharging large quantities of water into the ground.
The property is considered to be insurable against all the usual risks and is thus considered to be suitable as a security.
Yours sincerely
Steve Butler
S.Butler.
BSc (Hons) MRICS, CILEx
Photographs
Front
Front elevation below the window
Front elevation above the window
Side elevation below the window
Side elevation above the window
The northern retaining wall
Shrubs and an ornamental tree in the front garden
Rear garden retaining wall and conifer trees