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This is a common problem, most often caused by poor survey work or collapse of trench sides - resulting in the actual shape of the foundations not matching the required dimensions of the external walls.
Does building a wall on a foundation really matter?
Well, yes it does because the loads of…
You may have read How to get it right - roof truss "alterations"? in our November edition. The article explained the serious pitfalls of attempting to alter a trussed roof to create additional floor space.
Because of their design, any removal of the central “W” where most of the loads are…
One of the most common internal alterations carried out is to remove an obsolete chimney breast at ground floor to create more floor space. Quite often the chimney is also removed at first floor level leaving just the roof void and external section of the chimney in place. Building Regulations…
It’s now 20 years since the Party Wall etc. Act came into force on 1 July 1997. It applies throughout England and Wales and provides a framework for preventing or resolving disputes in relation to party walls, party structures, boundary walls and excavations near neighbouring buildings.
Anyone…
Another horror story emerged from one of our surveyors recently when they were called out to unauthorised work where an outbuilding was being extended and converted.
The "contractor" was clearly a fan of timber because aside from the roof extension shown in the picture below, they had also…
Roofing is a high-risk activity. Working at height, sometimes with fragile materials, means roofers make up nearly a quarter of all workers killed in falls from height at work. Some of these accidents occur because of sub-standard roof battens.
In a bid to improve safety, a requirement to grade…
Whilst conservatories are lightweight and sometimes, where they're small and thermally separated from the main house, don’t need a formal Building Regulation application, the detailing, quality of work and construction should still be fit for the job.
Common issues with conservatories…
Building near trees comes with its own challenges for foundations as we highlighted in this Trees and foundations article. In this article we focus on ground heave.
What is ground heave?
Ground heave is the upward movement of the ground usually associated with the expansion of clay soils…
This roof/chimney abutment flashing has been chased into a rendered wall to form a straight edge. It’s acting as a soaker because the lead runs under the roof tile, but water can penetrate when rainwater runs down the wall behind the flashing and through capillary action via the poorly fitted…
Cold bridging is a common problem, often arising where a gap occurs in the insulation of a building.
Whenever there is a break in the continuity of a property’s outer envelope, there is a risk of a cold bridge appearing. Such an area will often be colder than the main areas surrounding it and…