Reason for contacting us
A client contacted us following concerns by the valuation surveyor who was not prepared to value the property until a particular defect was reported on by a Chartered Structural Engineer.
Pole Structural Engineers Reports had been recommended to the prospective purchaser of the terraced property by a local estate agent as a reputable, independent, and highly experienced structural engineering firm specialising in the Croydon and South London area.
Pole service offer
In response to the client’s requirements our qualified Chartered Structural Engineer recommended a Specific Inspection Report.
There are two distinct types of structural engineers’ reports:
1) A localised, very specific and limited Structural Engineers Defect Report or a Specific Structural Inspection Report (SSI). This was appropriate on this occasion due to the limit nature of the concern.
2) A broader Structural Engineers General Movement Report, or General Structural Inspection Report (GSI), which focuses on matters of cracking and movement only. This was not required on this occasion due to the limited nature of the concern.
Our Report
We found considerable neglect to the 1970s Croydon property, including lack of maintenance to the external windows. This had led to significant water ingress and the possibility of corrosion and/or decay of the underlying steel or concrete beam lintels over the head of the windows.
Our Findings
While there were few signs of any deflection of the beam lintels or the brickwork above, the condition of the windows was sufficiently poor to alert us to possible problems. This was particularly the case given the age of the terraced property, built in the 1970s, when attention to design details was not particularly good and very modest steel or concrete lintels were often deployed in Local Authority houses at that time.
Our Conclusions
Somewhat unusually, Pole Structural Engineers Reports had to recommend further investigations. This would involve a builder removing one or two bricks above the window heads to expose the condition of the lintels to inform further reporting and advice.
Can we help you?
If you would like advice on any structural aspects of your property in London, our Structural Engineers are here to help you so please don’t hesitate to contact us.
