News
All in a Days Work…
Snagging
Do not part with your cash before seeing the finished article. Quality control on new housing developments is not always what it should be and when carrying out ‘snagging’ inspections we occasionally come across issues such as extract fan ducts not...
Who is a Competent Person?
Who is a Competent Person? Anyone with suitable knowledge and experience you may think, but ‘competent person’ has a special meaning in relation to building regulations. The full breadth of application of the building regulations is often not appreciated....
More on Beetles
I was recently called by a client for whom I had carried out a survey (on a fairly new house) to say that he had found beetles in his roof space. Western Conifer Seed Bug (Leptoglossus Occidentalis), He had spoken to a builder who said it looked to be a type of...
… And even more on Beetles
During the course of a recent building survey I discovered significant death watch beetle damage that clearly remained active. Significant Death Watch Beetle damage that clearly remained active. It is not unusual to find evidence of old infestations. The...
Pointing Principles
Q: why should the mortar used to bed and point masonry walls be softer and more permeable than the stone or brick forming the wall. For advice on appropriate mortar mixes call Luxton Chartered Surveyors. A: to allow moisture to migrate to and evaporate...
When is Slate not a Slate?
Can you tell the difference? 'Slate is a fine grained foliated homogenous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale type sedimentary rock composed of clay of volcanic ash through low grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which...
Insurance (or Reinstatement) Valuations
As for most risks there is a range of insurance products for houses & buildings. Standard policies that cover most typical housing stock up to policy limits such as £500,000 are now common but these do not cover old, listed or non-standard...
From the Archives
Probate valuation at Feniton Mills Ottery St Mary re: Herman Joseph Granger who died November 28th 1915. We are fortunate to possess some old valuation books dating back to the early 1900's, once the property of t d Hussey & Son - the firm of Honiton...
