Case Study: 19th Century Terraced House in Kent
At Collier Stevens, we offer a wide variety of services to ensure your property is in the best condition possible and free of asbestos. From building surveys and schedules of condition, to project management services and expert witness reports, our building surveyors in Kent are highly qualified and experienced.
We have a plethora of success stories to share – this one in particular focusing on a 19th century terraced house on the Kent coast. For more stories like this, take a look at our case studies.
A building survey in Kent
Our property surveyors in Kent conducted a building survey on the aforementioned 19th century terraced house on the Kent coast. It needed some work, as it had been lived in by an elderly occupant and hadn’t been well maintained. There was an extension that appeared to have been constructed in the 1950s and although not pretty, it provided space for a better kitchen and bathroom. What was also apparent is that other work had been carried out at around that time.
During our inspection, our surveyors noticed that the roof to the rear addition was of corrugated asbestos cement and that, combined with the age of the extension, set our surveying antenna off.
There was something about the ceilings that wasn’t quite right, but tapping and inserting a probe on the front ceilings revealed them to be plasterboard with cover trims over the joints. The ceilings to the rear were similar, though they sounded slightly different, so they lifted a floor board in the rear bedroom and they were actually made of asbestos insulating board or AIB. Further investigation suggested that the kitchen and bathroom ceilings were of the same material, as were the partition linings to the rear rooms and a box casing in the kitchen.
Asbestos in homes
In the ’50s and ’60s, asbestos sheeting such as this was occasionally used to line ceilings and partitions in houses – and was also used as dry lining on outer walls as it offers good damp resistance. In its stable and inert condition without damage, cracks or breaks, the product offers little risk to health. The problem is where occupiers are ignorant of the material – it is cut into and treated as if it were plasterboard. In this case, to add light switches and sockets and to fit brackets.
Any work on the material which releases fibres causes a risk to health for home owners confronted by this material. As the new owners of this house wished to rearrange and refit the kitchen and bathroom, there was nothing for it but for the material to be removed and replaced with plasterboard.
Armed with our report, our clients were able to renegotiate their offer by £10,000, which represented 6% of their original offer.
Do you need a building survey?
As outlined above, we think a building survey is absolutely worthwhile. Our experienced surveyors can help you with identifying asbestos in walls, ceilings and more. Often times, our customers don’t know how to recognise asbestos, which is where we come in.
The pictures below show ceilings in the same property; one in the front room and one in the back. One ceiling has asbestos and the other doesn’t.
Get a building survey with Collier Stevens to identify asbestos in the home
Our homebuyer report doesn’t always pick up on asbestos, as a thorough investigation is needed to confirm its presence. This is exactly why a building survey is essential.
We offer building surveys in Kent and London. While we can’t always promise to save everyone ten grand, or get the purchase price down by 6%, we can make sure you know what you are buying so that you can make an informed decision.
To organise a building survey with us, get in touch today. For more information on absestos in houses, take a look at our advice hub.
Steven Way
Steven Way BSc MIHEEM MFPWS MRICS is the Practice Principal and is a Chartered Building Surveyor. With over 35 years as a practicing surveyor, Steve has a wealth of experience and expertise in both residential and commercial building surveying, party wall advice and disabled access auditing. He has also built his reputation as an expert witness.