Most common defects we've found in houses

We’ve done thousands of inspections over the years and have found that almost all houses have issues in one or more of the following areas:

Roofs

The most common types of roofs/roof coverings found on houses are:

  1. Tiled roofs.
  2. Concrete roofs.
  3. Flat Boarded roofs.
  4. Iron roofs – pitched/flat.
  5. Slate roofs.
  6. Thatch roofs.
  7. Harvey Tile roofs.
roofing materials

Over many inspections, we discovered that the roofs on the majority of the houses have issues and/or damage as a result of either poor/incorrect/no maintenance, poor workmanship, or poor building practice.

Most often this leads to roof leaks which also causes damage to ceilings and other internal areas of the house. We have the knowledge and the experience to inspect these roofs, to identify the problems, establish the origin or cause of the problems, and recommend the correct remedial action.

Damp

Damp ingress is found in many houses of which there are mainly three types:

  1. Rising damp.
  2. Lateral damp.
  3. Downward damp.

This can cause severe damage if not treated and not correctly treated, but it could also cause health issues depending what type of damp ingress it is, and in what area of the house.

wall with damp

Wall Cracks

Wall cracks can be broadly combined into the following categories:

  1. Hairline cracks (mostly plaster).
  2. Slightly larger cracks.
    Even larger cracks which penetrate into the bricks but are not structural.
  3. Structural cracks.
    Which are often right through the brick wall.

We have the knowledge and experience to establish the cause(s) of the cracks, and to recommend remedial action to be taken, depending what type of crack it is, and in what position and area of the house it is.