TencommondefectsyoumayfindinaVictoriandomesticProperties

1,Dampness
Oneofthemainproblemswithsolidwalledpropertiesisdampness;thisisthereasonfor
thedevelopmentofthecavitywallalongwithitsimprovedthermalperformance.Thereare
twomainwaystoavoiddampnesswithintheseproperties;
2,Keepthewaterout
Defectiverainwatergoods,gutteringanddownpipesaresimpleinexpensiveitemswhich
channeltherainwaterfromtheroofsintothedrainagesystem.Iftheyhavebeenneglected
andthegutteringhasbeenallowedtobecomeleakyorwavy,therecouldalsobeapoormix
ofsteelandUVPCcomponentsornotenoughdownpipestodrainthepropertyeffectively.(
acommonfaultonVictorianterraces).Thesefaultscouldleadtothebuildingfabricbeing
intermittentlysoakedfillingtheporeswithinthebricksstructureandallowingapathfor
moistureintothebuilding.
Whilesurveyingabuildingwewouldneedtoseeifthepropertyhassufficientdrainage
includingdownpipesandthegutteringwascorrectlydetailedtoanyextensionsporchesor
dormerwindowswhichhavesubsequentlybeeninstalled.Alsotocheckfordebrisandweed
growthwithinthegutteringthisisasimplebutcommonreasonforoverflowingand
consequentialdampness.Wherethereisdamageorblockeddownpipesthebrickworkwill
besubjecttointermittentwettingandperhapsfreezethawactioninthewintermonths.A
telltalesignmaybewaterstainingtothebrickworkclosetothejointsofthegutteringor
downpipes.
3,Letitbreathe
Highgroundlevelsandblockedunderfloorventscanleadtodampnessanddamagetothe
componentpartsofabuilding.Thegroundlevelsshouldbe150mmbelowtheDampProof
Course,inVictorianpropertiesthismaybeslateortarandsandhoweveroftenthe
propertiesdidnothaveaDampProofCourse.Aseriesofdrilledholesmayindicateand
injectionDampProofCourseinstalledlaterpossiblyduetoadampproblem,howeverifthe
wallswerenotdrywhenthiswasinstalledinjectionD.P.Csoftenwillnotbeeffective.
Groundlevelsnaturallyriseovertheyearsandasthesepropertiesareoftenupwardsof130
yearsoldthelevelsareoftenhigh,theseeffectscanbecompoundedbytreeorshrub
growthclosetothepropertysheddingleavesandtherootsanchoringintothebrickwork
joints.Concreteorhardpavingsurfacesarealsolaidonthehighgroundlevelsleadingto
rainwatersplashingbackontothewalls.
4,Flues
Manypropertieshavechimneyflueswhichhavebeenremovedatvariouspointsina
propertytocreatemorespaceortoopenuptheroomsonthegroundfloor.Acommon

Victorianplanwastohavetwofluesrunningupthepartywallwithfireplacesoneachfloor
thencorbellingupwithintheloftspace.Oftentherewouldbeachimneytotherear
extensionwhichwouldhaveservedarange.Itisimportanttomakesurethechimneysare
contiguousorwheretheyhavebeenremovedtheyhavebeenproperlysupported.Where
therearchimneyhasbeenreduceddowntotherooflinethisneedstobeproperlycapped
offandflashedaroundtoavoidinternaldampnessinthisarea.
5,Timberfloors
MostVictorianpropertieshadsuspendedtimbergroundfloorsalthoughthepoorestones
mayhavetileslaidtoabedofashes.Withsuspendedtimberfloorsthemostimportantitem
istoensurethattheairbrickshavenotbeenblockedandthereisaclearairpathbeneath
thefloor.Thesecanbeblockedorisolatedbyareasofconcreteoversitefloor,normally
installedintheareaspronetowaterdamagei.e.groundfloorbathrooms,kitchensand
oftenhallways.Thisisolatesthecrossventilationleadingtodampandhumidconditions
wherewoodrottingfungicangrow.
Tothegroundandupperfloorinappropriatecuttingmayhavetakenplacebothtothefloor
boardsandjoistswherewaterpipesandelectricalserviceshavebeeninstalledorinternal
wallsreconfigured.Thisisnormallyindicatedbyexcessivedeflectiontothefloorsurface.
6,Structure
ManyrearextensionsonVictorianpropertieswerebrickthickorasinglebricklaid
streatcherbond,thiswouldhaveverylittleresistancetodampnessandpoorthermal
efficiency.ThiswasusuallyforthekitchenandPantrytotherearofthepropertywhichwas
notconsideredandimportantareaofthehouse.Insomecasesthiswascontinueduptoa
twostoreyextensionswhicharenotstructurallystable,thesehaveusuallybeenrebuiltover
theyearshowevertherearesomestillinexistenceandthemortgagecompaniesmaynot
lendonthesepropertiesunlessthebackextensionisrebuilt.
7,Plumbing
Theoriginalwatersupplyintothepropertywouldhavebeenaleadpipewhichthenformed
theinternaldistribution.Internaldistributionwouldhavebeenlimitedtothelargerand
granderpropertieswiththetraditionalterracehavingasupplyonlytothescullerysink.In
theinterveningyearssincethepropertiesconstruction,thedistributionpipeworkwould
normallyhavebeenreplacedbycopperpipehoweverthesupplycanstillbeinleadwhich
willleadtoleadwithinthedrinkingwater.Thisisnowquiterarebutleadpipeworkisoften
stillevidentinVictorianproperties.
8,Roofs
Dishingroofsarequiteoftennoted,Victorianpropertieswereusuallycoveredinslate,these
slatesdependingontheirgradeandtypecanlastupto100yearsandoftenWelshslatewill

lastlonger.ThatsaidmostoftheVictorianroofshavereachedtheendoftheirlivesand
havenowbeenreroofed,oftenwithconcretetiles.
Concretetileswillleadtothedeformationoftheroof,thismaytakeanumberofyearsto
appearbutinsomecasesitcanbequitesevere.Thereasonforthisistherooftimberswere
sizedforlightweightslatesandtheconcretetilesaremuchheavierrequiringtherooferto
reinforcethetimberstructureoftheroofwhichwasnotalwayscarriedoutbeforethetiles
wererelayed.
9,Lintols
Lintolswereoftenstone,bricksegmentalorflatarcheswithtimberlintolsbehind,inthe
caseofthebrickarchestheyreliedonthemortarbondbetweenthebricks,thebricksare
builtoveratimberformerwhichisremovedwhenthemortarisdry.Intheflatarchesthe
wedgeshapeofthebricksandthemortarjointsprovidethesupportforthebrickwork
above.
Commonfaultsarecrackingtothelintolsespeciallytothecornersandthedroppingof
individualbrickswhichwilleventuallyleadtothefailureofthelintol.Theinternaltimber
lintolwithinasolidbrickwallwillalsobesubjectedtodampnesswhichcancausethisto
decayleadingtoshrinkageandmovementwhichresultsininternalandexternalcrackingas
thewallsettles.
10,Modernrepairs
Therearemanyfaultscausedbymodernrepairsacommononeisunsuitablerepointing.
Victorianpropertieswereconstructedwithsoftlimemortarstheseallowedalargeamount
ofmovementandwerepermeableallowingthewatertoevaporatethroughthejoints,
thesewoulderodeatafasterratethanthebrickorstonework.Werepropertieshavebeen
repointedwithordinaryPortlandcementandespeciallywithastrongmix,thisisnot
permeableandthewatervapourevaporatesofthefacesofthebricksorstoneleadingto
erosionofthefacesofthematerialsrecessingthembackbehindthepointing.
Thisisabriefsynopsisofover30yearsoftrainingandexperience,ifyouwouldlikeyour
VictorianpropertysurveyedorrepairedpleaseContactuson01376573877or02070787114
forafreeconsultationandwewontjustsaveyoumoneywewilladdrealvaluetoyourproject.

GerryDoldenMRICSNeboshCert.DirectorofGDolden&Associates