Defective rainwater goods
When we are instructed to carry out a pre-purchase damp survey it involves more than just skipping around a property testing the base of the internal walls with an electronic moisture meter looking for rising damp. As surveyors, we have a duty of care to carry out a thorough assessment of the property to identify any defects that may be allowing rainwater to penetrate the building fabric which invariably involves a close inspection of the external building fabric.
When we identify defects that may impact the internal building fabric we have a ‘Duty of Care’ to bring those defects to the attention of our client and explain the risks associated with those defects. Continued rainwater penetration will significantly increase the risk of fungal decay affecting any timbers built into the masonry which is affected by excessive moisture such as timber lintels over windows, joist ends etc. Once we have identified such defects we must then advise our clients as to the appropriate course of remedial action to minimise the risk.