Buying and selling a house is one of the most stressful things you will ever do in your life. There are many pitfalls that await you and with the age of people getting onto the property ladder increasing there is less time to learn from our mistakes of what to look out for. you walk into the house of your dreams and instantly fall in love. looking past the damp on the wall and the cracks in the skirting board; the estate agent plays down these issues as easy fixes created by unloving owners, drainage problems aren't even in your though process. The offer is accepted, things are going splendidly, the mortgage company provide a standard survey, which highlights the issues you found at the beginning as something to be looked at but nothing drastic. Then you move in. Winter arrives. All hell breaks loose.
The effects of poor drainage on a building:
Whether it's a house, hotel or office block the physical structure and livability can be seriously effected by the drainage laying under your feet.
Subsidence-
Drainage and underground pipework issues are a major cause of subsidence. A collapsed drainage line can cause water to leak from the pipe and can, over time, undermine the foundations of a building.
Internal signs of subsidence:
- Cracks in walls
- Sloping floor
- Lintels that are uneven, cracked or have gaps
- Skirting board that is coming away form the wall or is cracking.
- Cracks when an extension joins the building.
Flooding-
Many properties have this issue. Obviously if you're property or office is on a flood plane or close to water the chances of flooding are quite high. However there are some occasions where flooding in a property could be easily avoided if the proper checks are carried out.
- Soak-Aways
Many properties, especially in the country, still have septic tanks and soak-aways. If a soak-away becomes ineffective this can cause the garden to flood. Add in some heavy rain and this could cause the water to find it's way into your house.
- Drainage lines
We all have drainage pipes running through, around and under our house, keeping us going. Unknown to you, when you buy a house though, these lines could be seriously damaged, misuse of previous owner, could have caused them be built up with scale, works being done to the property could have caused them to move and joints to become displaced or tree roots could have found their way in. All these issues could cause serious problems including flooding, both internally and externally. A CCTV survey would highlight any issues within a soak-away or your drainage lines so you can move into your new home with your eyes open.
So before you make the commitment and sign that dotted line, Give a think to your drainage. I cannot express how important surveys are when you buy a property, not many property surveys include drainage this ia service that we can provide. Whether it's to check for your piece of mind or prove to your lender that everything is working efficiently, contact us and let us take care of the rest.
Talk to your local Metro Rod specialist
We are always happy to arrange a free site assessment and no obligation quotations for any work you might need. Alternatively, you can call our emergency hotline number on 0800 66 88 00
Get in touch Drainage Services
