Building conversions as we know are often difficult to complete, frequently with costs spiralling as unknown defects surface. Good and correct investigation can reduce the unknown, however we often see work proposed with minimal investigation or inappropriate investigations employed, based on a standard approach.
CIRIA 111 (Structural Renovation of Traditional Buildings) provides guidance on the level of investigation as well as typical construction methods used and issues frequently encountered, it is applicable to most low rise buildings of the 18th, 19th and 20th Centuries.
Unfortunately, Planning conditions and Conservation control can reduce the appropriateness of a building for conversion to residential use, it is not the case that we don’t agree with these controls, its more that unfortunately new home purchasers have expectations that their new home will perform in the same way as a newly built property and often this isn’t the case.
Fact is that most properties built in the last 150 years are robust, unfortunately unsympathetic use, poor maintenance and simple issues such as increasing ground levels can introduce the enemy of most buildings – moisture, by far and away the greatest defect we see in buildings proposed for conversion is water ingress through failed roofing and gutters/downpipes (usually as a result of poor maintenance) and moisture rising.
Involve us early and we can recommend the type and level of investigation, so that when you start hopefully there won’t be so many unknowns, and where practical we will agree the retention of elements or make clear where replacement is the only realistic approach.
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