Querying a Surveyors Opinion of a Purlin - opinions please!

[KanoMF]

My girlfriend is currently selling her 120 year old Victorian end terrace and the surveyors report has brought up a problem with her attic room purlin.

The cross section of the purlin is about 10cm deep, 15cm high (exposed area) and about 15-20 feet wide.

It got a long crack along its width about an inch deep, and some old woodworm holes. There's no sign of any bowing at all, although there is some spread present in the roof but I think that's because of two added Velux windows, when they are slammed shut its like someone hammering down on the rafters.

Here's whats on the surveyors report:

"The upper of the two rear slope purlins was noted to have a significant split along the grain of the timber (sometimes referred to as a “shake”) running the full length of its front/upper side face and a further split extending approximately 1.5m out from the party wall end to its rear/lower side face.

The longitudinal splits along the rear/upper purlin are such that its structural integrity will have been compromised and we recommend that it be augmented by mechanically securing a second timber purlin to one side of the original.

The new purlin should be of minimum section size 100mm x 225mm and should be manufactured from Grade C24 softwood. The new purlin should be built-into the brickwork walls at each support and should be mechanically secured to the original timber using M12 coachbolts with “dog-tooth” connecting washers at maximum 600mm centres along the length of the purlin."

The problem I have with this is I'm wondering if they surveyor is just covering himself, just incase the purlin fails, so he doesn't get sued. After all the purlin has been there for 100+ years and isn't bowed, so surely the crack is just a drying crack that's been there for at least 50 years with no ill effects? Also when she bought the house in 2007 her buyers report mentioned the split but then said it wasn't a problem, just a bit of shake.

What do you think?

No bowing!

• KanoMF
• 27 Oct 2013
• 1

Bit of old woodworm, inactive

• KanoMF
• 27 Oct 2013
• 1

Not that deep of a crack

• KanoMF
• 27 Oct 2013
• 1

Left side

• KanoMF
• 27 Oct 2013
• 1

Right side

• KanoMF
• 27 Oct 2013
• 1

Rear

• KanoMF
• 27 Oct 2013
• 1

Whole thing

• KanoMF
• 27 Oct 2013
• 1

 

[big-all]

to be absolutley honest what we think is irellivent
our opinions will not have any bearing on the building society or the person buying
if we make suggestions as to fixing the problem or if we ain't to bothered it makes no difference if they ain't happy

 

[KanoMF]

We haven't yet reached the negotiations stage yet, so we haven't reached an agreement who will pay for this work. If we can argue that the purlin probably doesn't any urgent remedial work and the surveyor was just being cautious then we're in a better position. On the other hand if the work definitely needs doing sooner rather than later we're in a much weaker position and will probably have to pay a bigger chunk of the work costs.

Having said all that it does depend on what his mortgage company comes back with. If they are adamant the work needs to be done then it doesn't matter whatever we say, as you point out.

 

[big-all]

you can say its as safe as houses and been like that for years but it will make no difference

turn the tables and now you are buying the house who would you believe ??

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

It looks fine to me. Its been like that for how long?

Sadly you will have to challenge it and ultimately it depends on your buyer how much you want to sell. It may be that you employ your own structural engineer (not a surveyor) to assess it. Though my gut is that an eng will probably say they would happily live there without any remedial works though it may not tick all the boxes when he does his calcs.

I’d be inclined to speak to the surveyor and say that if you have it checked by an SE then you expect the surveyor to refund your SE costs.

Bloody surveyors!

 

[KanoMF]

you can say its as safe as houses and been like that for years but it will make no difference

turn the tables and now you are buying the house who would you believe ??

I'm trying to figure out whether its worth getting someone else in for a second opinion. The surveyor has said it needs reinforcement, the previous home buyers report from 2007 said it was fine.

The question is do we spend another £150 getting a structural engineer to do a report because we think the surveyor might be wrong, or do we believe the surveyor and have to shoulder an £800 repair?

And I suppose the 2nd issue - maybe even the most important of the two - is even if we were to get a SE in and he says the purlin is ok, would the buyer's mortgage lender be interested?

 

[tony1851]

This is strange; surveyors don't usually recommend what needs to be done to put something right - that's an SEs job.

In any case, he's suggesting sistering a much bigger beam to the side of the existing purlin, which seems a complete waste. Technically it could be strengthened with far less material, but that's another issue.

In the end, as others have said, it's up to the buyer what to believe.

 

[KanoMF]

This is strange; surveyors don't usually recommend what needs to be done to put something right - that's an SEs job.

In any case, he's suggesting sistering a much bigger beam to the side of the existing purlin, which seems a complete waste. Technically it could be strengthened with far less material, but that's another issue.

In the end, as others have said, it's up to the buyer what to believe.

The surveyors report which I've quoted was a specialist surveyors report done after the home buyer report. The home buyer report simply said there was an issue with the purlin which needed further investigation.

The level of reinforcement he's suggested is a bit OTT. Its basically another beam the same size as the existing one placed next to it on the gable ends and the whole lot bolted together.

 

[footprints]

I guess it depends on what the mortgage company says, chances are they will side with their surveyor whatever your SE says.
I would wait and see. It's a long shot I know, but was there any photo of the room showing the beam in the Estate Agents details when you bought? It might put a buyer at ease if it looks the same.

 

[KanoMF]

I guess it depends on what the mortgage company says, chances are they will side with their surveyor whatever your SE says.
I would wait and see. It's a long shot I know, but was there any photo of the room showing the beam in the Estate Agents details when you bought? It might put a buyer at ease if it looks the same.

Yep you're right. All in his mortgage companies hands really. Might find out later what the verdict is.