Sulphate attack

Joined
30 Oct 2013
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Location
West Midlands
Country
United Kingdom
pls i am buying a house at wedgewood road in quintin area birmingham, pls does any one know if their is sulphate attack in this area. there is no evidence in the property but the surveyor made mention of it because id concrete florr. thanks
 
Sponsored Links
fountain, Hi.

Some Valuation Surveyors can at times be shall we say "cautious" in what they say. Never mind the plethora of "DISCLAIMERS" plastered all over the report, such as there is a flat roof they are prone to failure ?

I [obviously] can not reply to the very specific question you pose as regards an area in Birmingham. But there is no law that states that you can not go back to the Surveyor [after all you have paid him for the Report] and enquire as to why he has included such a Caveat in the report.

Could be that the Surveyor has "Local Knowledge" that in cases such as these is invaluable. It could be that the Surveyor has been "caught" by a previous report that he issued that did not have a "general" clause as regards Sulphate attack on ground floor concrete slabs? as such the Surveyor [MAY] have been asked for compensation for the omission?

Another "ploy" could be to go back to the vendors agent and ask them about this area and Sulphate attack on ground floors?

As an aside "Sulphate Attack" can occur and attack Concrete ground bearing concrete slabs when
1/. There is no Damp Proof Course between the ground and the underside of the concrete.
2/. There is a high concentration of Sulphate in the ground
3/. The "Fill" below the concrete floor slab could be waste from a local colliery or other industrial process.

The most obvious results of "Sulphate Attack" on a concrete ground floor are a series of cracks some cracks can be shall we call them "dramatic" being [the worst cases I have seen] being 15.MM to 30.MM. wide often accompanied with the floor apparently rising upwards by at times 20.MM to 60.MM.

Most of the worst cases of the above that I have seen tend to be in old Coal Mining areas such as in Fife, some of the older coal dependant areas as well as some areas in North Ayrshire. The historic builders used a "cheap and cheerful" pit waste as fill.

As a last resort apart from asking the Surveyor, and Estate Agents [spit spit] or you may ask the local building Control guys if they know of these problems in your area?

There are "Geomaps" that can give an "Indication" of the possibility of high ground Sulphate BUT they are obscure and difficult to find and understand completly.

hope this assists?

Ken
 
No, the floors are fine and teh vendor said they have never experience something like that b4, also the aget said that they ve not heard something like that in the area b4. thanks
 
Sponsored Links

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Back
Top