Defects Survey Highlights Serious Issues at a Seaside Apartment Block

The Client

Our client, a residential property management company and the UK’s largest residential property manager, instructed us to assess defects in a large residential apartment building they had recently acquired.

The Challenge

Located on the seaside in South Devon, the large block of flats we were instructed to assess for our client had borne the brunt of 40 years’ worth of coastal weather since its construction. The building had not been maintained to a sufficient standard and, this combined with its age and weathering, had led to a number of significant defects developing.

The Innovus Surveying Team had initially been instructed to carry out a Defects Survey to assess specific concerns of eroded pointing, as a result of ongoing rainwater ingress. As well as finding pointing failure, the general decay of the building fabric had led to multiple issues that had gone undetected for years. The additional defects included:

• Rusting lintels
• Wall tie failure
• Cavity wall insulation failure
• Windows beyond their design life

The complexity of the defects uncovered proved challenging, as ongoing assessments were required to understand the true extent of the building’s damage. After a thorough investigation, almost all of the lintels were found to have failed or be in the process of failing.

The Solution

The scope of this Defects Survey project was far broader than initially anticipated by our client, which required our surveyors to draw upon their extensive experience and networks. The Innovus Surveying Team acted in several ways to provide a CDM Co-ordinator, Building Safety Act 2023 Principal Designer, Project Management and Contract Administration.

Additionally, the extent of the structural concerns identified required specialist insights. With long-term, trusted partners in the industry, the Innovus team collaborated with a leading structural engineering firm along with regional main contractors who were well versed in heavy structural repair work.

As well as the complexity of the case, ongoing water ingress meant that the assessments and instruction of contractors was a matter of urgency, as the risk of further damage increased with each passing day.

The Result

Thanks to the urgency with which the Innovus Surveying team acted,  assessments and contractor instructions were able to be carried out before further damage was caused.

The client, who had acquired the building without understanding the true extent of the works required, was provided with thorough reports on all aspects of its deterioration. With this knowledge, they were able to make informed financial decisions about the future of the building and its restoration. Although more defects were uncovered than the client had initially anticipated, the detection of these faults meant that further and potentially catastrophic issues could be avoided, saving money and protecting the building and its tenants long-term.

What our Surveyor Had to Say:

“The project was complex, with numerous structural problems. However, we deal with these situations on a daily basis and are well-versed in finding solutions to overcome unexpected challenges.”
– Richard Caldicott MCIOB AssocRICS, Building Surveyor at Innovus.