Defect analysis for buildings in Bath, Bristol & beyond

Do you have a problem with your property? Western Building Consultants are RICS & CABE approved surveyors an engineers that are building fabric experts, who can successfully diagnose the issues with your property. We use our Chartered Surveyors and Chartered Building Engineers to examine sick buildings helping you to repair and restore your buildings to their former glory.

How does single fault diagnosis differ from a full building survey?

Single fault diagnosis looks specifically at a defined issue where a building is failing and uses building pathology techniques to determine the cause of the defects and the appropriate remediation techniques to restore it to working order. Building surveys tend to look at the whole of a building give a snap shot of the overall condition and likely issues at hand before purchasing it. Single fault diagnosis is usually used where the owner or occupier of the building wants specific advice about how to maintain or repair a certain area of the building.

The RICS defines building pathology  “how the structure and materials of a building relate to its environment, its occupants and the way the building is used, so as to develop a better understanding of building failures”

How do we appoint you to carryout a single fault defect diagnosis survey?

Please call one of our offices to book in a survey, our staff will ask you a few questions about the issues at hand and will arrange for the surveyor to visit your property. Unlike building surveys a single fault defect analysis will be charged at an hourly rate due to the fact that some defects are easy to diagnose and other may take several visits and intrusive inspections.

Why is it a good idea to commission a defect report and analysis?

Quite simply defects including damp are very often misdiagnosed, this can result in you carrying out expensive remedial work for the issue to return. It is really important to make sure the defect is understood holistically and the works being specified do not just cover up an underlying issue. Western building consultants can add value by ensuring that the cause and defect are properly addressed.

I’m nervous about instructing a contractor to carry out the work can you help?

We certainly can, we can carry out the tendering process for you and appoint a contractor under a JCT minor works contract, managing all of the process of appointment and inspection of the works for you, Including sign off of stage payments giving you protection from rouge traders.

An expert has looked at the defect issues and specified their products to be used should I be worried?

Unfortunately the defect remedy market such as damp proofing contractors and other specialist repair companies are littered with bad advice. The advice given is usually not independent and is aimed at you taking up their product or service, . The advice you receive from a Western Building Consultants Chartered Surveyor or Building Engineer will be neutral and will seek to tackle the cause and not just the symptoms of the problem. It can even save you money where expensive rectification measures such as damp proof courses can be avoided in some cases, with proper prevention measures. It is important to remember that many defects are often caused by more than one issue combining to create an issue and that covering them up will only result in further issues later on.

Call Western Building Consultants today on 01225789307 to arrange a site visit and expert defect analysis.

Paul Keegan DipBS MRICS MBA MCMI