Practical building repairs
This section covers how to repair a defect once the pathology inspection has been carried out. It mainly focuses on residential buildings, but many commercial buildings will share similar characteristics. There is considerable overlap between the two types, although typically they are separated by types of use rather than building.
There are many factors to consider before you start, such as business matters and job planning, contracts and tenders, specifications and planning permission. Not to mention building control, and health and safety. Then there are neighbourly matters to consider and the possibility of things going wrong.
Repairs for individual elements are discussed under:
- walls
- roofs and rainwater goods
- floors and flooring
- joinery, doors and kitchens
- flues, fireplaces and chimneys
- drainage
- plumbing and heating
- electrics and miscellaneous items.
This section adopts a holistic approach to pathology. This is because even if your interest is solely linked to the recommendations section in your pathology report, with others undertaking the works, it is necessary to understand the full implications of the repair to ensure holistic best practice. Your report will be the first thing a client is likely to read on the problem, and will therefore be the first signpost of the scale of the project in front of them.
In terms of construction works, some repairs can be low-cost and straightforward; the professional complexity comes from ensuring safe platform access to allow the repair to take place. In some repair situations, the complexity of access, regulatory permissions or health and safety can be more expensive than the works.
This section is maintained by Andrew Thompson of Anglia Ruskin University.
Related content
Checklist: Project assessment checklist
Template: Sample specification incorporating General Conditions