Welcome to Cockrams Surveying Blog

A tax is referred to a financial load laid upon owners of property or individuals to support a government. It is not a charitable donation or payment but a contribution enforced pursuant to the law of a given country.  It is a payment enforced by a government whether in the name of toll, excise, subsidy, … Read More »

Condensation is a very serious building problem. Ingredients for this type of dampness are lack of adequate ventilation, creation of water vapour within the property and inadequate space heating. The warmer the air becomes, the more water vapour it can ‘hold’. When air cools down due to reduction in heating or seasonal factors it can … Read More »

Wet rot decay is very common in older buildings as timbers are often built into damp external walls. Any timbers with more than 20% moisture content will be susceptible to wet and/or dry rot decay. Dry rot decay is a particularly aggressive fungi attack and can travel through masonry. This is difficult to treat but … Read More »

There are many different types of wood boring insects but the most common of all is the furniture beetle, which is easily identified and treated. However, there are varieties of beetle that eat timbers from the inside and these will cause structural damage and will be more difficult to identify and treat. You should employ … Read More »

Radon is a naturally occurring gas that can be harmful to health. Most contractors will apply Sovereign Radon Barrier coat which is a liquid-applied damp-proof membrane which also restricts the flow of radon, methane and carbon dioxide from landfill and naturally occurring underground sources into buildings.

As with cellars and tanking, most contractors use the Hey’di K11 Grey Tanking System and generally do not carry out chemical injections as experience has shown that this is generally less effective. Internal plaster surfaces are cut to a height of 1.2 metres above floor level, the masonry surfaces are treated before applying a render … Read More »

Many contractors use the Sovereign Hey’di K11 Grey System for all underground damp proofing works. This product can stand up to 120 feet of head water pressure and is ideal for converting cellars into living accommodation. This application is also used where the external ground levels are higher than internal floor level or that the … Read More »

As with the bonding between bricks, it is vitally important to keep external finishes in good condition to reduce the risk of penetrating dampness into the property. This is particularly important with cob walls where the lime render is applied with a micro porous washed finish to allow the underlying cob material to evaporate out … Read More »

Wall tie corrosion is often caused by poor joints between bricks which allow water to penetrate the construction. You would need to have a full re-pointing service done which involves raking out of the existing pointing to at least 20mm before applying a new mortar mix appropriate for the type of construction.

Properties built before 1981 were fitted with galvanised steel wall ties. These were prone to corrosion which caused the outward movement of brick or block work which can develop into more serious structural defects. You can locate and isolate the corroded ties and fit a stainless steel mechanical replacement wall tie. These works are all … Read More »