Welcome to Cockrams Surveying Blog

The disposal of plasterboard first became an issue when the Environment Agency produced new landfill guidelines in April 2009 relating to material containing gypsum. The main issue with gypsum based plasterboard is that when mixed with biodegradable waste in landfills, the subsequent decomposition can result in the release of sulphide gas (H2S) which is both … Read More »

Service quality: 5 Stars Value for money: 5 Stars Cockrams Surveying Limited – 5 – happy – 16/05/2011 “very efficient very helpful very polite very fast very professional”.

They’re small, furry and firmly part of traditional British fauna. Douglas Kent, SPAB Technical Secretary, reveals all about the masonry bee, an opportunist loner with a taste for old brickwork. Q. What are masonry bees? A. “Masonry” (or “mortar”) bees are one of those solitary types that do not nest in a colony but within … Read More »

Service quality: 5 Stars Value for money: 5 Stars Cockrams Surveying Limited 5 Ann 14/05/2011 I was thrilled to bits with this firm, Colin was really great and Simon who did the survey did a smashing job, we really enjoyed the cd with pictures of the property we are buying, we didn’t really take in … Read More »

Colin our Company Director and Surveyor always goes that one step ahead of other surveyors! Last week Colin was going through deep dark holes to inspect a property! Now that’s what I call a surveyor! It was lucky he did as he found that there was traces of Fras (the refuse and excrement of boring … Read More »

“Thank you so much for a great job done, we were really impressed how you put yourself out to do the job quickly and efficiently, and also thank you to Simon Buchanan who did the survey, we received the report via e-mail yesterday and a hard copy AND cd disc which was really great, we … Read More »

The word ‘listing’ is a short-hand term used to describe one of a number of legal procedures which help English Heritage to protect the best of the country’s architectural heritage. When buildings are listed they are placed on statutory lists of buildings of ‘special architectural or historic interest’ compiled by the Secretary of State for … Read More »

Before starting work, it’s worth considering whether Building Regulations will apply to the work you are doing. They first came about as a result of the Fire of London in 1666, and are constantly being updated, so they are something you need to know about. If you ignore them, the issue may cause difficulties when … Read More »

Depending on the type of work you are intending to do, you may or may not need planning permission. It’s worth getting it right, because in a worse-case scenario, your local council might demand that you demolish the work you have done and get you to put things back as they were. The following are … Read More »

When you come to tackle your renovation project you will need to call upon the services of builders, plumbers, electricians and other tradesmen. If you are planning to undertake a large project, and / or have enough spare cash, it may be worth employing a project manager to oversee them. If not, you will need … Read More »