07 Feb, 2025/ by Surveyor Local /News
When it comes to the details of moving home, you will no doubt be bewildered by the amount of information and form-filling that's required. The stress of buying a property and selling the old one can be significant and is not helped by the use of terms that don't necessarily mean anything to you - what might be termed jargon with no helpful explanation.
One such term is “spalling”, which might appear on the survey report you have commissioned.
The dictionary definition of “spall” is “a chip or splinter”, and that goes some way to understanding what the effect of spalling in a building is.
No doubt you will have seen examples of layers of brickwork or concrete lifting in small chunks and dropping from the main façade of a building. Often, the pieces of the ruptured construction can be found littering the base of the structure - especially after a wet and cold period.
The primary cause of the effect that is known as spalling is infiltration of water. Since most building materials have some degree of porousness, water can seep into it (for instance, during a heavy and sustained rainstorm), followed by a period of freezing temperatures. Because water expands when it is frozen, any liquid with the brick will increase in size and push at its structure, causing it to flake and detach from the rest of the brick.
Other symptoms are cracking and crumbling of the material, and all flaking, cracking and crumbling will be more prevalent on the walls and chimney stacks that face into the weather.
Other notable causes include the application of the incorrect mortar mix for the chosen construction material and poor application of the mortar joints.
The practical upshot of spalling is aesthetic - the wall will look unsightly with the damage and give a poor view for any prospective buyers - and stability - if the spalling is not managed, the wall could eventually become unstable as more of the brick fascia flakes away.
If you own your property, you can maintain your walls by applying masonry paint or a clear substance that prevents the moisture infiltration. If you have spalling problems, this can be relatively straightforward to fix, although it's advisable to get a professional in.
If you are looking to buy a property and you take out a detailed survey, your chartered surveyor will inspect all of the external walls for evidence of spalling and confirm where it has been found and the seriousness of the problem.
Surveyor Local only uses experienced chartered who will focus on the needs of their client and who will take time to explain what they will look for, and what they have found once the investigation is concluded. They will also be happy to investigate anything that is causing you concern - so, if you notice possible evidence of spalling, you can raise it with our surveyor, who will give their expert opinion on the situation providing you with an assessment of what needs to be done to remedy it and an idea of how much that work might cost.
Surveyor Local's chartered surveyors will talk you through the detail of the report and their findings and will work hard to ensure you understand what it all means and what your next steps might be with the property. In this way, you'll know the seriousness of any problems, such as spalling, and the options available for fixing the problem and an idea of the remedial cost.
Are you looking to buy a property that is exhibiting some of the symptoms of spalling? Are you concerned that fixing the problem will be a costly and time-consuming activity?
You'll want to get a professional assessment of any existing problems and what the remedial effort and cost will be with a RICS Level 3 Survey.
At Surveyor Local, we only work with chartered surveyors who are members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, ensuring the survey you get is always professionally delivered.
They will work hard to identify all kinds of problems, including the impact of prior flooding on the structure of the property.
Call to get your no-obligation survey quote started, or to discuss your concerns with the acquisition of your planned property.
Or you can get a quick quote, using Surveyor Local's easy-to-use quote generator. Simply input your name, postcode, email address, phone number and an approximate value of the property (usually the agreed price), and we'll give you an instant quote for the work (with an email copy).
We'll do the rest once you confirm your acceptance of the quote.