Our pre-purchase Level 2 and Level 3 building inspections frequently expose common issues that typical viewings miss entirely.
Here are the top five defects we identify across Poole, Bournemouth, and Dorset:
- Bridged Cavity Walls: Building debris falling within blockwork cavities during historic renovations, bridging the damp proof course (DPC) and channeling wet moisture directly onto internal walls.
- Leaking Chimney Flashings: Failing or decayed mortar leadwork in period chimneys, allowing water ingress to seep down attic timbers.
- Sub-Floor Air Void Voids: Home extensions or patios built directly over air bricks, blocking ventilation currents and creating stagnant, humid conditions that rot timber joists.
- Bridged Plaster Skim Coats: Modern multi-finish plaster applied straight down past structural injection lines, bridging the dry zones and soaking up moisture via capillary action.
- High Relative Humidity: Blocked passive ventilation vents, broken mechanical extractors, and air-tight uPVC windows causing condensation wet-spots and black mould.