A flat owner contacted SERL after finding us through a Google search. Their decision to contact us was due to our well known expertise and independence.
The client required our structural engineering reporting services, particularly in the South West London area. They needed a report to address their concerns with regard to various internal cracks, prior to redecorating. They had no plans to sell the property.
SERL offers two types of structural reports:
1) A localised, specific, and limited Specific Structural Inspection (SSI) report or a Structural Engineers Defect Report.
2) A broader General Structural Inspection Report (GSI) or Structural Engineers General Movement Report which focuses only on matters of cracking and movement.
In response to the client’s requirements our qualified Chartered Structural Engineer recommended a General Structural Inspection (GSI) report.
The property was a converted flat, typical of this type of flat in the SW London area.
The exterior part of the conversion flat indicated a history of long-term settlement but there was no sign of any modern day subsidence. There were, however, various internal minor cracks but none of these were related to the structure of the property.
We concluded that the cracks were non-structural, allowing the owner to proceed with the planned routine redecoration.
As our report findings were positive, the client stopped worrying about the cracks. Additionally, our structural engineer’s general inspection report will serve as a valuable record when they decide to sell the property.