Terry Casey wrote:
We are hoping to buy a 2 bedroomed bungalow on the outskirts of Lincoln and
are looking for recommendations for trades/craftsmen in the local area to
carry out detailed inspections and provide quotations for all essential
works.

We need someone to carry out an inspection of the electrical system. I had
assumed that the CU was an old Wylex or similar unit fitted with cartridge
fuse-holders but the surveyor says they are rewire-able! It is unlikely to
have an up to date electrical safety certificate!

Similarly the gas and central heating systems required detailed inspection.
The central heating boiler is an ageing Glow Worm wall mounted unit, vented
through the roof. The surveyor noted that "the boiler was in operation on the
day of inspection (and) it was noted that there were high volumes of water
running through into the expansion tank."

We also need estimates from roofing contractors to address the following:
"The undersides of the roof is lined with a working felt of Hessian
reinforced bitumen type. Over the years this has decayed where it is dressed
out under the bottom roof edges into the gutters. Water that is running down
the top of the felt (which has been driven through the roof coverings) is
dropping onto the roof edge timbers and causing consequential decay.
Remedial work is needed splicing in new sections of underfelt and possibly
new timbers."

Living in an area where most buildings have suspended floors and noting the
large number where the air bricks are wholly or partially obstructed where
gardens have been replaced by concrete, I must really kick myself for not
spotting this - the presence of a solid floor in this bungalow must have
given me a false sense of security! The tarmac surround is less than 150mm
below the damp course - from photographs, it appears to be only one brick
course below: (it would be a 300 mile round trip to 'pop round for a quick
look'!)

The garage is at the rear of and to the side of the property and the tarmac
driveway from the roadway runs beside the house. Again, this looks to be only
75mm below the damp course.

Would the solution be a gulley all the way round the house? In which case,
how wide? How deep? How should it be drained?

Anyway, that is something else that needs to be addressed ...

All advice and comments will be gratefully received!





You don't say how old the bungalow is.

The electrical system using fusewire may well be perfectly OK.
How much do you want to spend on rewiring, necessary or otherwise.

If the boiler is working have it serviced and leave it alone.
Obsolete= reliable IME. Modern boilers have an average life of 7 years
I am told by my boiler servicing man and you rarely can recover the cost
of replacing the Glow worm with a modern boiler when you consider
installation and servicing costs.

The roof could be a major headache if the timbers were not
treated from new. Are trusses used?

If the walls are a stock brick, 75mm above dpc would not IMO
be a real problem. If rendered, it may be better to replace the render
with a waterproofed one,than mess about digging gulleys. If damp is not
present internally, there doesn't seem much to worry about.