Supporting purlins

[amfisted]

Hi All

We're selling our house and have recently accepted an offer. The chap who is buying it is himself a surveyor, and has picked up on some issues with the roof structure. Specifically, he reckons one of the main roof timbers across the width of the roof, the ones that span from the gable end to the party wall with next door (purlins, I think they're called) is not adequately supported on the existing corbels. In particular he pointed out that in order to level the timber, the original builder has used a slate wedge on top of the corbel at one end instead of building the corbel to the correct level. He also mentioned that the mortar in the party wall is crumbling.

The house was built in 1897, the roof lines are perfectly straight, there's no evidence of movement of the roof structure and he acknowledges this. However, its clear that he intends to use the issue to negotiate some money off the price of the house, which is fine because that's how these things work. Question is, does anyone have any idea roughly how much a builder would charge to secure the ends of a Victorian purlin using modern methods? I do of course intend to get my own estimates once I know the nature of the work concerned, but forewarned is forearmed, as they say.

Thanks in advance.

 

[loply]

The roof is straight and the house is 115 years old? Tell him to sod off.

Crumbing mortar inside a loft? Show me a house that doesn't have this! It was never tooled/pointed when the bricks were laid...

I guarantee you he won't be doing these works to rectify the supposed issue. Stand your ground.

 

[tony1851]

+1; he's trying it on.

With regard to the crumbing mortar - it was built like that. The wall is not exposed to the elements so it will still be like that 120 years from now.

 

[amfisted]

Thanks, guys. Much appreciated.

One other issue he's mentioned is damp on the inside of the roof in the vicinity of the chimney stack.

I noticed patches on the timbers below the stack when we first moved in, which was 18 years ago. At the time the patches felt wet to the touch, so I climbed up on the roof and did a DIY job with flashing tape. Although the patches remain visible, on my regular visits to the loft space they've felt dry to the touch ever since. My buyer tells me that these patches represent evidence of an existing leak and that therefore the flashing and perhaps the stack pointing needs attention; apparently he reached this conclusion by using a damp meter on the timbers.

Is any of this credible if the patches feel dry to the touch, even when we've had heavy rain? Seems unlikely to me, but I'm neither a builder nor a surveyor.

 

[tony1851]

It could be a bit of condensation.

Also, the brickwork in old chimneys usually contains salts deposited from years of combustion of coal. These salts can be hygroscopic - that is they attract moisture from the air and make the brickwork damp in patches.

If there was an ongoing leak, it is possible you would see white deposit on the bricks.

Those damp-meters surveyors are so fond of are more often than not misleading; surveyors know this and use it to their advantage.

 

[amfisted]

Thanks, Tony.

I suppose we have two possible avenues open to us once he's come up with a figure. Either call the bluff and refuse point blank to negotiate any contribution, thus possibly torpedoeing the sale, or (depending on a comparison between a reasonable contribution towards the work and a surveyor's fee) employ our own surveyor to report on the problem and hope that his findings strengthen our position. Or maybe a combination of the two.

Unless someone can think of a third option?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

There are no 3rd, or indeed 2nd options - there is only the first one

Make it absolutely clear to him , so that he can be in no doubt whatsoever, that you are quite determined not to give in to his blackmail, and that you are quite prepared to pull out, even if it will cost you more than he wants you to drop, because you know he is trying it on. And if you show weakness and give in on this, then later on he will find something else to use as a "reason" for lowering the price again.

He made the offer, you accepted it. He sticks with it , or withdraws it and FOADs.

 

[amfisted]

Thanks for that, BAS. As ever, uncompromisingly logical.

Problem I have is that my missus absolutely loves the house that we're planning to buy, so any stubborness on my part that might wreck the current transaction is likely to go down like the proverbial lead balloon.

I just have to convince her that making a stand right now is ultimately in our financial interests, even if it means losing the current buyers. And on reflection I don't think we will, because they clearly love the house. However, see below.

Interestingly, we also have an issue with our purchase. Its a bungalow, which has a steeply banked garden on the left hand side as viewed from the roadway. Between this bank and the side access pathway there's a retaining wall about four feet high, and its leaning. The owner tells me its been that way for 15 years, but I'm still concerned because there must be several tons of earth behind that wall. I'm going to have it surveyed and the diagnosis and likely cost will probably decide whether we go ahead or not. The property has a superb garden and panoramic views of the local landscape to die for, so unless this turns out to be a really serious issue we won't be pulling out. However, a generous gesture from the vendors in the form of a small allowance towards future repair of the wall would certainly be very much appreciated.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Ask your surveyor buyer to look at it.

Tell him you'll pass on to him any reduction he can get you off the place you buy.

 

[amfisted]

Now that's an interesting idea, thanks.

I may post some pics of the purlin ends on here, just in case anyone has any useful observations to make about their construction.

Cheers again.