OllieWG Posted August 11, 2023 Share Posted August 11, 2023 Hey there, firstly, thanks for taking the time out to read my message. I have spent a small fortune trying to find the issue with my property and don’t really have any more funds. I have tried to include as much information as possible below Hey! I purchased a property a couple of years ago. It is a three storey terraced house built in the 1950s/1960s. The front and back do the house are not brick, but instead have cladding and underneath that, I presume, wooden battens, some kind of waterproofing material etc. (I’m sure there is a fancy word for this!). I have spoken to a few people about my issues and the house in general who all inform me that the house is ‘uniquely’ built - from the roof ‘they don’t make roofs like that now, if the roof comes off, the whole house will fall’ to the fact there are no supporting walls and the joists go from one part of the house to the other. Anyway to my issues! There is slopping from both sides of the property which is evident by the windows on each end of the property slanting. Floors and ceilings also slant - I don’t think there is a straight room in the house! I had a survey done on the property before I purchased which said everything was fine and no structural issues. When I moved in, I got more and more obsessed, by the slanting windows, ceilings and floors and purchased another survey by a structural engineer (cost a fortune!) who advised they couldn’t see anything structurally wrong. I just can’t get it out of my head thinking something must be causing this? This could be our forever home, but I’m finding it really difficult to feel at home here with all these issues and no answers. The home did have a lot of work to be done, so as we are renovating rooms, we are putting in sub ceilings and levelling floors, but I’m not really comfortable just hiding a problem ( if there is one!) There are 12 houses on the street built like this and from my observations ( by just looking at them from outside and having the opportunity to go inside some) - the ones that have not had work done to them in recent years all suffer with the same issues. Has anyone any ideas? Thanks so much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted August 11, 2023 Share Posted August 11, 2023 Welcome Really will need a lot more information about the building. Pictures would help as well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OllieWG Posted August 13, 2023 Author Share Posted August 13, 2023 Thank you for your reply I’ll get some pictures, but it’s quite tricky to capture the slants on pictures. Is there any particular information about the property you need? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Declan52 Posted August 13, 2023 Share Posted August 13, 2023 Use a spirit level along a window or wall so we can guage how much the slant is. If you have had 2 surveys done and both going no structural issues then the issues will be cosmetic. Some people would call your issues character and love them while other people a wonky wall or window would drive them insane. The house is coming up on 70 years old so has taken a lot of abuse over the years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted August 13, 2023 Share Posted August 13, 2023 Just because a house is not level does not mean it is structurally unsound, you used the term “all these issues” and the word “obsessed” and I think you are on this matter, which is your prerogative, however if two structural engineers have come to the same conclusion you either have to accept it’s subsided a bit and live with it or buy another house you feel comfortable in. If the issue is subsidence what are you going to do about it? Look at that wonky pub that someone burned down, that was structurally sound otherwise it would not have been allowed as a pub!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted August 13, 2023 Share Posted August 13, 2023 54 minutes ago, joe90 said: Look at that wonky pub that someone burned down, that was structurally sound otherwise it would not have been allowed as a pub!!! Would not have passed current fire regulations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted August 13, 2023 Share Posted August 13, 2023 37 minutes ago, SteamyTea said: Would not have passed current fire regulations. We are talking structural and it was a working pub! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markc Posted August 13, 2023 Share Posted August 13, 2023 Speak to the other owners to get a feel for what if anything is going on. old mining village near be, one row of terrace began to lean more than the others (think it was 6 houses in a terrace) and the whole terrace had to be pulled down, the other terraces still lean but are not getting any worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saveasteading Posted August 14, 2023 Share Posted August 14, 2023 A 70 year old building may be on very shallow foundations, and move seasonally. It may have settled differentially very early in its life due to some walls being loadbearing and others lightweight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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