CASE HISTORIES
Over many years of carrying out Structural Dilapidation Surveys, a huge number of case histories have been observed.
The most significant fact is that nearby construction work has to be extreme in order to cause any issue regarding damage to adjoining properties.
This is illustrated by the fact that in many thousands of properties where a Structural Dilapidation Survey has been carried out, only one has been seen to have damage caused by adjacent construction work. In this case, rock breaking work took place about 3 metres away from a bungalow. No damage was seen in the walls but a single minor crack in a ceiling was a "new" defect. In this case, the Contractor carried out minor cosmetic plaster repair and re-painted the ceiling.
There are however, no shortage of claims that damage has been caused by construction work. Society is becoming more litigation conscious, and it appears that in recent years, more claims are made that damage has resulted from the construction work.
Such claims tend to fall into 2 categories:
- houseowners who have had cracks in their house/ wall for decades but simply have never noticed them
- houseowners who see an opportunity for a claim against a large builder
In dozens of cases, a houseowner has been shown photographs taken some time before construction work commenced which clearly shows pre-existing cracks. Their claim disappears instantly.
