Condensation is a problem in most dwellings and is usually caused by the behaviour of the people who live in them. Therefore, better understanding of the causes of condensation could eradicate the problem from your home. Condensation can be explained as a simple relationship between hot and cold air and is formed when water vapour saturates the air. There are … Read More
A quick guide to Building Information Modelling (BIM)
What is Building Information Modelling (BIM)? The promise of Building Information Modelling (BIM) is the ability to build a structure virtually prior to physically constructing it. In doing this, we allow project participants to design, analyse and explore a project through a digital environment. However, it is important to state that BIM is not just a software model. To successfully implement BIM … Read More
From the Great Fire of London rises the surveyor
In advance of the Housing White Paper, we look back at the evolution of the building surveyor This year marks the 350th anniversary of the passing of the London Building Act, which was a result of the Great Fire of London. The story of the Great Fire’s beginnings in Pudding Lane in 1666, and how it devastated vast swathes of the City, is … Read More
Four things to consider to avoid basements litigation
The explosive growth in the construction of basements in London has given rise to a corresponding increase in litigation as adjoining owners seek to protect their properties and to curb the extent of the building owners’ works. There is a recent case in West London in relation to basement foundations, Chaturachinda v Fairholme, which is worth bearing in mind if … Read More
Party Walls – Preventing & Resolving Disputes
Important information on carrying out building work under the Party Wall etc Act 1996 Framework for preventing and resolving disputes in relation to party walls, boundary walls and excavations near neighbouring buildings is provided in the Party Wall etc Act 1996. Adjoining owners MUST be given notice of intentions to begin work by the building owner. The Act provides a mechanism … Read More