Absence of Fire Barriers in timber frame house

Donkeygonads

I went Sale Agreed on a house 3 weeks ago ... a FTB, i've been on the look out for a 4 bed detached property in a certain town for 18 months ... so, this house came on the market , built 1998 ... nice quiet estate, ticked every box .. paid market price €290k .. so, the surveyor sent me the report on monday and there's some serious issues ... "The property is noted to be in reasonable structural condition with no significant structural defects noted to the main exterior walls or roofs. We would however have serious concerns regarding the absence of fire barriers to the tops of the gables to the timber frame external walls as these were not visible in the attic space along the gables ends. There is also a possibility that these are absent at window/door reveals. Timber frame construction requires fire barriers and fire stops to be provided in various locations so as to prevent any outbreak of fire in the dwelling spreading rapidly through the timber frame construction. Extensive opening up works will be required by a specialist company and the relevant remedial works undertaken which may prove very expensive.
Ongoing damp ingress is noted to the right side annex where a hole in the felt is noted and localised repairs will be required in this location. In addition we did also note dampness at high readings at ground level in the bay window section to the reception room and further investigations and the necessary repairs will be required in this area.
The property is currently vacant with all essential services turned off therefore testing of services to ensure that they are functioning properly is advised prior to occupation.
We would estimate the cost for essential repairs to be in excess of €11,000 plus Vat. This is however for guidance only and is subject to some possible opening up works and more formal, written quotations/estimates from appropriate professionals such as quantity surveyors or reputable building contractors" !... To say i'm gutted is an understatement, however ... it could be the best €450 i ever spend !!! Is this a problem that's simply not worth the hassle ... take the emotional attachment aside and simply walk .... anyone experience similar issues ?!? Thanks in advance for any responses .

davindub

The surveyor will point out everything to play it safe, it is up to you to arrange further investigations.

Ask the vendor about this first, then the building company/ neighbours / people who bought second hand recently. If you can't get comfort you will need a more invasive investigation, i.e. pulling back plaster walls etc, which I doubt the vendor will be keen to allow. At that point you might want to consider your options. If there is serious remedial work, you might be able to negotiate with the vendor for a reduction, they may recognise that they won't sell the house if fire protections are absent.

The good news is you can argue with your mortgage and home insurance provider the damp will help prevent fires

Donkeygonads

The surveyor did mention that more than likely the other houses in the development - 30 houses have the same fire barrier problem ... !

Mrs OBumble

Donkeygonads wrote: »

The surveyor did mention that more than likely the other houses in the development - 30 houses have the same fire barrier problem ... !

Not good for property values so.

Id rin away from it, because of the risk of the neighbourhood becoming a slum due to safety issues.

Donkeygonads

In my 18 months searching, this is the first time a house in this development has come on the market ... its a highly respected area and when a 4 bed detached house comes on the market in this town .... sold within a couple of weeks ... and priced at €300k ish .... i may have to knock on a couple of doors !

April 73

Have you shared the survey with the estate agent? The vendor is going to need to know there are issues.
Taking your report at face value they have a problem. I wouldn't be happy to proceed without more info if I were you. Do you have children? You need to have time to get everyone out in the event of a fire.

The vendor could well go back to the market & hope any purchaser won't be as careful with a survey. But that's a risk you'll have to take as based on the report more investigations are needed.

Donkeygonads

No, I haven't shared the report with the estate agent yet, also i've no children .... but i feel i would need to get a quote from a specialist who'd carry out this work and use this as my bargaining tool against the EA if i plan to go ahead with it or not .

April 73

Donkeygonads wrote: »

No, I haven't shared the report with the estate agent yet, also i've no children .... but i feel i would need to get a quote from a specialist who'd carry out this work and use this as my bargaining tool against the EA if i plan to go ahead with it or not .

Yes, I think you will have to have a better idea of what it will cost to bring it up to standard. 1998 is almost 20 years ago. I would have thought timber-framed houses were unusual in Ireland then. I wonder if it was built to 1998 standards which have been superseded by better standards today?

Even without children in the house for your own sake ithe survey would have to be taken seriously. Best of luck with it.

Gumbo

Rare enough for a timber frame estate back in 1998, most were block built.

See can you find out who prepared the timber frame, chase out any certification or inspections from back then.

It's worth noting that Fire Regulations have changed in 1992, 1998 and again in 2017 so the houses may have been built to the 92 standards and to be honest, you would not expect it to be up to a later standard without substantial works.

I have a timber frame property, built in 2006 and I cannot see the fire barriers at the top of the party walls either as they have been covered over. It's not as easy to the see the party wall fire resistance in a finished timber frame house as it would be in an exposed attic say from a block built house so the surveyor could very well be covering their ass by mentioning it.

It's also worth noting that I'm in the building regulation field so I'm not just looking at my party walls with a dazed look

Some further checks and investigation required, particularly if you really want to live in this estate.