Victorian Properties - 1837 to 1901

This information sheet gives guidance on the typical problems that surveyors find when looking at Victorian properties. We would add that there are always regional variations and that our surveyors are often coming across new issues, but the following has been given as a general guidance. We would of course recommend that you seek advice from a Chartered Building Surveyor before you proceed with any purchase.

Identifying a Victorian property

Victorian properties were mainly built during Queen Victoria's reign from 1837 to 1901 although as with any architectural style it does tend to run on past this stage and also influence architecture in years to come.

As with properties of any era Victorian properties come in many shapes and sizes. However, typically these would have originally been built as a brick built property with a pitched slate roof and usually with a spliced bay window, having decoration and detail in the form of carved joinery to the windows or the fascia boards with lead lights to the windows. The working class Victorian properties were typified by the many thousands of terraces built in this era in the more industrial towns and cities. Larger properties tended to follow a similar style on a larger scale.

This type of architecture is typfieid by the mill towns in the North such as Halifax , Bradford and Burnley, the coal mining areas of Wales and the Midlands and most industrial areas of the major cities.

Typical Problems with Victorian Properties

Chimneys

Often there is weathered pointing to the chimneys causing dampness, or the original lead flashings have been replaced with cement flashings, again causing dampness. Dampness can get in via the top of the chimney pots. Leaning chimney pots are often a sign that there are problems in this area. Sulphate attack can develop from a damp chimney causing twists and leaning to the chimneys.

Parapet Walls

These can also suffer where the original lead flashings have been replaced by a cement flashing and dampness gets into the property. Also the exposed location causes weathering of the pointing and dampness to get in.

Skylights

If original these have usually not been well maintained and the timber is deteriorating.

Roof Coverings and Underlayers

Slate - Problems such as nail sickness where the original nails rust which no longer keep the slates in place requiring re-roofing.

Valley gutters which have been badly repaired over the years can cause dampness getting into the structure.

The original slate roof having a lead ridge and not been repaired properly. Things to look out for are lead tingles; these hold the slates in place where the nails have rusted away. A general rule of thumb is more than a dozen lead tingles and the roof is in need of repair and possibly the batterns too.

Manmade Slates - Problems can be caused where wind touches the edge of these tiles and lifts them as they are light and thin and where they have been insufficiently lapped. This can also be a problem on a slate roof too.

Replacement Concrete Tiles - These have been used where the original slates have been replaced and can cause problems to the structure as they are much heavier than the slates. You need to check that additional supports have been put in the roof to avoid roof spread; this is where the weight of the tiles on the roof literally spread the walls of the building.

Clay Tiles - Two types of clay tiles - handmade and machine made. Handmade tend to not sit particularly well because they are all up and down, problems with wind blown rain getting underneath them.

Metal or Flat Roofs - Although known as flat roofs they should have a fall of approximately 12 degrees. Original flat roofs used metal such as lead and zinc. All metal roofs have problems with the joints and rusting and rainwater gets into the decking beneath; once it starts to sag you get the ponding effect.

Felt and Asphalt on Flat Roofs - Problems can arise with deterioration caused by the sun's heat and frost attack in the winter. All flat roofs have a rightly deserved reputation for leaking.

Roof Structure and Loft Space

The roof structure should be checked for woodworm, wet rot and dry rot. With woodworm we are often coming across examples where the woodworm has been active and occasionally treatment has been recommended. A newer problem that we are coming across is condensation within roof structures; current Building Regulations require insulation and lack of ventilation in the roof is often causing condensation.

Gutters and Downpipes and Soil and Vent Pipes

Originally these would have been cast iron. If they have not been well maintained they may have rusted or cracked over the years. Checks need to be made as considerable damage can be caused by water coming from these. Equally, replacement plastic gutters and downpipes may not be supported correctly; this often occurs where the old cast iron brackets are used and extra brackets have not been added to give enough support when converting to plastic.

External Walls

Things to look out for with brickwork is structural cracking. This is fairly difficult to establish on older properties as many of them have cracks with no problems at all and can cope with far more movement than a modern property. However, structural cracking may be caused due to an inadequate foundation - for example typically to a front bay window area and subsidence and heave caused by nearby trees for example. Typically in this age of property we see Flemish bond or English bond brickwork.

A big problem with these properties is where the original lime mortar has been repointed in a cement mortar which can cause deterioration to the brickwork and will also hold dampness within the wall.

External Joinery

Originally sliding sash timber windows, which are quite a feat of design in weight to counter balance them inside. Quality timber tended to be used although if it has not been maintained this can be rotten.

Floors

Usually built with suspended timber floors and need adequate ventilation beneath them to stop wet rot, dry rot and woodworm.

Dampness

Properties had slate damp proof courses in this era. This can break down but we tend to find that rising damp is wrongly diagnosed, when often the solution is as simple as requiring the timbers above to be repaired and the ground level to be lowered on the outside, thus stopping the dampness getting in.

Services

Electricity - Don't forget in this age of property originally they would have had gas lighting and electricity was very much a later addition. Typically the electrics have been amended and altered over the years - you always need to check for DIY alterations and old circuits and fuse boards.

Plumbing and Heating - Although state of the art when put in, lead pipework is no longer recommended as it's a health risk and has been removed from the majority of houses, but it still needs to be checked for.

Main Drains - This was the first time that the majority of people had proper drainage. If the drainage has served its time well but has generally come to the end of its useful life we do recommend a check is carried out to ensure that the drains aren't leaking, as this in turn can cause subsidence to the property.