1925 Detached House – Building Survey Case Study

Independent RICS Building Survey carried out on a 1925 detached house in Sutton Coldfield. This report highlights common defects found in early 20th-century detached houses and explains why buyers should not rely on a mortgage valuation alone.

We regularly inspect period and inter-war properties across Sutton Coldfield, Lichfield, Burntwood, Shenstone and surrounding areas, providing clear advice on defects, risks and repair priorities.

The property is a typical detached house built around 1920–1925, with solid brick walls, a pitched tiled roof and traditional timber structural elements. Properties of this era commonly suffer from moisture-related defects, timber movement and ageing roof structures.

The external render to the chimney has likely been applied to conceal underlying brickwork that has lost its faces or mortar joints due to frost damage.

Although not immediately obvious, the chimney was observed to lean slightly, probably due to sulphate expansion within the mortar, a known issue in older brickwork.

A missing roof tile was identified, along with dishing to the roof slope. This distortion is caused by inadequate horizontal timbers supporting the rafters, allowing gradual deformation over time.

Additional horizontal timbers have been installed to improve rafter support. Timber wedges have been used to ensure proper bearing between rafters and the new support.

Brickwork has been added beneath the timber to prevent loading onto blockwork, which may be unsuitable as a bearing material. A stepped pyramid brick arrangement would have been preferable to better distribute structural loads.

Vegetation growth within gutters indicates that silt is accumulating, usually due to insufficient fall. This prevents effective drainage and leads to overflow during rainfall.

Daylight was visible between the gutter mounting board and the soffit boards. This suggests that the gutter board is pulling away from the rafter feet, likely caused by decay to the rafter ends — a common defect in older properties with long-term gutter leakage.

One chimney stack was found to be in need of repointing. Deteriorated mortar joints allow moisture penetration, accelerating brick decay and increasing the risk of instability.

A gutter section had separated at the joint, probably due to thermal movement. This defect allows rainwater to blow against the solid external walls, which are particularly vulnerable to damp penetration in properties of this age.

External decking was noted to be extremely slippery in icy or snowy conditions. Even a light covering of frost or snow significantly increases the risk of slipping and injury.

The bricks have moved slightly above the large timber that holds up the bricks and window above the opening to the bay. Whilst it is possible that water has entered and decayed the timber or it has suffered from a beetle infestation it is most likely that the timber has shrunk as it has dried out or that it was slightly undersized for the loads that it has to bare.

The engineered floor covering has lifted slightly. It is most likely that the floorboards beneath have been removed to lay pipe and wires and then not re-nailed. In winter when the timber is damp it swells but is no longer restrained by the nails enabling it to life upwards

Why a Building Survey Is Essential for 1920s Houses

This Sutton Coldfield case study demonstrates why older detached houses require a full RICS Building Survey, not a mortgage valuation.

We inspect properties throughout Lichfield and Sutton Coldfield, identifying:

If you’re buying a period or inter-war property, contact an independent RICS Chartered Surveyor for clear, practical advice before you commit.