The Exterior Condition of the IKON Gallery - Book Report/Review Example

The Exterior Condition of the IKON Gallery Abstract This report is to ascertain the exterior condition of the IKON Gallery that has been recently completed after it was adapted and the use of the structure that existed in that place was changed too. This survey report gives the information that was got during the survey of the IKON Gallery and the recommendations that need to be implemented to improve the state of the structure and its functioning. The objective of the survey was to assess the structure and have the knowledge of what needs maintenance, the operation and condition of the structure and the risk and the financial impact of the building due to maintenance costs. Table of contents 1 INTRODUCTION 3 2 Limitations of inspection 4 3 SITUATIONS AND DESCRIPTION 5 4 EXTERIOR 5 The External Walls 6 Roof Coverings 8 Damp proof courses and membranes 9 EXTERNAL DECORATIONS 10 STAIRCASES 11 EXTERNAL AREA AND SURROUNDINGS 11 5 MAINTENANCE COSTS 12 Maintenance 12 ASSOCIATED VALUATION COSTS 12 Maintenance cost Budget 13 Limitations of Estimating Budgets 16 SUMMARY 16 References 18 1 INTRODUCTION This building survey report has been prepared paying every attention to the requirements and the terms and conditions of Engagement. It is a general building survey report that has been done concerning the external conditions of the IKON Gallery. The objective of this report is that it intends to give a general opinion as to the condition of the IKON Gallery especially on its exterior components and this will enable the client to make preparations on how they will maintain these exterior components in future. This building survey report been prepared so that the client IKON Gallery will be able to benefit from it, and there is no liability that will be accepted to any third parties that may arise. During the preparation of this report, there was no removal of structures so that there could be a detailed examination of the structure, there were no specialists that were employed but necessary recommendations were provided, and all the services that will be offered by the gallery were examined to satisfaction. The surveyor was not in a position to ascertain that the standards to which the Oozells Street School was built basing on. The information that the surveyor has about the building is that it was constructed in 1877, and its designers were Martin and Chamberlain, who were Birmingham’s premier Victorian architects. This building that was previously a school was converted into the new home for the IKON Gallery, which was put as an essential part of the Brindley Place Master plan, and was later opened to be used by the public in 1998. Through this building report, the client will be able to know the recommendations that have been made concerning the external conditions of the IKON Gallery and the cost of the repairs that will have to be expected to be used. The client will be aware of the financial condition that they will need to maintain the building. Instruction from………………………………. Date of inspection………………………………. Weather During the survey of the IKON Gallery, the weather was conducive that it made the whole procedure easy. This weather condition proceeded throughout the survey period 2 Limitations of inspection The comments to be given by this report can only be given on the areas that are not covered and those that are visible to the surveyors and the inspectors in general. If there are no signs that indicate that a certain area has concealed defects, then the building will be reported to have no defects at all. If there will be need for greater declaration on the report then there will be need for exposing the building. This act will bring extra costs which will have to be avoided by the client (Williams, 2013). The inspections of the services offered by IKON Gallery were specified to those that could only be seen by the surveyor. Therefore there will be no comment that would be made concerning the areas that the surveyor could not access (Cope Lippincott Slifer Architects, 1987). Though some of the services of the IKON Gallery have not been tested professionally, there are advises that have been given appropriately and if need may arise in future then the client is advised to engage a specialist contractor to carry out the inspection (Douglas, 2010). The basement of the IKON Gallery has been used for so many operations like it has been used for storage, workshops and other plants. Due to this there are certain areas that have not been inspected so there should be necessary restrictions that have been used. The Information Relied Upon in this Report It is understood that the current owners of IKON Gallery got this building in 1998 and the structure was previously a school. The client was able to inform us that before they took over the building, it was ascertained that the Building Regulations Approval were obtained then. 3 SITUATIONS AND DESCRIPTION The structure was converted from a school to a gallery that was to be used by the community. The building was converted into a home of the IKON Gallery in the Brindley Place, as it was part of their master plan. Date of report…………………………… 4 EXTERIOR The basement of the structure was formed by using the contiguous concrete piles, which are used to provide the walls to the basement and means of support for the beams on the ground that support the ground floor and the construction above. On the outside, the decorative gothic style building is always complimented by the inclusion of a new contrasting glass stair and an enclosure to the lift that is placed on the outside to maintain the uninterrupted sequence of exhibition spaces within the building (Muldavin, 2010). Tests were made on the basement to see how the damp proof courses that were installed in the basement work. The External Walls The test that were done here were to see how a membrane could be placed under the internal wall so that the sipping in of moisture could be prevented. The inspection consisted of different in-situ moisture measurements that were done using: I. Microwave moisture measurements: These kinds of measurements rely on the dielectric properties of water. When microwaves will be emitted, molecules will vibrate but the energy loss that will be major when the hit the water molecules, the reduced strength of the microwaves that will have been reflected will indicate the moisture content (Green R & Proenergis Chartered surveyors, 2010). Condition During the survey, the problems that were observed in the basement external walls are that they were damp. Damp walls could cause severe indoor climate problems. The causes of the dampness of the external walls of the basement were: Defective drainages that are blocked by ochre or they have been broken Under the basement there were sewage systems that leaked The concrete floors that were used to build the floors of the basement had capillary suction. There were also rising damp in the internal walls Recommendations The renovations that need to be done by the client, IKON Gallery, so that moisture could be reduced in the in the external walls are: Because the concrete walls of the basement were uninsulated, it is necessary that the owner of the gallery will have to put external insulations to the walls. There should also be pumps that will be installed to make sure that the drainage was effective To improve the efficiency of the drainage pumps, there will be an installation of an alarm that will be used to signal the caretaker of IKON Gallery that the pump had fall outs. The sewage system that serves the other entire storey will have to be changed so that the upper storey had their channel and only outlets from the basement could be placed under the basement floor. Surface water should be directed away from the building to reduce wetting the walls of the basement Drainage around the entire building should be put away from the building and inside the basement; the drainage should be put at least 300mm below the ground. Installation of a water tight surface that has been prescribed so that it can keep off water from penetrating into the wall. Most of the time bitumen is applied in the form of fluid then it is protected with a mortar screed on the outside. A capillary breaking layer is put underneath the floor so that it can help prevent damp from rising in the floor. ( Moller E.B. & Olsen B., Rising damp, a reoccurring problem in basements- a case study with different ways to stop the moisture, Alectia A/S, Denmark) Roof Coverings The main roof coverings Of the IKON Gallery were viewed from the outside from upper floors windows. Due to the height of the building and the availability of other adjacent buildings, the inspection of the roof was restricted to the elevations (Douglas, 2010). During the survey it was observed that most parts of the roof covering had weathered, and some had either been broken or slipped off. In the valleys there were piles of debris to the ends of the gabled front. In some areas of the roof moss and algae could be seen forming. Recommendations The maintenance of this roof should be budgeted for and done before the roof collapses to cause a hazard. There should be frequent inspection of the roof so that its conditions can be closely observed and immediate action taken before the defect becomes uncontrollable. The flat roof areas should be checked for the rain water seepage which can lead to rotting of the timber that was used to build the roof structure. Also flat roofs commonly collapse suddenly because they have a short life span of about 15 to 20 years so they should be changed. The repairs of the roof and its covering will need the use of scaffolding; this will increase the cost of the repair so their costs should be allowed for in the quotations of works. Damp proof courses and membranes An inspection of the walls was done using an electronic moisture meter although it is quite clear that some of the wall areas could not be accessed because there were facilities that blocked the walls. Throughout the inspection, there was a revelation of major damp in the structure. The possible causes of this damp could have been formed by defective rain water goods, the damp proof course that was used could have been ineffective, and the window frames also were defective. There were sign of leaking overflow that have always been neglected and condensation too could also be noted. The garden on the outside of the IKON Gallery could also be the cause of damp penetrating through to the external walls. Condensation and humidity are some of the major components that create an appropriate environment for the decay of timber and other materials that have been used to construct the structure. Recommendations Due to the significant incident of damp attack to the external walls and even the timbers, we recommend that the client should: Get the recommended timber infestation for the households before he purchases and also frequently infest the timber and the walls There should be an installation of a chemical damp proof course and the plaster the external walls again and treats the walls where there are signs of beetle attack ((Brandt 2009). It will also be necessary to lower the ground levels then improve the sub floor ventilation so that there will be flow of air to check condensation. The air vents should be free from soil and other debris that could cause blockage of air (Brandt, 2009). The garden on the external part of the walls should be removed because it causes damp to the walls. EXTERNAL DECORATIONS To know that the external decorations are overdue, the paintwork starts cracking and peeling off, and the external timber that was used also starts deteriorating. Recommendations It is mandatory that there should be decoration being done often so that the fabric and the joinery are protected because it is exposed to major elements of decay like the rain and fog. All the joinery should be checked keenly and the supposed repair done as part of preventing future schemes of failure. STAIRCASES The fabricated glass stair does not indicate any signs of major defects but it had signs of minor cracking. The treads of the staircase had also signs of creaking. Recommendations The client should be warned of the older staircases because they have been used for a long time and are viable to becoming loose, therefore the client should be observant for such problems The stairway should be provided with firm handrails made of either timber or balustrade EXTERNAL AREA AND SURROUNDINGS 1. SITE AREAS There is a garden along the pavements and a way that gives a driveway off the street into IKON Gallery. From our observation it was seen that the garden has been neglected and is always not trimmed. This has caused the blockage of the paving. This may be a cause of tripping hazard. The vegetation around the gallery should be closely monitored so that the roots do not interfere with the ways and the drainage facilities. 2. BOUNDARIES There is hedging and a metal gate and a brick boundary, there are also brick piers on the sides of the gate. The piers are in a bad condition. The location of the boundary should be checked on the map where it is supposed to be and verified with the land documents. The gates should be painted and the hedges trimmed. 5 MAINTENANCE COSTS Maintenance In the building there will be need for carrying out a maintenance activity so that: Re-instate the physical condition of the building to a specified standard Avoid failure in future and further deterioration of the structure Putting correct operation within specified parameters Replacing other facilities as their useful time is over Carrying out necessary repair to ensure the health and safety of the users of the IKON Gallery especially the accidents that occur after the failure of a building. ASSOCIATED VALUATION COSTS For the cost of the maintenance that is supposed to be done to the building to be estimated, there should be the formation of a maintenance budget that will help the client know the amount of money that is going to be used for the maintenance. It is therefore necessary that the areas that need the maintenance to be discovered then their expenses valued (Williams, 2005). Maintenance cost Budget The client should be able to allocate enough money for the frequent maintenance of the structure in their portfolio so that it can be able to meet the requirements and standards ratings in the building policy. Therefore, it is necessary that the client should make a budget of how the maintenance will be done to have an expected amount that will be used for the exercise. Having known the building portfolio status and the issues that are impacting maintenance to the building, it will be quite easy to develop a maintenance budget (Reeves, 1927). When developing the budget, it is necessary that the necessary agency asset plans: The assets that are on the site that needs to be maintained. The new assets that will be required to be brought to the structure The assets that are on the structure that need to be upgraded so that they can meet the standards Assets that are on the structure but need to be disposed off Factors that will be used to show the impact the level of maintenance that will be applied to the building are: The quality of materials and components that the client intends to put on the building Quality of the skills, workmanship and design that will be employed during the maintenance The rate of wear and tear that is associated with the usage and the occupancy of the building (Moller & Olsen, 2013). The weather conditions of the area that the IKON Gallery is located The level of maintenance should be able to meet the condition standards The results that were brought up from the previous budgets and data When preparing the budget, it should be split to comprise of the following cost components: The circumstance assessment costs: this is the cost of doing the assessment according to standards. Legislative maintenance costs: the expense of doing the maintenance to achieve the compulsory requirements of different regulations Anticipatory maintenance costs: Condition-based maintenance costs Unexpected Agency maintenance management costs (Glover, 2013). When making the decisions, the client is advised to make actions that will help cut the costs by checking what risks are related to the deferral of some maintenance. When checking these risks, IKON Gallery is supposed to check policies and the guidelines of the risk management should be kept. To manage a maintenance budget one should include the following factors: Establish the priorities of the maintenance. Frequently check and make a report that has the analysis of the components of the budget against the actual expenditure. This means that the client will have to consult the facility managers and other maintenance service providers concerning the planning, material and equipment that will be needed (Cope Lippincott Slifer Architects, 1987). Decide on the accountabilities and the performance requirements of the systems in the Gallery Checking for benchmarks and policy requirements Administering the variances and contingencies and monitoring the effects of deferred maintenance Whenever there is an additional funding that is assigned for other emergent priorities, it should be included in the maintenance budget. It should be ensured that the maintenance budget id reviewed annually and an assessment of how the maintenance that has been done previously has affected the performance of the structure. The objective of the review will be to see the factors that will be associated with the impact of the budget. These factors include: Adequacy Affordability Efficiency Effectiveness Competitiveness Compliance (Blackledge, 2009) Limitations of Estimating Budgets The maintenance budget that will be developed will have certain limitations: The estimates that will be made will be per the current prices and there are no considerations for inflation There has been no investigation of whether the cost of carrying out the maintenance immediately will vary with that of carrying out the maintenance individually when it will be required. There are no costs that have been estimated for the cost of any of the works. SUMMARY IKON Gallery has been completed and adapted and the existing structure which was the former Oozells Street School in the Brindley place, it will be very important for the client for every work that has been specified in this report. This report has indicated in detail the defects that affect the structure, some of the defects can be handled as a normal maintenance but others will only need a short term attention. Those that need short term attention are: Roofs: the recommendations that were made were that the roofs should be inspected regularly and the weathered roof coverings that are broken to be overhauled from the site. This will be of value where some areas of the roof cannot be seen while standing on the ground. Walls: defective representation, where cracking and detaching has been done by the mason beneath the wall also needs repair. There will be need for partial rebuilding of the wall at the front of the building. Dampness: because of a significant amount of dampness in the structure, the timber decay and poor ventilation in the basement that is being used for storage of materials, it is recommended that that a timber and damp report to be obtained before the purchase of the timber, and it should be ensured that they are infested when installed. Site: the vegetation around the structure should be trimmed and the gardens weeded, then the gardens that are next to the walls should also be removed, to keep the external walls free from damp. It is important that when forming the maintenance budget, the estimates should be obtained for all the repairs that have been indicated. The costs should be from a competitive source so that the client should know what they are liable to. When the maintenance of the structure will begin, the client should be aware that there may be additional defects that may come up because the inspection was only done to areas that could be accessed. All the defects that have been mentioned in this report should be attended to, to avoid future hazards. The client should be advised on the type of skill that should be employed to do the repairs and the materials that have been prescribed according to standard. Signed: Date: Name: SURVEYORS FULL NAME AND QUALIFICATION Position: Partner References Blackledge, M. (2009). Introducing Property Evaluation, Routledge, London; U.K. Brandt E. (2009), Fugt i bygninger, SBi-guideline 224, Danish Building Research Institute, Hørsholm, Denmark. 253 p. Cope Lippincott Slifer Architects (1987). A Building Survey and Report: Christ Memorial Church, 43rd & Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia, Pa, Christ Memorial Church, Philadelphia, Pa; U.S.A. Douglas, J. (2010). Building Surveys and Reports, John Wiley & Sons, London; U.K. Green R & Proenergis Chartered surveyors (18th November 2010), BUILDING Survey Report Glover, P. (2013). Building Surveys, Routledge, London; U.K. Moller B.E. & Olsen B. (2013). Rising damp, a reoccurring problem in basements- a case study with different attempts to stop the moisture, ALECTIA A/S, Denmark. Muldavin, S. R. (2010). Value Beyond Cost Savings: How to Underwrite Sustainable Properties, Green Building FC, London; U.K. Reeves, F. W. (1927). Report of a School Building Survey of Danville, Ky, Phress of the Danville Daily Messenger, Cambridge; London. Pp.15-25 Williams, A. (2005). Domestic Building Surveys, Routledge, London; U.K. Williams G.J.D. (2013). Building survey and valuation report, Mallard, Wales Read More