If your property has been damaged in some way, you may be unsure about if it is best to demolish the structure and start again or to repair and remodel it. Do you know when it is time to have a building inspected so you can get a professional opinion? This article explores some of the signs that it is best to call in a structural engineer from a demolition team. 

Subsidence

Subsidence is the condition when the ground around a house sinks, causing a building to lean to one side as the foundations shift. As a building moves, large cracks may start to appear in the ceiling, floors and other parts of the structure. Subsidence could lead to serious structural problems. If you find that your property may have been affected by subsidence, you should have the building evaluated by a structural engineer. If a structural problem has been caused by subsidence, then it is usually best to demolish the damaged building and start again. Repairing structural damage would often be more expensive than building a new structure.

Collapsed roofing

If the roof of your property has been damaged, this could severely compromise its safety and integrity of the whole building. You will find that damage to the roof tiles and beams can normally be repaired. However, more extensive damage which has caused a section of the roof to collapse could pose a great threat to the safety of the structure. If any part of the roof has collapsed, you should have the structure evaluated by a structural engineer.

Fire damage

If you find that you have fire damage in your home, you need to establish to what extent the core of the building has been damaged. While fire will certainly cause a lot of superficial damage, it can also cause issues with the fundamental parts of a building. For example, the intense heat generated by a fire can weaken bricks, causing walls to sag and eventually collapse. For this reason, you should have a structural engineer inspect the property following a fire. If the fire damage is minimal, you can choose to repair the damaged parts of the building.

If you would like further advice about the assessment and demolition of damaged properties, you should get in touch with a local damage contractor or demolition team today. A member of the team will be happy to offer you further advice and assistance.

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