Below are some of the most common Structural Engineering FAQs that we receive. To view the areas that we service, click here.
What does a structural engineer do?
A Structural Engineer can perform a range of services to assist you in the assessment of your home or to assist with the design of your home projects. Whereas an Architect may design the appearance and layout of a property, a Structural Engineer can perform design checks using various structural products and materials to ensure the proposed works are structurally safe.
What is a structural survey or inspection?
Structural surveys or inspections are carried out for a variety of reasons including the assessment of structural defects, general condition surveys and pre-purchase surveys, looking at the feasibility of proposed alterations and extensions and for insurance purposes following a fire, flood or collapse. Structural Engineers can also advise on works required to comply with the requirement of the Building Regulations.
The type of inspection or survey would depend on your particular requirements and may range from a non-intrusive visual inspection through to a more intrusive structural survey. A non-intrusive inspection is where a trained engineer will visually assess your property both inside and out to look for evidence of structural problems e.g. structural movement or decay. An intrusive survey is more disruptive and would involve the use of a builder to carry out some opening-up works to remove internal finishes and dig trial holes to determine the existing foundation construction. In the first instance we would usually recommend a non-intrusive visual inspection as this would be sufficient in the majority of cases. We would normally only recommend an intrusive survey where there is evidence of structural problems and we are not able to determine the cause of these without further investigation.
You may need a structural survey or inspection if you are buying or selling a home, applying for a mortgage or doing a major renovation.
How long after an inspection can I expect a report?
Epang Engineering will provide a full inspection and unbiased report within 24 hours of an inspection.