Most Tenants hope to make alterations to the layout of a premises to suit their business needs. Alterations could be either immediately at lease commencement (e.g fitting out works or installing partitions) or during the term to suit a change in business needs.

A Landlord, usually wants to restrict the ability to alter without consent for a number of reasons;

1. To maintain the rental and capital value of a property by preserving character, reputation, appearance and physical integrity of the premises.
2. To ensure that at the end of the lease the Tenant gives back the premises in a configuration determined at the start of the lease.
3. Short term letting, the unsecure nature of the short term lease has larger long term risks for the Landlord should the Tenant make alterations and leave.

Scenarios

A Warehouse – A LL may allow alterations without consent for any alterations that do not affect the structure of the property. Internal non-structural alterations tend not to affect the rental or capital interest of the property.

A Retail unit – A LL may require Landlord consent in order to maintain the general appearance and the quality of the development and therefore its rental and capital value.

Offices – Office spaces tend to be open plan and more adaptable for a wide range of Tenants. Landlords tend to require control over the erection of partitions but tend to permit alterations, as long as they are reinstated at the end of term.

When the Landlord accepts alterations, a clause within the lease will set out that Landlord’s Consent is required. (Licence for alterations/Licence for works). The Landlords consent will impose certain conditions to protect both parties interests.

A Licence for alterations pack can vary, depending on the type of property. Typically a pack would include, construction drawings, specifications and specific design details among other supporting information that maybe required such as signage locations and fixing methods for items such as racking in a warehouse scenario.

For a Tenant wishing to make any alterations, we are able to prepare, assist and review information in conjunction with a Solicitor to ensure Landlords consent is approved and your fit out plans can go ahead.

For a Landlord wanting to protect their investment, we are able to review a Tenants proposed Licence for alterations against our wealth of experience and knowledge to ensure the future of your asset remains in your control.

If you wish to discuss alterations please get in touch!

 

DISCLAIMER: This article is for general information only and not intended as advice. Each project has its own set of unique circumstances, all potential issues should be investigated by a surveyor on a case by case basis before making any decision.

We recently carried out a survey in Hull and discovered that the light industrial unit we were surveying appeared to be of a typical steel portal frame with infill masonry block and profiled steel cladding, which is all pretty straight forward and as expected, until we came across some impact damaged sections.

 The impact damages actually gave us an insight into the components used in the block mixture.  The blocks contained strands of sawdust.

 Whilst using sawdust in a concrete mixture is a non-standard method of manufacturing masonry blocks, there are many acknowledgments of this type of additive being studied and potentially being used in the construction industry. 

Following background research of the use of sawdust in concrete mixtures, it is clear to see a correlation between the material discovered onsite and to the material described as wood-crete in numerous texts. Wood Crete is basically made up of wood waste and was developed to provide an alternative material to help solve problems with the delivery of low-cost housing.

 Many researchers believed that wood-crete would have better insulation properties, resistance to water absorption, fire performance, and strength properties. All these advantages had a compromise, the blocks strength when comparing that to the strength of a normal concrete mix was weaker.  The blocks we discovered onsite were used as the material for an in-fill block wall so we did not have any immediate structural concerns when considering this strength compromise!!   

For those readers who are interested in finding out more, we suggest you take a look at  a journal titled ‘Development of Wood-Crete from Hardwood and Softwood Sawdust’ authored by Eboziegbe Patrick Aigbomian and Mizi Fan –  Department of Civil Engineering, Brunel University, London, UB8 3PH, UK.

Owen Black

 

DISCLAIMER: This article is for general information only and not intended as advice. Each project has its own set of unique circumstances, all potential issues should be investigated by a surveyor on a case by case basis before making any decision.

We are very proud to sponsor and support Jake Hopper in his ever accelerating career in motorbike racing. It seems only yestreday we happily organised a new set of leathers for him but that was back in 2015 and as young men do he has grown out of them all ready. So 2017 will see some new race gear for young Jake.

In other news Jake’s plans for 2017 took somewhat of a new direction which was certainly good news. He had a great season planned but due to an age restriction change he is now going to be riding in the Thundersport Superteens. Racing in this group means you will get see Jake racing on the full adult circuits like Donnington Park. This is a really big step up and we are very proud to be a part of Jake’s continued rise through the ranks.

Sponsoring Jake is exciting and very rewarding, he is a highly talented young rider but the motorsport world does not function on talent alone and we are very happy to help out where raw talent needs a leg up.

 

Tadcaster Medical Centre appointed Bradley-Mason LLP as Project Manager, Cost Consultant and CDM Co-ordinator to manage the refurbishment works following extensive flood damage to their property.

A prompt response was needed to inform the reinstatement works required. The Bradley-Mason LLP team worked closely alongside the loss adjustor to assess the full extent of the damage as part of a timely but safe and diligent approach.

An initial feasibility study was undertaken to establish the extent of the damage with a full design and specification produced by our Project Management team.

During the length of the contract the Medical Centre remained open to ensure it could keep on serving the needs of the community of Tadcaster. This took extensive, careful and strategic planning to ensure the works could be completed safely, on time and to a high standard of finish.

The project was a success and the Medical Centre has now been reinstated, with the whole building handed back to the client. A successful outcome for the insurance company and the Medical Centre, which has a full functioning practice.

 

Are you familiar with modern methods of construction? Buildings from the beginning of the 20^th century are very different to those after World War II, as huge changes in the style of houses and their construction took place. We thought it might be helpful to put together a very brief timeline outlining the characteristics of buildings and how their construction has changed in the last century.

1900-1930s:

Walls: Most houses were built with solid external walls, on shallow brick or no foundations and typically using lime-based mortar. Damp courses were non-existent, only gradually introduced during the 1920s.

Roofs: Pitched timber roofs, sheltered with slates or clay tiles and no underfelt were most common. No sarking felt or insulation and nail fatigue. Guttering and downpipes usually made from cast iron.

Windows: Sash windows are the norm until 1920s.

Ground Floor: Solid flooring to kitchen and storage areas, and suspended timber flooring to further rooms and upper floors. Few working class houses had separate bathrooms, relying on outside WCs instead. Coal fires throughout, no electrical installations, gas lighting.

1930s-1940s:

Walls: Cavity external walls were increasingly introduced, and erected on concrete strip foundations with DPC. Rendering was popular throughout the UK.

Roofs: Some houses had sarking felt or torching but no roof insulation and no ventilation. Breathable roof membranes from 1930. Guttering and downpipes usually cast iron.

Windows: Timber hinged casement windows are common, often with leaded/stained glass in top lights.

Ground Floor: Raised timber flooring on concrete strip foundations with terracotta vents. Bathrooms still largely positioned on the ground floor, usually directly off the kitchen.

1945-1960s:

Walls: Ceilings were often asbestos composition boards or fibre board, and plasterboard from the 1960s. Non-traditional frame construction, clad with a variation of materials including asbestos, steel, aluminium, and concrete, traditional brickwork. Fibre and plasterboards were used for walls and ceilings.

Roofs: No major change although flat roofs become more common, constructed from either timber or concrete, felt or asphalt covered, with parapet walls to the edges. Trussed roofs of very shallow pitch used in non-traditional constructions. Guttering and downpipes typically cast iron or asbestos, with plastic accessible by the late 1960s.

Windows: Galvanised metal windows become very popular, as do timber casement windows and horizontal sliding sashes in aluminium towards the end of the period. Most windows were single glazed.

Services: By the 1960s, many authorities started to introduce central heating systems comprising coal, gas, storage radiators or warm air systems. Lead, then copper pipework.

 

Bradley-Mason LLP is a Chartered Building Surveying practice who offer the full range of Surveying, Building Consultancy and Project Management Services throughout the UK. For advice and guidance on any building related matter, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

 

DISCLAIMER: This article is for general information only and not intended as advice. Each project has its own set of unique circumstances, all potential issues should be investigated by a surveyor on a case by case basis before making any decision.

Great new kit for the under 11’s Hoytown FC sponsored by Bradley Mason.