How bad is this, level 2 survey came back with issues

[fourfoxsakes]

How bad is this likely to be? The surveyor said he couldn’t open the loft hatch properly to check (downstairs bathroom) is this likely arse covering or do I need to get a structural engineer? I have gone back to the seller and asked if she has building regulations sign off, given the age of the house these are the only two potentially major issues found.

Hi OP, please can you copy and paste the text, it is almost impossible to read.

Basically the house has a downstairs bathroom and the surveyor identified that it has been opened up at some point and a load bearing wall has been removed and is supported by an insubstantial timber beam. The current owner has no record or paperwork for the wall being removed and says she bought it like this 20 years ago. There was no movement identified. I am thinking of getting structural inspection to determine if the timber beam is adequate.

I'm in the trade OP, we don't use timber to support load bearing walls anymore, its an old technique that has obvious issues, wood sagging or twisting, or not being big enough for the job, and of course rot/ worm etc later.

You can't be ultra accurate on the pint at which a piece of wood will fail under load, you can with steel and re-enforced concrete, which is why those are the go to methods now.

A structural engineer will by default say it should be a steel, a time served builder will tell you whether they think it will hold (but not in writing!!) - logic says if it has done so for 20 years, it will continue to do so, but the issue comes if, at some future point that wood shudders rot or woodworm damage and looses its structural integrity.

If it was mine, a steel would be going in regardless.

The solicitor didn’t seem too bothered and said if the surveyor says it’s not moving then it’s structurally sound and she wouldn’t be requesting a structural engineers report. The surveyor says it’s a good idea to get one. I’m confused on how to proceed.

The surveyor is a generalist inspector, and will always defer to other professionals with a focused area of interest if there is a grey area. The Solicitor is a lawyer, so really their opinion is not that helpful in matters of construction.

I would say don't take chances, get a structural engineer or at very least a competent builder to look, but both should, and I'd wager will say it needs replacing with a steel.

In structural matters there is only one way to do it, the right way - because the alternative is all right until it isn't, at which point you have a pile of bricks and potentially hurt people or worse.

Well, structural engineer came back and said the timber beams are sagging and he recommends replacement at 4-8k cost. I think I’m going to pull out.