London’s Leading Party Wall Surveyor, Building Surveyor & Third Surveyor – Bruce Spenser MSc MCIOB
bruce@buildingsurveyor.london
Bruce, uniquely, provides the combined Building, Structural and home survey which he has evolved as the optimum and ideal Survey for London properties; period, mid-war, non-traditional design, new build, cavity, solid, modern methods of construction etc.
Please provide the full address & post code of the property to be surveyed, its asking price and a photo of the front elevation (estate agent’s link) for a fully comprehensive offer of professional services or email or call Bruce:
07927123469
The non-invasive Building Survey will follow a disciplined iterative methodology and structural appraisal, including advice on loading and foundations to determine the structural serviceability and adequacy of property. Survey will advise of all possible and probable defects and their causes some of which are contained in the menu below:
Tree identification – As uncovered by Carl Linnaeus, through observation and the scientifice methodology, you need to go through a logical identification process of characteristics as follows: Bark, leaf arrangements, leaf shape, leaf margin and texture, Flower, Seed and Fruit, Habit – If you are doing a dissertation and you are not sure of the scientific methodology study trees and Linnaeus and all will become clear
Tree Damage – Risk of Damage by different tree species – the table indicates (click here) that the extent and depth of drying around oak trees can be significantly greater than occurs with most other species.
If damage occurs an expert should advise, with reference to BRE 298, action required
| Tree Identification | |||||||
| DivisionClassOrderFamilySpecies | Bark | LeafArrangement | Leaf Shape | Leaf margin & Texture | Flower | Seeds & Fruit | Habit |
| Pinophyta | |||||||
| Monkey Puzzle | Light Grey Wrinkled | Spiral | Triangular | – | Spherical Cones | 30 x 15Evergreen | |
| Common Yew | Rich Brown flaking to reveal pink patches | Rowed | Needle | – | Small cones – pale yellow | 15-20 x 20Evergreen | |
| Leyland Cypress | Smooth Red Brown develops shallow fissures | Irregularly arranged | Scale like, flattened slightly drooping sprays | – | Angular, globular | 15-36 x 10Evergreen | |
| Juniper(Gin and Tonic Tree) | Dark red Brown – peeling in vertical papery strips | Dense whorls of three | Needles | Berry like blue-black cones | 5 x 4Evergreen | ||
| Cedar | Reddish brown, peels vertically | Upright sprays |
| Tree distance and damage | |||
| Species | Max Tree Height | Max Distance 75% of Cases | Max Distance 90% of cases |
| Oak | 16-23 | 13 | 18 |
| Poplar | 24 | 15 | 20 |
| Ash | 23 | 10 | 13 |
| Elm | 20-25 | 12 | 19 |
| False Acacia | 18-20 | 8.5 | 10.5 |
| Horse Chestnut | 16-25 | 10 | 15 |
| Hawthorn | 10 | 7 | 8.7 |
| Lime | 16-24 | 8 | 11 |
| Willow | 15 | 11 | 18 |
| Beech | 20 | 9 | 11 |
| Plane | 25-30 | .5 | 10 |
| Apple | 8-12 | 6 | 8 |
| Sycamore, Maples | 17-24 | 9 | 12 |
| Cherries, plums, Damsons etc | 6-12 | 6 | 7.5 |
| Birch | 12-14 | 7 | 8 |
| Cypresses, | 18-25 | 3 | 5.5 |
| Rowan | 8-12 | 7 | 8.5 |
Bruce Spenser MSc MCIOB | Party Wall Surveyor | Building Surveyor | Third Surveyor
12 Forburg Road, Stoke Newington, London N16 6HS
