For Flat Owners
Independent Advice When Cladding Issues Affect Your Home
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You don't need to spend thousands just to get independent advice from a FRAEW specialist.
Where appropriate, we can start with the information you already have and carry out a forcused desktop review.
A DIFFERENT APPROACH FOR FLAT OWNERS
We are an independent specialist consultancy, and we understand the position of individual flat owners.
We understand that individual flat owners may already be facing significant financial uncertainty because of an EWS1 or cladding issue. Your property transaction may be delayed. Your mortgage may be affected. You may be uncertain about the cladding, the EWS1 rating, the proposed remediation works or how long the process will take.
Where appropriate, we can start with the information you already have and provide a focused review rather than automatically duplicating work that has already been undertaken. Our fees are competitive and proportionate to the scope of work required.
Where a focused review can provide useful independent advice, we are prepared to keep our fees modest to make independent technical advice more accessible to individual owners.
"Combustible material is a finding, Fire risk is a professional assessment.
Understanding the difference requires looking at the entire building."
LOOK AT THE BUILDING — NOT JUST THE MATERIAL!
Finding combustible materials within an external wall does not, on its own, tell the whole story.
The fire risk needs to be considered in the context of the whole building — its height, layout, external wall construction, façade configuration, compartmentation, means of escape and other relevant fire safety measures.
A risk-based assessment should consider how these factors interact, rather than treating the presence of a combustible material as an automatic reason for extensive remediation.
Our approach is to understand the character and configuration of the building first, and then consider what the evidence tells us about the actual risk.
"Following our independent FRAEW review, the EWS1 rating was reassessed from B2 to B1 by the original assessor"
In one case, the existing FRAEW had taken a highly conservative approach to the risk assessment, leading to an extensive cladding remediation proposal that is considered not proportionate to the risk identified.
Following our independent review, the EWS1 rating was re-assessed from B2 to B1 by the original assessor.
START WITH WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE !
We can review the information available and help you understand the technical issues and the implications of the proposed works.
An existing FRAEW, EWS1 assessment, drawings, photographs and intrusive investigation records can contain a significant amount of information.
Rather than automatically starting again, we can first review what is already available.
Depending on the circumstances, this may allow us to identify whether the existing conclusions are well supported, whether further information is needed, and whether the proposed remediation appears proportionate to the risk identified.
DESKTOP REVIEW — NATIONWIDE
A desktop review can be carried out using information provided electronically, so it is not necessarily limited by the location of the building. We can review documents and available evidence for properties across England and provide an initial independent technical review based on the information available. Whilst a site inspection or intrusive investigation is necessary, this can be considered separately depending on the circumstances.
Responsive
Responsive communication and focused reviews
Cost Efficient
Cost efficient approach without automatically duplicating work that has already been undertaken.
Personal
Direct communication and an understanding of the concerns faced by individual owners
Risk-based
Applying the PAS 9980 risk-based approach - neither overstating nor understating the risk
DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START?
If an EWS1 rating, FRAEW or cladding issue is affecting your property transaction or causing uncertainty about your building, start by talking to us.
Send us the information you already have. We can review the circumstances with you and discuss what level of technical input may be appropriate.
You may not need a new full FRAEW. You may simply need someone independent to help you understand what you already have.
IMPORTANT NOTE
Any review is subject to the information available and the specific circumstances of the building. A desktop review does not automatically replace a full FRAEW, site inspection or other professional assessment where these are required.
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