Gateshead Council has written to home owners in and around Theresa Street, Blaydon following the collapse of a gable wall last month.
The gable of the stone-built house unexpectedly collapsed onto the public footpath and road following a period of heavy and persistent rain, badly damaging a parked car but fortunately no one was injured.
Close examination of the collapsed wall by building surveyors from Gateshead Council suggested that the main reason for the collapse was the wall’s construction, its age, and its exposure to the elements.
Now, the council is advising nearby residents in similar properties to have their homes checked by an independent structural engineer to ensure that the problems which contributed to last month’s collapse are not repeated.
Anneliese Hutchinson, head of Regulatory Services for Gateshead Council, says, “Many properties in this area are constructed using rubble with a dressed stone outer face. It’s a common and generally robust way of constructing a house, but the strength of these buildings depend on the strength of the lime mortar holding the stone together.
“Our investigations have led us believe that, due to the age of the property in Theresa Street, the mortar had lost its adhesion and this contributed to its collapse.
“We have therefore decided to advise people who occupy similar properties in the vicinity of Theresa Street that it is possible that, due to its age, their home might also have similarly weak mortar, and that they’d be well advised to have this checked.
“We have to stress that it is by no means certain that other properties will be similarly effected. We have no wish to spread alarm, but we thought home-owners would probably want to know if there was a potential problem with stone-built properties in this area.
“So we recommend that anyone with concerns about the structural integrity of their house to contact an independent structural engineer who can advise on its condition of the walls of their property, any remedial work that might be required and can prepare a detailed report on their home.”
Gateshead Council is writing to residents and is also sending a short guide on the help and funding that may be available to home owners faced with major repairs to their home.
For advice on dangerous buildings or structures, contact Derek Buckton, Development and Enterprise, Gateshead Civic Centre, on (0191) 433 3152 or anyone requiring advice on loan and grant assistance which might be available for home repairs to contact Ian Davies, (0191) 433 3904.