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PREPARATION!!!!! This is essential and is carried out always, before we can apply any of our long life paint and coating products, especially damp proof coatings for walls.

As we offer a 15 year guarantee on all works we do, using the correct preparation techniques is paramount when either having professional work done by a contractor, or in fact, doing it yourself. Any tradesman (or woman) who value their reputation and have pride in their work will tell you that unless the walls are properly prepared, the job will not look as good and not last as long and it will cost twice, or frequently more, in terms of time and money spent. So in essence, if a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right especially if it something as important as waterproofing or damp proofing rendered walls or brick walls……….

Which is where we come in!

So with the above considered, how can we distinguish what type of wall needs what. Here below is an explanation of the different types of exterior walls, typical problems, and an explanation of what an Authorised NPA contractor actually does to each individual project?

There are many types of house walls…….

There are many different types of exterior walls that one can see in a typical town or city in the United Kingdom. Many exterior wall finishes are appropriate to certain factors such as the age of the house, the method of construction, the typical weather at the location, and other factors such as people extending houses, converting them, and so on. Maybe in the future, houses will have to be adapted to combat changes in temperature etc caused by Climate change?

When NPA does work on a house or applies a wall coating to a commercial premises such as a shop, we first ascertain what the existing wall surface is, and then tailor our repair and preparation methods accordingly.

Here’s a selection of different exterior walls, and the methods we use to repair them…………….

Exterior wall coating on Brick and stone walls

Brick walls are arguably the most common one in everyone’s mind, even spawning the phrase “hitting a brick wall”, not literally, but meaning coming to a dead end, perhaps in researching something, for example? Brick walls are what most walls nowadays are made of and this also included block walls, made from breeze blocks or large faced blocks, such as bath stone walls.

The bricks are laid end to end, one course (or layer) at a time, in a specific fashion, by a bricklayer or builder, leaving gaps for opening such as doors and windows and the installation of lintels above the openings to carry the course of bricks over the window, for example. The bricks are arranged in a specific fashion for the best strength.

These ways of laying the bricks have certain names such as Flemish bond, stretcher bond, running bond, pattern bond, and refers to the specific way they are laid. They are held together by mortar joints, often called “Pointing”, which consists of a mortar mix laid on the top of one brick, and the bricklayer adds a small lump of mortar to the side a of a new brick, lays it on top of the existing brick, and repeats, until the desired wall is completed. The mortar is sometimes referred to by “brickies” (Bricklayers) as “muck”, “compo”, “mix” or if you’re from the east end of London, “German Band an’ cemun’”…………….whatever that means!

The bricklayer will smooth the mortar joints and remove excess mortar as he or she goes along. It would be another article altogether to explain in full, all about bricks and bricklaying, so we’ll leave it there for now!

……. …and onto what NPA would do in this case.

If NPA was refurbishing a brick (or stone) exterior wall, we would have 2 options.

1) Coloured exterior wall coatings
2) Transparent, liquid silicone waterproof coatings.

The coloured wallcoatings would be the most labour intensive, and would require identifying any loose, missing or broken bricks and repairing or replacing them. (The coatings are special damp resistant coatings, and not only do they make the outside of your home look great, the anti damp nature of the coatings means your house will also feel warmer inside.)

Then we would repair and fill any loose or missing pointing or mortar joints, then we would mask up and protect all areas not to be coated, such as doors and windows, and also of course protect the path by laying dust sheets. We would then do a process known as “Bagging” or “Bag rubbing”, which involves making (by the bucket load each time) a liquid mixture of sand and cement and a PVA Bonding agents, such as Unibond™. This should be mixed to a smooth “creamy” paste, and applied with very thick brushes, or small broom handles. Gloves are essential when doing this, as if not worn, the cement will eat into your skin and cause great discomfort.

We then apply the bagging mixture to the wall, starting from the top and working downwards, and being careful not to let the mixture thicken as this will create an uneven surface and “brush lines” in the surface, which would show through to the top coating and look unsightly.

One this has been done and the cement coating has dried out, we then apply an “off-white” waterproof primer by hand, and then, using a GRACO president airless spray machine, we spray apply our textured exterior coatings, which once applied to the external wall, will not chip, crack, flake or peel, stops damp, and has a 15 year insurance backed guarantee. The same method would be used on walls made of stone. After the coating is applied to the house, you would still be able to see the natural stone outlines, preserving the character of the property, but with the added benefit of the house walls being resistant to penetrating damp, plus also being maintenance free. Again, please ask us for more information about what we would do to your house and how much it would cost.

CLEARSHIELD exterior waterproofing damp proof clear coatings

Our Clearshield system is suitable for stone or brick walls and it does not change the appearance of the house in any way.

We carry out all repairs as stated above, and then we apply 2 coats of silicone based sealer, which soaks into the brickwork, as opposed to laying on the top surface, which means it is not subject to normal erosion from the weather and has a life expectancy of at least 10 years. Click the link above to read more………….

Exterior wall coatings and painting hung slate walls

Generally speaking this was an old and fairly effective way of weatherproofing a house in the “olden days”. The house walls would be made either from cob, stone or brick, and left unfaced, that is, it would not have a mortar or render coating over the bricks or block wall of the house. Wooden battens (thin pieces of wood) would be nailed to the walls, and then slates would be hung, literally, as in the manner of the roof of a house. This forms an effective barrier against the weather.

Although they can be painted, both with normal masonry paint and exterior wallcoatings, we can do a tremendous amount of repair to this, save for replacing any broken tiles or rotten battens behind the tiles. We would then apply a coat of stabiliser, a coat of waterproof primer, and then spray apply our NPA exterior wall coatings over the top.

THIS WALL TYPE IS NOT SUITABLE FOR THE RENDER-BASED TROWEL APPLIED WALL COATINGS and you should contact your local wallcoatings specialist for advice.

Devon cob walls

Devon cob walls are normally found on VERY old houses, often subject to preservation regulations and/or listed status and great care must be taken when working on this type of house. The building method used goes back hundreds, even thousands of years and evolved as the builders would have used whatever was to hand in the immediate area. These houses are often also referred to as “vernacular” houses.

This type of wall construction is also known as “Rammed earth”, “pisé de terre” and Adobe or clay lump. Adobe houses can still be found in South and central America, amongst other places. (The Eden project in Cornwall uses adobe (mud) walls which are very effective.) Houses of this type should be treated with great care and refurbishment and repair of such walls requires specialist skills and advice and is not recommended for DIY projects. The house with this type of wall is usually made by mixing ingredients such as mud or clay, gravel, straw or horse hair and water. Walls of this construction are usually up to half a metre thick and examples can be seen in the English countryside, and the houses often benefit from excellent insulation, which coupled with a thick, thatched roof, can make a nice cosy home!

As mentioned above, GREAT CARE should be taken on this type of house. Repair should be carried out using the same or similar methods or materials that had originally been used, which is often why a specialist contractor should be called. A good exterior coating that I would recommend on this type of house would be a limewash or some other breathable coating, but again, remember on traditional houses, traditional methods should be used.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Exterior textured wallcoatings, either spray applied, ORtrowel and roller applied wall coatingsshould NOT IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCE be used on this type of dwelling.

Textured coatings and paints on Render or stucco walls

NPA has over the years applied exterior textured wall coatings and protective weatherproof paints to a range of rendered houses across the Uk and Ireland. A rendered house requires us to check the entire wall surface for defects such as loose and hollow render, poorly done DIY or cowboy builder repairs, scars and uneven wall surfaces where alterations have been carried out to the house and of course cracks in the external walls.

We cut out the cracks with an angle grinder and fill them with a special expoxy resin mortar which binds the 2 parts of the building together, and then we “face” off the repair with a final coat of sand and cement, smoothing with a “float” 1st and then a damp sponge at the edges. Quite often on smooth rendered walls, it is advisable once the waterproof primer has been applied (and has dried) to further smooth out the edges of the crack repair in the wall buy “floating” or “skimming” small quantities of the textured coating product, using it as a fine surface filler.

Once the exterior walls are repaired to our satisfaction, we mask up the doors and windows, cover the ground with dust sheets and then hand apply our weather resistant, waterproof primer paint. Once this has dried, we spray apply a damp proof paint coating on top, which is available in either smooth or textured exterior wall finishes.

After this, the masking is removed, and the whole site is tidied up. The coating is 20 times the thickness of normal paint and as such takes longer to dry so you should avoid placing anything against the wall, or touching it, for at least a week. It would be touch-dry in 24 hours and fully hard in about 28 days. The coating will remain breathable, similar to the human skin so that moisture is allowed to evaporate out of the coating film, but cannot get back inside and cause dampness.

Wallcoatings on Tyrolean, Pebbledash and Spar dash walls

Pebbledash, tyrolean and spar dash walls go in and out fashion every few years. If you’ve ever tried painting a pebbledashed wall, you know how tough it is! The methods we use are very similar to the brick wall system above, so instead of repeating myself again, take a look at this page all about painting exterior pebbledashed walls, but remember to click your BACK button to come back here afterwards!

Pebbledash is a nasty substance and was invented purely to cover poor quality brickwork during the building boom in the UK during the 1920′s and 1930′s. A pebbledashed exterior wall finish is created by rendering the house with a soft sticky render coat and literally throwing stones or small pebbles at the house. Traditional pebbledash is made from small pebbles, but modern dash is usually spar dash or spa-dash and is applied in the same method above but small flint chips are used instead of pebbles. This inferior external wall finish is very coarse to the touch and the editor himself has literally taken the skin off the back of his hands when accidentally brushing up against a wall that has been spar dash, and let me tell you……….IT HURTS!

Tyrolean, also sometimes called “Sprayed cement” is brittle and doesn’t usually last very long unless it has an exterior coating treatment on it. Contact your local wallcoating specialist for advice, but to read more about tyrolean, follow the link posted in the previous paragraph above.
And finally………..

As you can see, there are a variety of exterior wall finishes on existing houses, and this article has only touched on some of them. When we work on your home we take many factors into consideration which is why, much as we would like to, we don’t have any “average” prices, preferring as we have done since 1986, to come and see your home and give it a full survey. More details of this can be found HERE

I hope that upon reading this article, we have given you, our valued customer, an insight into what we do and how we do it. No matter how old your home is, no matter where it is (We cover the UK, Ireland and Spain), and no matter what your home is made of, we can refurbish and beautify almost any property, in any condition so what are you waiting for?

Give us a call on 0800 970 4928 (or 0044 121 286 8558 from Spain) and have a chat with one of our friendly surveyors. This is totally without obligation, and you never know, you could end up saving a small fortune of home maintenance!

This is an original article written by Guy Bell of NPA. If you choose to use this text you must put a live link back to our exterior wall coating website.

Read more from the original source: Painting exterior house walls with wall coatings which also stops render problems and penetrating damp

Never do something without seeking permission first especially when it is about home extensions. Hence, reconstructing and redesigning your first floor counts since it can be a part of the house extension and renovation plans you are going to execute.

In obtaining permission, there are relevant factors that you should carefully consider. If you fail to take into account such factors then there will be tendencies that you are going into more trouble instead of reaping satisfying results.

It is not enough that you know things about building a first floor. What suffice would be your knowledge about the legal ways of seeking and obtaining permission in building your first floor. After that, you can work on other factors that affect the overall success of your renovation plans.

Budget is the Key

Of course, you can’t carry your plans of improving and renovating your first floor without sufficient financial resources. Hence, it is time that you should save more money intended for the renovation costs. Later on, you will have to save more for the maintenance costs and repair costs if needed.

The New Look to Achieve

Once you are able to create the new look you want for your first floor, you will be confident to invite your friends. If you are planning to sell your home, you will immediately add more value to your home since you have invested on changes and enhancements that boost the worth of your property. With this being said, you have to be consistent with the changes and renovations you will employ.

Learning the Exact Amount is the Most Practical Thing to Do

Yes, you have the confidence to pursue your first floor renovation and enhancement plans, but do you have extra and additional savings for emergency expenses? It wouldn’t hurt if you be extra careful in determining your financial income. After all, you choose to invest your money in improving your place and designing and in giving your first floor a new look.

The Location of Your Home Matters

In getting permission and approval, you have to consider your location or address, too. Where are you going to build your new home? What are the nearest establishments near the area of your new house? Is the place accessible to establishments like restaurants, malls, hospitals and centers, and the school and market? If it is, then you have to work hard in obtaining the approval and enjoy the many benefits of living in the center of everything.

Then, finally, you have to invest on quality materials in building a strong foundation for your first floor. After all, there are affordable materials and supplies that will give you the opportunity to save more while investing more on quality and superior materials needed in building and furnishing your first floor.

Taking into consideration the major reminders in building first floor will save you from more troubles. And, you are looking at a brighter future in your newly-constructed home.

The word for first floor in Danish is Byg 1 sal and if you would like to learn more about building one, please pay a visit to this very resourceful website. It is in Danish but Google Translator can help you understand it. If you would like to read about flooring, read this article.

Here is the original post: Getting Permission for Building Your First Floor

Having carried out a powerful occurrence in pool building domain, Pools r us is propelled by an impassioned assembly of pool builders, who relentlessly strive for excellence. Based in Dubai, Pools r us boasts a owner of customized services for pool building and pool maintenance. Pools are really a large part of your amusement and they offer a cooling ambience wherein you can rejuvenate and eliminate irksomeness. In supplement, pool building is a life-long buying into made for the enhancement of your home-setting. Therefore, we worth your anxiety and endeavor to blend our methods with newest goods and services to assist you better. Once a bathing pool is assembled, unchanging care is required to sustain its cleanliness as well as sparkling appearance. But you require not to concern because that is where our function starts. We encompass a well taught group of technicians, trouble-shooters, pharmacists, and support employees, who will double-check your pool maintenance.

we offer matchless pool maintenance services on a agreement basis. The method starts when we drive our pool technician to your house or construction two times a week. Assigned to handle the cleansing work, he vacuums the pool central, checks and concerns the chemical properties in the pool. Thereafter, he eliminates the debris from the propel and skimmer baskets. Finally, the filter force is sustained as asserted by the kind of your filter. On the other hand, we vouch for our commendable services by giving a exceptional vigilance to your pool in case of a sandstorm. Not only this, even if you desire to coordinate a pool edge party, you can call our technicians to refurbish the pool in its preceding condition. That is how we advance with our pool upkeep services.

If you desire additional services for pool maintenance, our professionals will deal with all your associated requirements. We offer an exclusive Green 2 Clean Service, wherein our professionals ascertain your pool if it has turned dark-green due to algae-infestation. You can right away communicate Pools r us for cleansing of pool water in order that it can become protected for your bathing purpose. In our Green 2 Clean service, a foremost expert vigilance is granted to your bathing pool along with the use of significant chemicals. And this method is accomplished inside 2-4 days.

Our pool maintenance services furthermore encompass ascertaining leakages, which may take location due to ground action and resolving, aging, or carelessness. An untreated aperture can lead to the wastage of water every day. Such leakages not only demand the replacement of the water but furthermore necessitate the expanded use of chemicals. Furthermore, you may have to face functional and mechanical problems. But when you are the purchaser of Pools r us, we would not let down you in any way as we convey to you a exclusive leak detection service. Therefore, communicate Pools r us, the one halt shop for all your pool building and pool upkeep needs.

See original here: Find the best pool maintenance solutions in Dubai

Advice on Extending Your House

With the continued uncertainty in the housing market many homeowners are choosing not to move but stay put and extend to gain extra space.

The first step is to decide what you want, and this is – to an extent – dictated by what you have. A single storey to the rear of the property is the norm, but you might be able to consider a side extension.  A double-storey extension could give you the opportunity to create bigger bedrooms or add an en-suite bathroom. As a rule of thumb to estimate the cost of a double-storey extension double the figure for a single storey and deduct 20 per cent to get an idea of the cost. If you already have a single-storey extension, it may be possible to add a second storey however this is subject to the depth of your existing foundations and dependent on if the walls can take the weight.

1 The Design

Would you like a seamless addition that looks as if it’s always been there, or do you want to make a statement with an ultra-modern glass design with sliding doors that can be fully opened to link indoors and out, making it perfect for entertaining.For the first option, pay attention to details such as sourcing the same bricks and windows as the rest of the house. Materials are also important for glass extensions – modern glass is available with a range of special qualities. Pilkington sells glass that cleans itself, glass that filters the sun and glass that offers fire protection. Bear in mind that although flat roofs are cheaper to build they do tend to require more maintenance than pitched designs.

Think about how you will use this new space. Garden rooms, kitchen-diners and extra sitting rooms are popular choices, but remember to keep a balance between bedrooms and living spaces. This is a good chance to plan a downstairs loo if you don’t already have one. By necessity, you’ll have to reduce your property’s outdoor space to gain more indoors, but how much can you realistically afford to lose, don’t create a huge home at the expense of a tiny garden area.

2 Financing Your Extension

Most extensions are funded by adding to the mortgage on the property – taking equity out of your house makes sense, as the changes should add value to your home – or by taking out a personal loan. If you want a detailed breakdown of the costs, contact www.estimators-online.com for an accurate quote. According to them, the most common size of extension is 15 to 25 square metres, which costs between £21,000 and £33,000, excluding the interior fittings.

2A Further Advances

You could approach your existing lender about a further advance, which effectively extends your mortgage. What’s on offer varies between lenders, but generally you can borrow a large percentage of your home’s value for an arrangement fee of around £100. As a rule of thumb lenders will only provide a further advance if the improvement is to the fabric of the building, so an extension is fine, but new carpets are not.

2B Remortgaging

Rates tend to be lower than those on personal loans and credit cards, plus repayment matches the term of your mortgage, meaning you pay less each month. Having all your debts in one place also makes budgeting easier. However you can also consider switching your mortgage to another provider allowing you to take advantage of one of the competitive discounts or fixed rates available in the market. If your on a standard variable rate of interest on your existing mortgage and you are not locked into a heavy early redemption charge you could save money by remortgaging to another lender. So great can the saving be you might even end up paying less on your new mortgage than you do on your existing one, even including the extra money for your home improvements.

2C Personal Loans

Choose between a secured or unsecured loan. The former uses your home as security, so if you have a decent bit of equity in your house you can probably borrow more than with an unsecured loan. Bear in mind that rates tend to be variable, so make sure you can meet payments should rates go up, otherwise your home is at risk. Please note that loans only really make sense for short-term borrowing, so use this method with caution and avoid taking a loan with an early redemption penalty. Loans generally have higher rates of interest and taking a homeowner loan may not make sense when you have the opportunity to remortgage.

2D Credit Cards

These are unlikely to cover the full amount of the extension, but, if you are on a zero per cent rate, they could be a useful tool to tide you over as long as you clear the balance before any interest is payable. DIY store cards and finance packages also tend not to offer the best value.

2E Savings

If possible, this is the best way to finance your extension as you avoid paying interest. Set your budget and stick to it but please don’t assume you’ll get back the money you spend as so much depends on the state of the housing market when you come to sell. Speak to a local estates agent and find out the average price of properties in your area and on your street, as this dictates the maximum value you can expect your house to achieve. Don’t spend more unless you accept the extension is for you to enjoy while you live there, not to generate extra revenue upon resale. Once the extension is built, review your home insurance, otherwise you could find that you are inadequately covered.

3A Choosing An Architect and Contractor

Even the smallest design project benefits from professional design, consult with an architect as they will be able to tell you if your ideas for the space are feasible. Be extremely wary about working with a builder who says he can take on the design aspect of the build himself proceed only if you are fully confident in their abilities.

The benefits of choosing an architect are especially apparent if you go for a state-of-the-art glass extension or something out of the ordinary. An architect will also have experience of contacts at the Planning Office, so your application may be viewed more sympathetically. Word of mouth and personal recommendation are the best ways to find a reputable contractor, but that’s just not practical if you are new to an area or can’t get any suggestions. Membership of a recognised trade body should help you track down the good guys, but be vigilant nonetheless. Get at least three written quotations (not estimates), but bear in mind that unforeseen extras can put the price up. And always establish the rules from the outset – everything from the schedule to access to the loo.

To keep your house safe and sellable, your extension needs to comply with two types of guidelines – building regulations and planning permission. Building regulations are mandatory, planning permission depends on your circumstances.

The difference between the two is that while planning guides the way our local environment develops, building regulation ensures the health and safety of people who actually use buildings. Your builder or architect will be able to advise, or take a look at www.planningportal.gov.uk for more information. Before sending off any plans it’s also a good idea to get your neighbours involved, so they are aware of exactly what is planned.

3B Planning Permission

Chances are you’ll need this – but you may not. It depends on many factors, including whether the house has been extended before and how much the exterior of the property is going to change. Either you or your builder/architect must contact the planning department of your local planning authority, complete the form and return it with a fee of around £135. You should hear back within eight weeks. If your proposal is refused, you can either modify it and resubmit, or lodge an appeal. You then have three years to begin the work, otherwise you will need to reapply. Be warned – if you decide to go ahead without permission (and you’d be very ill-advised to do this), you will be asked to make a retrospective planning application. If this is turned down, you will have to return everything to the way it was before, regardless of expense.

As a general guide, you’ll need planning permission if any of the following points apply to you, but do run any changes past the Planning Department of your local authority as there are exceptions.

You live in a flat or maisonette.
The extension is going to be self-contained for use as a separate home or for commercial use.
The new addition is nearer to any public highway than the existing building, unless there is more than 20m gap.
Additions and other buildings would cover more than half the land around the ‘original house’.
Any part of the planned extension is higher than the highest part of the existing roof.
You live in listed building.
The extension is more than 4m high and comes within 2m of the boundary of the property.
You live in a terraced house or house in a Conservation Area where the extension is greater than 50 cubic m or 10% of the original house volume, whichever is greater.
You live in another type of house (detached or semi-detached) where the extension is greater than 70 cubic m or 15% of the original house volume, whichever is the greater.
If the extension would increase the volume of the ‘original house’ by more than 115 cubic m.

3C Building Regulations

These are comprised of ‘Parts’ lettered from A to P, each setting the standards for different aspects of a building’s design and construction. These include its structure, fire safety, sound insulation, drainage, ventilation, electrical safety and energy efficiency.

Confirm with your builder at the outset that they are taking responsibility for compliance. If not, it will be up to you to get works approved by a Building Control Body – either from your local authority or an approved inspector. Some specific types of work, such as certain types of drain, fuel-burning appliances and replacement windows, can be self-certified provided the installer is registered with a relevant scheme. You’ll need to submit an application, and arrange for an inspector to make a series of inspections. Failure to comply can result in a fine of thousands of pounds and may come to light via a local land search enquiry when you come to sell, and will probably deter your potential buyer.

3D Adding The Latest Technology

Think about including environmentally friendly touches – recycled, sustainable or energy-efficient products. A good place to start is the following companies:

Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT)
The Energy saving Trust
Ethical Junction
Wood for Good
Green Consumer Guide
Expanko
Simply Automate

3E Styling the Space

Open-plan family areas are among the top uses for a new extension. Many owners are keen to open up their homes to the garden and create a fabulous indoor-outdoor living space. Glass is a perennial favourite for extensions, because it reduces the impact of the extra building on its surroundings, while also allowing light to flood into the house.

Thinking about the overall decor should start at the design stage. If you want a seamless addition to the rest of your home, make sure details such as the skirtings, wooden mouldings and internal doors all match. Extensions are also an opportunity to create a dramatic focal piece to a home. If you love entertaining and want to create a feature dining room with a fabulous table that seats 20, for example, source the table first to give you a hook into the design.

The raw materials you use can also be inspirational – raw brickwork or stone add detail without pattern, or exposed beams (think traditional wood or modern steel) can create an architectural feel.

Don’t overlook the more practical considerations, either. If you do plan to use a lot of glass, for example, look for fabrics with built-in fade resistance and consider the prevailing weather trends. A stark white scheme in a north-facing extension may look very contemporary but it will feel blue and cold for most of the year, so a neutral with a touch of cream would be a better option.

View post: Advice on Extending Your House

People will always be needed for labour jobs as it is such a broad industry, and construction recruitment is increasing in the country now that the worst of the recession is over. Whether you’re skilled, unskilled, looking to gain valuable experience, or simply looking to fill your next pint of larger, the UK’s building, trades and labour market offers something for everyone.
Those looking for labour and construction jobs can choose from quick work in a non skilled construction job, becoming a construction industry subcontractor, or something more specific, like a carpenter or joiner. Other options include bricklayers, plasterers, ceiling fixers and steel fixers.
Builders take up a large part of the labour sector, undertaking refurbishment of domestic and commercial properties for loss adjusters, insurance companies, structural engineers, architects, local authority, housing associations and private homeowners. Most builders have a huge liability insurance sum of around £5,000,000. The majority also cover a whole range of trades other than building, such as: bricklaying, carpentry, decorating, electrics, plastering, plumbing, and roofing, just to name a few.
A building surveyor is another aspect of the building profession. They provide professional advice on all aspects of an existing building. They will work on site to monitor the performance of the structure and include other various responsibilities, such as: design, maintenance, alteration, repair, refurbishment and restoration of existing buildings. A large amount of surveying is carried out on site, rather than being sat at a desk.
Surveying jobs usually require a degree in construction, which covers general aspects of construction, like valuation, project management, engineering, law and economics. Graduates should expect a starting salary of £18,000- £24,000. Though not all building or labour jobs require a degree.

Originally posted here: Getting a Job in Construction