Case Studies

Property Description

Turner Baker Ltd was recently asked by the owner of a top floor flat of a Victorian town house in Notting Hill to carry out a GPR survey on the interior of the two end walls of the property.

Problem

The owner of the property, who works as an architect, was carrying out an extensive refurbishment programme.  The flat had been completely gutted and before improvements could be made and any internal decorating started, a GPR survey was requested to establish the location of the flues in the end walls.

This property, built in the Victorian era was originally designed with two fireplaces on every floor.  The fireplaces in the kitchen quarters and downstairs accommodation would be larger than those at the top of the building, but every fireplace required its own flue. 

A GPR survey was requested to identify and show the route of each flue in the end walls of the property. 

Solution

GPR works by picking up changes in density within a structure.  The equipment used reads to a depth of approximately 400mm.   Flues, water pipes, electrical cables and other services can all be identified using GPR.  The information is gathered using a handheld device which is non-intrusive, doesn’t require any holes to be made in walls and will not damage existing decoration. 

Turner Baker can provide a report in .DWG or PDF format or annotate architects’ drawings.  We work closely with our clients to provide information in a format that works for them.  In this instance, the client requested that the flue routes were mapped directly onto the wall of the property (as shown in the image below).  This is an effective way of showing the project team and any sub-contractors working at the property where the flues run.  It helps to avoid the flues being drilled into when planning for services (e.g. electrical cables) for the property.  It also identifies those flues which service the property directly.   These may subsequently either be reinstated or used to house ventilation or other services.