I found the address:
33 Colebrook Lane IG10 2HJ
Cannot seem to find any info on the year it was built… so if anyone is a whizz at finding any more details about the property please share:)
Also I just found what the foundation thing is: (BISF) British Iron and Steel Federation whatever that means.
Andrei Stick “BISF houses” into google and see what pops up.
Ther’s loads of information on the site but there were so many variations, I don’t know which type your looking at.
Looks like it was built post war, possibly as late as 1960.
Some of the construction illustrated looks a bit iffy for a 50/60 + year old house. Steel has this abiding urge to go rusty in England.
If you can tie the type down a bit tighter, from the web sites, I’ll ask my tame structural engineer who knows more about these things than any one ought. Just post or PM.
I blame his Polish background. They never do things by half.
Hi Andrei.
It’s clear that these houses are seen as a liability by those who own them and evidently by mortgage lenders too.
There may be good ones out there but I assume you would need a pretty convincing engineer’s report to persuade a bank in the current climate.
It may have seemed a great idea to build these steel frame houses 40 years ago (if only to support the British Steel industry I suspect) but it doesn’t look such a good call now. I wouldn’t be suprised if the reports of the steel structure failing are a result of a lack of effective detailing, insulation and weatherproofing in the original design. The reported high levels of noise transmitted between houses would be not just through the thin walls but via vibrations through the frames themselves. The thought of vermin running about in the cavities within the pre-formed steel panel walls isn’t too pleasant either- yuk. And di I mention the fuel bills?
Perhaps the only saving grace would be that all that steel would give you good protection against mobile phone radiation and the like…if you are concerned about that.
On the whole I would say steer well clear but don’t just take my word for it
