Ludlow Engineering and Land Survey

Chances are you may not have heard of Japanese Knotweed. In fact you may even have it in your garden and not know it. But what’s the big deal, it’s just another weed after all – or is it? As it turns out Japanese Knotweed is a major problem. In fact it’s such a problem that it’s recognised as the most invasive non-native plant species in the United Kingdom and the plant, and any soil contaminated by Japanese Knotweed, is classed by the UK Environment Agency as controlled waste.

As the name suggests Japanese Knotweed originated in Japan where this hardy plant grew on the slopes of volcanoes. It was introduced to the United Kingdom in the 1820′s as an ornamental plant thanks to its bamboo-like stems and pretty white flowers in late summertime. However, without any natural predators in the UK, and thanks to its rapid growth, (up to 10cm a day), this plant quickly spread and prevented the native vegetation from growing. Interestingly, all Japanese Knotweed plants in the UK are female so the plants don’t spread through pollination. Instead, new outbreaks of the plant are spread via fragments of rhizome (root), which can be spread by animal and natural processes or by humans through movement of soil or even fly-tipping.

What makes Japanese Knotweed different from other weeds is the damage it can cause. Knotweed is a well recognised problem within the construction industry thanks to the damage it can cause to building foundations, walls and even tarmac and concrete. In its endless search for light, knotweed will find and expose any cracks or weaknesses in hard surfaces so as a homeowner, think driveways and patios. Boundary walls between properties are no obstacle and this where one of the other main issues surrounding Japanese Knotweed comes into play.

While it is an offence to plant or allow Japanese Knotweed to grow in the wild, as a landowner, you are not legally obliged to remove knotweed unless it’s deemed to be causing a nuisance to neighbouring property. That means that if for example, your neighbour’s driveway is damaged by knotweed which can be shown to have originated from your property e.g. under your fence, then you could be held liable.

However, there’s an even more significant problem when it comes to buying or selling a property where there is Japanese Knotweed on the land or even on adjoining land. Mortgage lenders are really wising up to the problem of knotweed and property surveyors are being instructed to lookout for the plant and mortgages are being refused as a result. Now that’s certainly a good enough reason to pay attention to this weed!

So as a property developer or homeowner what can you do to solve the problem of Japanese Knotweed. Firstly, you need to identify the plant. As a perennial, its appearance changes throughout the year but a quick search online for images of knotweed will give you some idea of what you’re looking for. Then, if you think you have knotweed, resist the urge to try and deal with the problem yourself. Over the counter weed killers don’t work. They may shock the plant into a state of dormancy which gives the impression of having killed the plant. However, up to 2 metres underground the roots will have survived and will be ready to surprise you again next spring. The bottom line is that you are going to have to call in a professional company that specialises in complete eradication. It will be well worth it in the long run.

About the Author:
Environet UK is a company which specialises in Japanese Knotweed removal. They have several tried and tested methods for different site conditions and can advise you on finding the ideal Japanese Knotweed solution to suit your particular time and budget requirements.

Custom Houseplans In Utah

Learn here how to get your custom house plan drawn and then engineered by a professional engineer.   This saves time and money to have them quickly drawn by a team of draftsman and engineers.

Call Today at (435) 623-0897 and speak to Brett

Custom House Plans ? Finding Quality Custom Home Design With Design Alternatives

Drawing custom house plans is an expansive industry, but finding a quality designer with construction experience can be more difficult.  Although many individuals claim to be qualified custom home designers, you can determine these qualifications by examining their finished product and verifying satisfaction with their former clients.  Quality designs, highly detailed house plans and customer satisfaction are all attributes of an experienced custom home designer.

Integrating many different concepts and functions is necessary to draw a good set of custom house plans.  Many designers can come up with interesting ideas, but they are unable to convey these ideas with detailed construction drawings to the home builders.  They can draw a nice conceptual picture, but these individuals have little or no construction knowledge to translate these ideas into a detailed set of house plans in which the builder can understand.  It is necessary to not only have a keen eye for design, but also a strong understanding of what can be built and how it can be built affordably.

Having been in the home design and construction industry for 20 years, Design Alternatives has seen a large number of house plans which appeared complete at first glance.  Although further examination sometimes revealed that these so called custom house plans lacked large amounts of pertinent information.  If a set of construction drawings is not easy to read or thoroughly detailed, the builder is left to make his own interpretation which inevitably leads to guesswork.  This ultimately means increased building costs since he will have to inflate his bid to make sure he covers any unknown construction costs.

When evaluating the quality level of house plans, certain items to check are the amount of pertinent dimensions, notes and details.  Highly detailed sets of custom house plans will always include the necessary information to build the house in a productive and affordable way.  You will find many home plans available today are incomplete while only showing the design concept rather than the detail.  Any time your builder is left to guess at how something will be built, it will obviously add cost to your home construction project.  Not all designers go the extra mile to create a quality and useful finished set of house plans, so make sure the custom home designer you select has design as well as construction knowledge.

Design Alternatives Custom Home Design takes pride in offering its clients quality custom house plans which comes from the vast experience received during its 20 years in the custom home design and construction industry.  This experience along with the long list of satisfied clients has proven to be the driving force of success for Design Alternatives.

The Different Types of Land Surveys

By Charles Iner

While most people think of land surveys in the most basic sense, the drawing of the boundaries of a property, in actuality there are many varied and different ways of surveying that service many different industries. Property surveys are a large part of the business, but there are also surveys and surveyors that service the construction industry, the environmental sector, and many others. The kinds of surveys that are conducted would surprise most people, and some things that you might think are surveys aren’t surveys at all. Instead of the standard two-dimensional measuring from one point to another, today’s surveys not only measure the land, but also the air and water above and below us.

The most common and well-known surveys conducted today are boundary surveys, mortgage surveys, and topographic surveys. An ALTA survey, which is actually a shortened title for ATLA/ACSM, combines elements of all three, with a set of standards put forth jointly by the American Land Title Association and the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping. ALTA surveys are most commonly used for commercial properties; by having a universal standard, companies can assure themselves of the level of thoroughness and be confident when the results are guaranteed by an ALTA survey.

Boundary Surveys are exactly what the name describes: a survey to establish the true boundaries of a given property. Through previously recorded markers and the establishment of new landmarks, a surveyor will establish the true boundaries of a property and then mark the corners and lines of the plot, using markers such as iron rods, pipes or concrete monuments in the ground, or nails set in concrete or asphalt. In the past, piles of stones, trees or other, less permanent markers were used, which led to confusion when the markers were either destroyed or changed.

Mortgage Surveys are simple surveys that, for the most part, determine land boundaries and building locations. They are usually required by title companies and lending institutions when they provide financing to show that there are no structures encroaching on the property and that any structures on the property meet current zoning and building codes. It is important to ensure that you are getting an officially licensed mortgage survey performed by a licensed land surveyor, and not a mortgage inspection, which is a substandard survey which does not adhere to any set standards and is not regulated or accepted as an official land survey.

Topographic Surveys are land surveys which locate natural and man-made features. For example, buildings, improvements, fences, elevations, land contours, trees and streams. These are then measured for their elevation on a particular piece of land, and presented as contour lines on a plot. Topographical surveys are sometimes required by the government. Engineers and architects also use topographical surveys to aid in the design of improvements or developments on a site.

One of the largest and most rapidly growing segments of land surveys are in the construction industry. Surveys are crucial tools from inception and planning, to actual construction and maintenance afterwards. Most construction surveys fall under the discipline of civil engineering, which may require additional degrees and certifications in order to conduct. All construction projects begin with the Plot Plan or Site Plan, which sets out the plan for the entire project, including all existing and proposed conditions on a given site. As-Built Surveys are conducted several times during a construction project to verify for local and state boards that the work authorized was completed to the specifications set on the plot plan. Foundation Surveys are a type of as-built survey which collects the positional data on a foundation that has been poured and is now cured. Foundation surveys are done to ensure that the foundation has both been constructed in the proper location and has been built in the proper manner according to the plan.

For existing structures, a Deformation Survey determines if a structure or object is changing shape or moving. By the taking of three-dimensional positions on specific points on an object, then letting a period of time pass before retaking and measuring the points, a determination of whether a structure is moving can be made.

Although it may seem counter-intuitive, land surveyors are also responsible for performing Hydrographic and Bathymetric Surveys. Hydrographic surveys collect data relating to any body of water, and the data collected may include the water depth, bottom contours, the direction of the current, observing and recording high water marks and water levels, as well as location of fixed objects and landmarks for navigational purposes. They can also be conducted to gather information for engineering or resource management purposes, such as hydro power plants. Bathymetric surveys deal exclusively underwater, and map the seabed profile.

Geodetic surveys fall under both the land and water category, as they map out the shoreline. Thomas Jefferson commissioned a geodetic survey in 1807 as the Survey of the Coast. Progress on the survey moved slowly at first, as they did not even have the proper instruments to perform the survey until 1815. It still exists today as the National Geodetic Survey and its responsibilities now include the interior lands of the United States as well as its coasts.

Wetlands Delineation and Location Surveys belong in a category all on their own; they are performed when construction work that is being planned on or near a site containing defined wetlands. Local, state, or federal regulations vary, but wetlands are usually classified as areas that are completely inundated with water more than two weeks during the growing season. Boundaries of wetlands are determined by observing the soil colors, vegetation, erosion patterns or scour marks, hydrology, and morphology of the land in question. Data is then collected on the locations of the placed flags and a plan is drawn to reference the boundary of the wetlands and compare it to the proposed boundaries of the surrounding plots or parcels of land and the construction work proposed within.

While there are many more forms of land surveys, to list them all and their attributes would result in a very long article. The options presented above are simply the most common forms of land surveys, and the ones that the general public is most likely to encounter.

We at Point to Point Land Surveyors pride ourselves on accuracy, customer service and quality work delivered on time, guaranteed. Residential land surveys are a specialty.

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