Roofs and flat roofs
The report mentions mouse boarding next to the eaves void. Has whether ventilation still reaches the slope been tested, or only named?
Whether ventilation still reaches the slope has been named, not tested. The report mentions mouse boarding next to the eaves void. The survey has recorded that boarding and the void it relates to. It has not measured a path for air, and it has not decided that the slope is ventilated or choked. Mouse boarding is a close board at the eaves, traditionally to stop birds and to support the edge. It can also close the very gap a later ventilator was meant to use. The visit did not test which of those is true here.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
The eaves void is the low space under the slope at the wall. Boarding across it limits the view from the hatch and can block or protect the inlet. Air on a slope needs a route from that inlet toward the ridge, which a home survey does not trace with instruments. The report can flag the question because the boards are there. Flagging is not a ruling that insulation is packed behind them. The possibilities stay named until the void is clearly seen.
Tell the solicitor the ventilation path was not tested. Ask the seller whether the mouse boards are original and whether any eaves vents were added. If the roof covering depends on that path, a roofer needs to see past the boards. The home survey has not removed them and has not blamed the boarding for condensation or for dryness. Leave the question as an open limit of the loft inspection.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- What mouse boarding was seen, and what did it close off?
- Does the report say the eaves void could not be entered?
- Is ventilation of the slope posed as a question rather than a result?
What are the typical next steps?
- Read the ventilation point as named, not tested.
- Ask whether vents were added at the boarded eaves.
- See past the boards before you call the slope ventilated.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
Is mouse boarding a defect by itself?
It is a traditional eaves detail, not automatically a defect. The report names it next to the eaves void because it limits the view and may affect the air path. The survey did not call the boards a failure and did not test ventilation. The open point is the path, not a demand to strip the eaves.
Does a dry loft on the day prove the slope is ventilated?
A dry loft shows the conditions at one visit. It does not measure whether air still reaches the slope past the mouse boarding. Weather, heating and the season all change what you see. The survey named the question and did not test it. Dry timber on the day is not that test.