RAAC

Nothing on the visit sampled a 1970s flat-roof addition, opened a panel soffit or tested investigation IStructE describes and this visit did not start. What has to stay undecided?

Whether the 1970s flat-roof addition contains that material has to stay undecided. Nothing on the visit sampled it, opened a panel soffit, or started the investigation IStructE describes. The material in question is a form of concrete panel that IStructE says needs investigation. A decade and a flat roof are why the suspicion was written down. They are not an identification. The soffit, the underside, stayed closed, so the survey did not see what an investigation would look for. The report has named the limit. It has not decided the material or its condition.

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?

Flat-roof additions of that period used more than one kind of deck. Some were timber, some ordinary concrete, some panels that now prompt this question. Age alone does not sort them. Opening a soffit would show the underside of the deck, and even that is not the full investigation IStructE describes. This visit did neither. Deflection, cracking or a stain, if noted elsewhere, would still be condition, not a materials test. What stays undecided is the make-up of the addition and whether the investigation is needed in fact.

Tell the solicitor the addition was not opened and not sampled. If you or a lender need the point settled, instruct a structural specialist to start the investigation this survey did not start. Do not describe the 1970s roof as confirmed, and do not describe it as cleared. The home survey's job ended at naming the suspicion and the closed soffit. Anything firmer has to come from the investigation that has not yet begun.

What should you ask your surveyor?

Was the flat-roof addition dated only, without a sample?
Did the panel soffit stay closed for the whole visit?
Has the investigation IStructE describes been left unstarted?

What are the typical next steps?

Leave the 1970s addition unidentified and unsampled.
Tell the solicitor the soffit was not opened.
Commission a specialist investigation before calling the deck confirmed or clear.

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

Does a 1970s date itself identify the deck?

No. The date is context for a suspicion, not an identification. Nothing on the visit sampled the flat-roof addition or opened a panel soffit. The investigation IStructE describes was not started. A form of concrete panel that needs that investigation cannot be confirmed from the year alone. The deck stays undecided.

If the rooms below are dry, is the addition cleared?

No. Dry ceilings do not identify the deck and do not replace an investigation. The survey did not open the soffit and did not sample the addition. Moisture stains and material type are different questions, and neither was settled by a test. The suspicion remains where the visit left it.