Fast and Reliable Mundic Tests

Mundic is a Cornish mining term for the sulphide mineral Pyrite, or Fool’s Gold, it is a phrase used to describe concrete that contain waste materials (predominately mining) and aggregates which were widely produced between 1900 and 1960. 

This material was frequently used in construction throughout the southwest of England but more pre-dominantly in west Devon and Cornwall. The presence of mundic in a property makes it more susceptible to deterioration. When exposed to moisture, the mundic ‘attacks’ the cement causing the concrete to weaken, crumble and, in the worst cases, completely fall apart. Naturally, this can cause major structural issues and even cash-buyers should take caution to ensure that there are no further problems when it comes to selling the property or passing it on as inheritance. 

This was the situation Mrs William’s children found themselves in following her passing away. They had found solace in knowing that the sale of her home, in which she had lived for over 40 years’, would provide a comfortable future for her grandchildren. However, they soon discovered that this home had been built when substandard concrete (mundic), was being widely used in construction across the South West. During the sale process, the valuation surveyor flagged the potential presence of mundic in the home, advising a mundic test would be required before the sale could continue. 

Naturally, her children were very anxious – a failed mundic test can leave properties un-mortgageable leaving them with cash sales or auctions as the only available options. Added to this, it instantly drops the value of a property by around a third, occasionally, even more. They faced the prospect of their beloved family home, full of cherished memories, selling for nothing more than the value of an empty plot of land. 

Fortunately, for Mrs William’s children our highly experienced mundic team at Cornwall Mining Consultants were called upon to walk them through this anxious time. We undertook a swift and thorough survey of the property, efficiently assessing each potentially affected area. The results were returned in a matter of days and thankfully it was good news, the home was clear of any mundic and was classified as fully mortgageable for sale at full market value. 

Whilst this is the desired outcome, it isn’t always the case and we completely understand the sensitivities of managing the mundic problem. With over 30 years of experience, considerable local knowledge, fantastic customer service and a guaranteed speedy outcome, Cornwall Mining Consultants are simply unsurpassed when it comes to mundic testing. Below are some of our most frequently asked questions when it comes to mundic but if you would like to know more, our friendly team are just a phone call away on 01209 313511. 

How do you test for mundic? 
Testing for mundic is an intrusive process that requires drilling into the property’s walls to extract core samples for testing. We completely understand that this can seem daunting and we take the time to assure and explain at each step of the way.