Changes to how pyrite damage is classified could help owners hoping to sell their homes.

Engineers will now be able to report whether potential problems in the future will be minor.

Pyrite is a mineral used in construction which causes walls, ceilings and floors to crack and swell.

Around 20,000 properties across the country are affected.

Banks are unlikely give mortgages for a home where the pyrite has been detected, even if it's caused no damage.

But the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) is amending the classification system.

The main change affects category B, where the mineral has been detected but it hasn't caused an issue.

Homeowners will be able to get a cert to prove any problems down the line will be easy to repair.