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The Different Forms Of Building Defects

By Craig Nisbett


Buildings that meet satisfactory qualities are those which are located at the right places, tend to fit well into the surroundings and have the ability to offer adequate facilities and space. Their being satisfactory also implies they have protection against adverse conditions of the weather as well as other undesirable external conditions. For adequate meeting of such conditions, it would take some time for complete construction. Certification and approval takes quite a while. Building defects mostly affect structures that are constructed without following the right instructions.

Some buildings are located in moist places and are thus bound to be affected by fungus stains and other harmful growths. Fungal stains tend to be favored by environments with high humidity and which lack proper ventilation. Examples of harmful growths are creeping plants and ivy plants. They are able to grow on gutters, roofs and walls. What makes such growths to thrive is the penetration of dirt in small openings in joints left by mortar as well as on walls.

The cracks in joints and walls provide suitable conditions for the growth of seeds. As seeds grow, they penetrate more deeply and may end up bringing about bigger cracks and encouraging more water penetration. This may bring about a lot of danger to the buildings as they may even be at a risk of falling.

Mortar joints may also be eroded, which is another form of defect that can affect a structure. Mainly, mortar joints are used to even out irregular building blocks and stones. The main factors that lead to erosion of mortar joints are salt crystallization, dampness that comes due to water penetration and the scouring action of wind. Decayed mortar can be gotten rid of by use of mechanical discs or manually by being raked using knives.

With regard to painting of surfaces, there is the possibility of surfaces getting their paintings scrapped off with time. Most of the time, paint gets peeled off from plastered walls than most other types of walls. Moreover, moisture and damp surfaces tend to accelerate peeling off. For buildings around the sea, the threat is even bigger, with acidic conditions and a lot of wind that is found in such environment.

There may be poor installation of air conditioning systems. Buildings that may have been constructed without air conditioners may need such installations to deal with warm temperatures. Several factors have to be put into place in installation of air conditioners. The air produced by the conditioners is cooler and drier and may thus lead to shrinkage of building materials. It is also possible to have condensation on surfaces or within structures of the fabric. This may lead to mould build up.

One of the most important parts of a building is the foundation. Permanence of a building is hugely dependent on the strength of the foundation. Stronger foundations ensure structures last for longer. If the foundation of a building is poorly laid, it may be fruitless investing on the other sections of the structures. Factors like dampness, geology and moisture may weaken foundations.

Insect and termite attack are common building defects. The damage caused by termites and insects mat take time to be realized, at times only being noticed when the affected materials are collapsing. Such damage may be controlled by fumigation and other forms of spraying.




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