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The following is a
brief insight to the type of Remedial problems found in buildings
due to poor maintenance, bad building practice, neglect and age of
the property, to name but a few. In almost all cases
it advisable to seek a Specialist in the preservation industry to
carry out the necessary repairs and treatments. |
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Damp proofing |
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Woodworm |
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Rising damp
Moisture from the ground
rising by capillary action through bricks, masonry and mortars
etc.. The problems arising from dampness in buildings are;
deteriorating decorations from the damp the wall plaster. Wall
plaster breaks down due to hygroscopic salt deposits. These
hygroscopic salts are carried for the ground and are, in their
essence moisture absorbing, this means the salts can absorb moisture
from the surrounding atmosphere. Therefore even after the
introduction of a damp course in almost all cases the surface of
the walls are still damp. To remedy this the affected plaster to
well past the last signs of dampness must be removed and an
acceptable re-plastering specification used.
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Wood Boring Insects
There are many types of
wood boring insects, generally in the UK the most common of
these is Anobium puctatum (common furniture beetle). This
beetle has a life cycle between 4 and 5 years and lives and feeds
on soft woods such as the floor and roof timbers of our every day
buildings. Another fairly common
beetle is the
Xestobium rufovillosum (death watch beetle).
This beetle has a life cycle of up to 15 years and lives and feeds
on hard wood timbers more commonly found in older buildings like
churches, cottages, stately homes and the like, with oak /
elm beams etc. |
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Dampness is also a
health hazard and the gateway for the germination of wood rotting
fungi |
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Wood Rotting Fungi |
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Wood decay in buildings can be initiated by the germination of
spores or by the vegetative development of hyphae. Spores are
always present in the
atmosphere, hyphal
invasion from an adjoining affected area can introduce decay .
Decay can regenerate from fungal hyphae (strands) left in wood or in
walls so long as the conditions are right for growth.
Moisture is a key requirement and is necessary for
both spore germination and
hyphal
colonization. |
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Dry
Rot |
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Wet
Rot |
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The
term dry rot is a misnomer in that it implies that there is decay
without moisture. This is not true and it should be clarified that
all wood decay requires
a
source of
moisture.
Serpula lacrymans
(True Dry Rot) is the fungus probably found causing the most extensive damage in buildings. A brown rot which particularly occurs on wood embedded in or in contact with wet brick work / stone work. The hyphae of dry rot is able to grow through brick work and mortar, though can not feed on these. Strands from the Dry Rot then transport moisture from damp areas, this allowing a spread of the fungus to dry wood in unventilated conditions. |
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There are many fungal species causing wet rot and the same remedial measure are required for them all. They may cause a darkening of the timber (brown rot) or bleaching (white rot) the most common know as the cellar rot
Coniophora puteana (Wet rot). At risk from decay are aeras where poor ventilation allows the timbers to absorb moisture from the damp areas, where joists may bear into masonry that is damp through rising or penetrating dampness, wet rot does not however, have the ability to spread its attack in the way that dry rot will, and therefore will be limited to the areas that contain a sufficiently high moisture content to support fungal growth. |
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Copyright 2000
Rayal Services - All Rights Reserved
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