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Common building defects observed during our surveys which are usually unidentified and of critical importance to resolve as part of an effective repair.

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  • Salt contamination within a chimney occurs due to the long term effects burning of fossil fuels (coal and wood etc) in an open fire. When fossil fuels are burnt, contaminates are released into chimney flue where they migrate into the brickwork. Long term the accumulative effects can result in extensive contamination of the masonry where these salts aggressively attack the brickwork. Often coupled with water ingress these salts can move in solution and are deposited within the surface plaster where they tend to give the appearance of a damp, discoloured greasy residue.
  • Extensive dry rot decay with deep cubodial cracking within this main principle roof truss. This photo show evidence of a previous repair obviously undertaken  by a novice/idiot who's course of action was to fill in the cracks with expanding foam and painted over the issue prior to sale. 
  • Extensive dry rot decay with deep cubodial cracking within this main principle roof truss. This photo show evidence of a previous repair obviously undertaken  by a novice/idiot who's course of action was to fill in the cracks with expanding foam and painted over the issue prior to sale. 
  • Extensive dry rot decay with deep cubodial cracking within this main principle roof truss. This photo show evidence of a previous repair obviously undertaken  by a novice/idiot who's course of action was to fill in the cracks with expanding foam and painted over the issue prior to sale. 
  • Blocked cavity filled with rubble and debris most likely to have occurred during the build.  
  • Damp magnesium oxychloride flooring causing corrosion of carpet grippers. Magnesite flooring is not commonly used at the current time but was very popular for domestic applications in the period 1920 to 1940, and for Local Authority housing between 1945 and 1960. Magnasite was commonly applied on top of concrete ground floor slabs and is made from a mixture of calcined magnesite and magnesium chloride solution with various fillers (e.g. wood flour, sawdust, asbestos). It was typically laid between 10 and 25mm thick, but two coat applications could be up to 50mm thick. Magnesite floorings are very vulnerable to dampness and if there is any doubt about moisture protection, it should be replaced.   Where in contact with moisture magnesite produces a weak solution of hydrochloric acid due to the presence of chlorides which may migrate from the magnesite into the concrete below and corrode any reinforcement, gas or water pipes.     Magnesite is also electrically conductive therefore using electrical resistance meters will give a full scale damp reading even if the material is dry.  Most magnesite floors are now coming to the end of their life, and only if they can be guaranteed to remain unaffected by moisture can they be used as a screed to receive other floorings, otherwise the flooring should be replaced. Crucially, because magnesite is water soluble, it will return to its previous state if exposed to enough water. 
  • Damp magnesium oxychloride flooring causing corrosion of carpet grippers. Magnesite flooring is not commonly used at the current time but was very popular for domestic applications in the period 1920 to 1940, and for Local Authority housing between 1945 and 1960. Magnasite was commonly applied on top of concrete ground floor slabs and is made from a mixture of calcined magnesite and magnesium chloride solution with various fillers (e.g. wood flour, sawdust, asbestos). It was typically laid between 10 and 25mm thick, but two coat applications could be up to 50mm thick. Magnesite floorings are very vulnerable to dampness and if there is any doubt about moisture protection, it should be replaced.   Where in contact with moisture magnesite produces a weak solution of hydrochloric acid due to the presence of chlorides which may migrate from the magnesite into the concrete below and corrode any reinforcement, gas or water pipes.     Magnesite is also electrically conductive therefore using electrical resistance meters will give a full scale damp reading even if the material is dry.  Most magnesite floors are now coming to the end of their life, and only if they can be guaranteed to remain unaffected by moisture can they be used as a screed to receive other floorings, otherwise the flooring should be replaced. Crucially, because magnesite is water soluble, it will return to its previous state if exposed to enough water. 
  • This has to be my favourite image of late. One of the problems with the building industry is a lack of communication, ignorance  and understanding between trades. This home owner recently employed a company to retrofit install insulation to the external facade of their solid walled terraced house. The investment at best, is only likely to be recovered after 10 years of the insulation being situ. As an alternative to extending the boiler flue and ensuring the insulation was as continuous as possible they boxed the insulation around the existing flue pipe creating a large cold zone in the insulation and creating a resting plinth for water to sit upon and migrate between the insulation and the wall. This poor detail is more than likely going to cause the home owners an issue in the near future. A better knowledge for the method of installation and communication between the insulation installers and a plumber could have prevented this problem.   
  • Not all damp problems are caused by a damp proof course failing! Here one of our surveyors identified a bodged connection to the below ground drainage from the soil and vent pipe.  Another problem correctly identified and huge saving for the client for a damp course that wasn't needed. 
  • Soft sandstone wall inappropriately pointed with a dense cementitious mortar unfortunately to the detriment of the stone work.
  • Original stone flagged floor laid without the protection of a physical damp proof membrane.The results, discolouration of the sone flags and accelerated decay in addition to the risk of decay to any subsequent floor covering or surrounding joinery.
  • Water butts are not an easily manageable way of removing rainwater from the roof covering. Water butts become filled very quickly which often goes unnoticed and results in them overflowing and flooding of pathways with the potential to cause damp in nearby walls.
  • Out of sight and usually out of mind. It is common for Victorian terraced properties in York to own a drain which is embedded into the pedestrian foot path. This drain is usually connected to the fall pipe and gutters which dispose rain water from your roof covering. Unlike gutters however these aren't regularly cleaned as most people forget they are there which often leads to blockages from dirt and vegetation.  When these pavement gutters become blocked rain water cannot be removed from the boundary of the property and often begins to escape from the rainwater systems against the building causing issues with damp and decay internally. If you own a terraced property with one of these pavement gutters ensure these are checked and cleaned at least annually. A five minute job can save you lots of hassle and expense.
  • It doesn't take a genius to work out where the damp was in this building! if you're going to provide rain water systems to any part of a building you must make sure they terminate into below ground drainage or appropriately divert rain water away from the building.  
  • Bricks vary in porosity some bricks are soft and very porous such as common face bricks particularly modern LBC's (London Brick Company), whilst others are more dense and will repel/resist moisture to a greater extent such as; engineering bricks or blue damp course bricks designed to be used in exposed wet areas.   On most modern buildings you will find dense engineering bricks specified below and up to ground level, where a horizontal barrier (damp proof course) is installed to prevent wicking moisture from the ground (Rising Damp) affecting the upper structure. Dense engineering bricks are ideally suitable for these conditions, where contact with wet ground will usually have no damaging effect. Above damp proof course level bricks may change into a faceing brick which is usually aesthetically more pleasing, lighter and cheaper to use build with.   Older properties are commonly constructed from just one type of brick usually a face or common brick. Where damp proof courses have not been introduced either during construction or retrospectively bricks towards the lower level of the property can deteriorate when exposed to excessive dampness over a period of time. Bricks deteriorate or spawl when they become wet, during winter months trapped molecules of moisture freeze and expand shearing away the surface or face of the brick (spawling).   The source of dampness causing bricks to deteriorate may not just occur due to an absent or defective damp proof course, high ground levels, exposure to the elements and defective rainwater services or plumbing can also cause bricks to spawl. If you notice your brickwork spawling within a specific area this may indicate a localised problem probably one of the above. It is however, common to see random bricks spawling along a stretch of wall which is usually the result of a few weak/soft bricks deteriorating which were not fired (hardened) properly during the kilning process.
  • Really, this image requires no explanation. Always ensure your rainwater systems are maintained in good condition. They should be; adequately supported, have sufficient fall, be painted to prevent corrosion where necessary, have appropriate number of fall pipes ,be clean and without vegetation or blockages and most importantly they should always be connected to below ground drainage or a soak away positioned at least five meters away from the building. 
  • The inappropriate use of gypsum plaster following this contractors damp proof course installation has lead to an extensive reaction between the plaster and salt causing the plaster to  delaminate from the wall. Never use gypsum based backing plaster during damp repairs. 
  • Raising ground levels against your building can reduce clearance to your Damp Proof Course (DPC) and compromise its effectiveness. Building regulations and Standard Codes of Practice stipulate a minimum distance of 150mm should be maintained between your DPC and the external ground to alleviate the DPC becoming breached by standing water or rain water splash back. Flower beds and new driveways are the most common breach of the damp proof course externally. 
  • Checking for the presence of moisture in a water damaged property. In this scenario the floors were of solid construction, insulated with a floating timber floor. A leak had allowed water to migrate between the solid floor structure and the insulation resulting in damp affecting the surrounding walls. To limit disruption to the finished floors a series of deep wall probes were used to test beneath the floors surface in addition to this inspection hatch which was used for initial identification of the problem prior to fining the leak. The leak had caused extensive damage to the chipboard floor surfaces in addition to saturating the polystyrene insulation and slight decay of the carpet floor coverings. Floor tiles within the hall and kitchen had also fracture as the chipboard floating floor beneath had decayed.   Identifying the extent of damage throughout the building was our immediate concern prior to drafting a repair specification, which in this scenario is most likely to involve, repair of the offending leak, exposure of all affected floor surfaces and disposal of the saturated insulation and decayed floor. A specialist drying system will be used to dry the floor structure removing all trapped moisture prior to reinstatement of the floor.  Most companies don't undertake disruptive investigation, but we do! Failing to expose and investigate properly can easily lead to miss diagnosis. 
  • Strap pointing of soft clamp bricks such as these with dense mortar can accelerate decay of the brickwork. The brickwork wall will have been constructed with lime mortar which has similar properties to the bricks allowing moisture to freely evaporate. During refurbishment of the property however the wall has been re-pointed in a strap fashion with a cement based mortar.   The cement pointing prevents evaporation through the mortar forcing all moisture within the wall to evaporate through the face of the brickwork leaving behind salt deposits which greatly accelerating the decay of the bricks.
  • Slipped slates clearly visible from within this roof void. This is often caused by some slight settlement of the roof structure leading to the slates bridging on the party dividing walls in the loft forcing them loose. Nail sickness also often accompanies this problem where widespread corrosion of the nails holding the slates occurs due to age and slates will slip annually. In this scenario removal and reinstatement of the slate roof covering is advised. 
  • Old cast iron gutter and fall pipes are usually only maintained and painted on the surface (the only sides that are accessible) which often leads to them corroding at the rear and eventually failing. In this circumstance both the fall pipe bracket and 'Y' spigot have corroded and failed and now require replacement before this client has issues with water ingress and penetrative damp. 
  • This original Victorian stone window cill has perished completely mainly the result of a long standing  gutter leak above which has accelerated its decay. As the cill has perished providing no overhang to the building penetrative damp is now a real risk. Window cills are designed to overhang the exterior walls of a property and shed water away from the building during periods of inclement weather, especially important in properties such as this with solid wall construction.  Due to its poor condition, the cill will no longer function properly allowing water to cascade off the window down the facade of the property.  
  • Out of sight and usually out of mind. It is common for Victorian terraced properties in York to own a drain which is embedded into the pedestrian foot path. This drain is usually connected to the fall pipe and gutters which dispose rain water from your roof covering. Unlike gutters however these aren't regularly cleaned as most people forget they are there which often leads to blockages from dirt and vegetation.  When these pavement gutters become blocked rain water cannot be removed from the boundary of the property and often begins to escape from the rainwater systems against the building causing issues with damp and decay internally. If you own a terraced property with one of these pavement gutters ensure these are checked and cleaned at least annually. A five minute job can save you lots of hassle and expense. 
  • It is common in old houses for the party dividing wall not to continue up through the roof separating yourselves from your neighbours. It is however recommended to prevent the spread of fire from one property to another through the open roof space that the wall be completed up to the underside of the roof covering. In new build properties it is a regulation to provide a fire check within the roof (Building regulations Part B - Fire Safety) however this does not apply to existing dwellings although would be strongly recommended by any competent building surveyor. 
  • As can be clearly seen from this picture trying to cover up damp walls using timber batons and linings internally is not a sustainable repair. 
  • Here is an image of a soft sandstone wall which has recently been inappropriately pointed with a dense cementitious mortar unfortunately to the detriment of the stone work. The stone wall has been constructed with lime mortar which has similar properties to the stone allowing moisture to freely evaporate. During refurbishment of the property however the owner instructed a builder to re-point the wall which he has done, although with no understanding of how the wall breaths.  In this situation the original lime mortar has been raked back and the wall re-pointed with cement mortar,  which as a consequence prevents the wall from breathing evenly as it did before. The cement pointing prevents evaporation through the mortar forcing all moisture within the wall to evaporate through the face of the stonework leaving behind salt deposits and greatly accelerating the decay of the stonework, as can be seen. Re-pointing soft stone with cement mortar should strongly be avoided.  
  • This is an image of a floor slab from a 1960's mid town house build in York.  In this era floors were laid without Damp Proof Membranes (DPM's) beneath them and as such it is possible for moisture to wick through the concrete floor structure. It is however common for the floors to incorporate a surface screed of bitumen and thermoplastic floor tiles to prevent moisture within the concrete slab causing decay to the upper floor coverings.  Whilst this is not ideal, the floor slab being damp or at least susceptible to damp, in most cases this does not cause a problem as the surface screed provides protection to the coverings. In some cases however this method of construction can result in problems occurring at the interface between the floor / wall detail. Inevitably moisture beneath the surface membrane will  evaporate and as the floor and wall details are not tied together evaporation occurs at this point often behind the skirting boards. It is also a common design in properties of this era to have shallow skirting boards which often forces the plasterers to plaster into contact with the floors. In this scenario the DPC (Damp Proof Course) laid horizontally within the walls above floor level can be breached by the plaster. In addition to moisture evaporating from beneath the floors this can lead to the plaster and skirting boards at low level perishing.  In this circumstance replacement of the damp proof course is not needed as the original is perfectly suitable provided the breach is removed which can be done by cutting back the plaster, although it is advisable the susceptible floor and wall detail is sealed with a moisture resistant phillet. 
  • This is an image of a floor slab from a 1960's mid town house build in York.  In this era floors were laid without Damp Proof Membranes (DPM's) beneath them and as such it is possible for moisture to wick through the concrete floor structure. It is however common for the floors to incorporate a surface screed of bitumen and thermoplastic floor tiles to prevent moisture within the concrete slab causing decay to the upper floor coverings.  Whilst this is not ideal, the floor slab being damp or at least susceptible to damp, in most cases this does not cause a problem as the surface screed provides protection to the coverings. In some cases however this method of construction can result in problems occurring at the interface between the floor / wall detail. Inevitably moisture beneath the surface membrane will  evaporate and as the floor and wall details are not tied together evaporation occurs at this point often behind the skirting boards. It is also a common design in properties of this era to have shallow skirting boards which often forces the plasterers to plaster into contact with the floors. In this scenario the DPC (Damp Proof Course) laid horizontally within the walls above floor level can be breached by the plaster. In addition to moisture evaporating from beneath the floors this can lead to the plaster and skirting boards at low level perishing.  In this circumstance replacement of the damp proof course is not needed as the original is perfectly suitable provided the breach is removed which can be done by cutting back the plaster, although it is advisable the susceptible floor and wall detail is sealed with a moisture resistant phillet. In this image you can see the floor structure has fractured breaking the surface membrane which can occur due to a combination of factors such as; movement, poor compacting of the ground beneath the floor, sub soil erosion (caused by drain leaks), sulphate attack and shrinkage. The white powdery substance apparent on the surface are salts emulating from the floor as evaporation occurs, reiterating our above comments the floor beneath the membrane is damp. In this scenario, the floor requires further inspection and monitoring at this stage although if the floor begins to deteriorate further, replacement may need to be considered.  
  • Window cills are an important feature to buildings ensuring walls remain free from rain fall and dry. For their intended purpose it is essential all cills sufficiently project from the walls and incorporate a throat (small grove to the underside) to ensure rain water cannot run around the cill. In this circumstance however, I think the builders who installed this retrofit stone cill over estimated the projection required and the cill protrudes almost as an obstruction to the pedestrian footpath. In fact it appears the cill projects so far from the wall it lacked support and had to be supported with angle iron straps beneath. 
  • The main chimney stack of this Victorian terraced property in York circa 1900s was in poor condition with extreme sulphate attack causing distortion of the chimney.  This occurs as sulphates created by the burning of fossil fuels migrate through the chimney, attacking the mortar.  When the mortar is attacked it expands, resulting in the chimney buckling and changing shape which can also cause the brickwork within the chimney structure to collapse.  The mortar flaunching which provides the weather proof cap to the top of the chimney and holds the pots in place was also noted to be cracked and the masonry severely weathered and in need of re-pointing. If left in a state of disrepair this chimney could cause issues with severe water ingress affecting the internal fabric of the building and in extreme cases even collapse. 

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