Monday, July 27, 2015

Home Inspection reports Perth | How to cure Rising Damp – Part Two

http://bhis.com.au/home-inspection-perth/


By:Peter Huber
Posted By: BHIS
Source:www.bhis.com.au

Continued from first part…

“FREEZTEQ” as discussed in last weeks column is a unique and highly effective damp coursing system which has been patented in the UK and overseas and it offers several major advantages over other chemical techniques.

The system is based on siliconate solutions which are inserted into holes drilled into the mortar line of the wall to be treated being in the form of a circular section pre-frozen pellets which are inserted into the pre-drilled holes.

The slow melting system ensures a continuous water repellent barrier throughout the treated area, because the system depends on natural seepage (diffusion), which research has shown to be the most effective method for fluid distribution in masonry, accurate dosages can be readily achieved and application costs are thus remarkably low.

The “FREEZTEQ” or known as the Passive system, is suitable for damp coursing all types of walls including stone and rubble and has shown itself particularly effective in treatment of older properties.

According to a spokesperson for “Consolidated Protective Coatings” who specialise in using the “FREEZTEQ” (444-2929) system say that, it is important to do a diagnostic analysis on the walls and then recommend which type of application to use in curing the rising damp. It apparently is not straight forward, since if the mechanical method is used, that is, injecting silicon liquid under pressure, then if the mortar is friable and the bricks are old and crumbly(Spalding) there is a good chance that they may fall apart or out, due to the Pressure that is used (between 50 to 120 psi) during the injection method. Hence the more Passive method comes into it’s own.
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He also said that to perform a quality job the plaster needs to be removed and skirting which may be in the way all these will eventually have to be replaced and are reasonably costly items, but the choices are very limited.

Requirements for Damp-proof coursing and flashing materials are covered in detail in the AUSTRALIAN Standards 2904-1986
In fact if building a new home and the Builder is registered with the Builders Registration Board, a directive from the Board has been issued to the builders to make sure that all shower cubicles are water tight and that the home built in general does not leak as it will be the Builders responsibility for 6 years.

In summary the main causes for rising damp in older homes are, the break down of the original damp proofing needing chemical intervention) In newly built homes, poor quality and control of workmanship is usually the cause. There is no excuse with today’s technology, know how and information to have a damp or leaking abode.

Source: www.bhis.com.au/2012/10/how-to-cure-rising-damp-part-two/

 





Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Pre Purchase Building Inspections Perth | How to cure Rising Damp – Part One



Building Inspection Perth WA
08 9331 3031/0418 948 760
 
By: Peter Huber
Posted by: www.bhis.com.au
Source: www.bhis.com.au/2012/10/roof-repairs-in-preparation-for-winter/

No problem is so wide spread nor so misunderstood as rising damp. Probably every building built before 1900 has a damp problem in some degree and thousands of dollars are spent in repairs.
In many cases the cure is worse than the disease; illconceived treatments may in fact increase the problem and could decrease the real estate value of the building.
On top of this many renovation practices can cause problems where they may not have existed previously.
Expensive and good looking renovations can turn into disaster areas by not allowing for moisture flow in old walls.

The symptoms of wall dampness are easily recognised: musty smell, deteriorating paint and plaster. The moisture behaves like a wick and in fact is called wick action, it literally rises up the wall, like kerosene rises in a wick on the kerosene lamp. There comes a point where the damp cannot rise any further due to natural ventilation causing it to dry out this area is called the tide mark and is quite visible, at that point the drying out process is the fastest and mineral salts are deposited as visible marks on the wall. This tide mark is usually at about 900mm above floor level.
The first step in rectification is to source the cause, the damp proof course which is usually made out of lead or galvanised iron or even bituminous material, which is imbeded between the brick coursing, in the hope of preventing the damp rising, may have deteriorated over the years. But more often the problem is elsewhere.
The most logical and essential consideration to the prevention of rising damp is keeping the ground on which the building is located as dry as possible. That is achieved by diverting any discharged water well away from the building and its foundations, it is also essential to check gutters, drains and down pipes for hidden leaks that may not always be obvious.


If the floor structure is timber then the underneath should be well ventilated using the natural cross ventilation system available, by means of vent grilles installed on the perimeter walls, at every 1.8 meters is desirable.
If it is a concrete raft slab construction, then the damp usually rises on the perimeter walls and is almost always due to bridging of cavities or the overflowing of eaves into cavity walls. Generally the concrete slab itself with the plastic membrane under neath is a good water proofer in itself thus negating any moisture conning up from under the slab.
If all these basic building rules have not been broken and the damp still persists (highly unlikely) then other more effective chemical means may have to be implemented. These include the chemical injection of silicone liquids under pressure this is usually done by competent trades specialising in this type of work. Another method that I have heard and read about is the “FREEZTEQ” damp course System that can be done by the handyman or women.
Next week we will discuss this system and how it works as well as other causes of damp in walls.
please call our office. We want you the reader to write to us on , any Building matters, questions or if you seek advise,  we will gladly answer any topic that you wish us to discuss, so please send your letters to “B. & H. I. S.” C/O. 46 Riley  Road , Kardinya , W.A. 6163. or fax/ph (09) 331-3031. We will continue next week  ie..

Source: www.bhis.com.au/2012/10/roof-repairs-in-preparation-for-winter/

Monday, July 13, 2015

Building Inspector Perth | Roof Repairs In Preparation For Winter













By: Peter
Posted by: www.bhis.com.au
Source: www.bhis.com.au/2012/10/roof-repairs-in-preparation-for-winter/

Building Inspector Perth with Building & Home Inspection Service (BHIS), Perth, WA gives potential buyer a piece of mind. BHIS has been providing Western Australia complete professional inspections since 1980.

Roof Repairs In Preparation For Winter:
Now that winter is drawing closer it is time to prepare our roof and drainage system for the onslaught of those wet and blistery days.
A checklist would be a handy item to have so here is one:-

A) CLEAR ALL GUTTERS OF DEBRIS:, that is leaves and even build up of dirt collected over the years, as all those particles can firstly clog up the downpipe pipe entry and cause a build up of water in the gutter and secondly when the gutter dries out debris will hinder the drying process allowing rust to form in suspect areas.

Also check to see if the gutter has been backplated (see diagram) if not then overflow of water into the eaves, under the conditions mentioned above is very likely. This can be rectified by replacing the removed portion of metal from the gutter, efficiency of the gutter is reduced by 50-60 percent if the back of the gutter is not reinstated.
Sometimes downpipes can also get blocked, it is wise to flush them out especially if they are connected to soakwells. Never seal the join between the down pipe and the shoe where it runs into a soakwell, because if the soakwell ever loses its capacity then it can overflow at ground level at the join and not at gutter level.
For gutters to last longer the inside cam be painted with a bituminous paint which will effectively double the life of the gutter.

B) VALLEY GUTTERS FLASHINGS & OTHER PROTRUSIONS: It is also wise to check that all protrusions are still water tight, that is the seal between lead flashings and the pipes (vents & Flues) are still water tight if not seal them with a bead of paintable Silicone. All metal components should always be protected to slow down the deterioration process and all Lead components  should be painted so as not to cause accelerated rusting to the galvanised metal components on a roof such as gutters and downpipes.

Valley gutters should also be kept free of leaves and debris which can quite ,easily get caught especially if the free valley space is less that 100mm (4”). The water as it rushes down from the tiles onto the valley will get caught up in the leaves and debris and soon it will act as a dam and tend to overflow along the sides especially as over a period of time the LIPPED VALLEY ENDS (see “End on View” diagram) of the valley gutter have been clogged with dirt, crimped down by the weight of the tile or flattened down by holding down nails, it is very time consuming to carry out and rectify this but is well worth it if water ingress is a problem along valley lines.
Another problem is that valleys can overflow due to the sheer rush and volume of water deposited during a storm on steeply pitched roofs. Fitting baffles will redirect the flow of water and eliminate this problem.

So that we all understand what we are talking about enclosed is also a part cross sectional diagram of a typical roof and eaves. 


This is the style of work I do, I strongly believe in talking to people in terms, that they can understand and also show them in diagrammatic form if needed.
This is what your paper (column) can expect, should you take us on board.
This article is written on Word 7.0  we also have access, in our publishing section, to Pagemaker 7.0 all diagrams are either drawn or scanned in and can be faxed, disk mailed or sent by modem.

 Would be happy to hear from you.


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