EXISTING BUILDING SURVEY. 01.4.3 TYPES AND CAUSES OF DECAY

Types of Decay.

Water Damage.

Walls, materials cont.

Peeling Paintwork.

Caused by water damage and heat and cold expansion and contraction. Exacerbated by wear and tear through usage.

Oxidisation of wall.

Area of wall damaged by water and chemicals - perhaps linked to water supply. Caused blueish discolouration of Vermillion paint and erosion of the paint layer. Potential bio-hazard to be investigated.

Mold around windows.

Mold and fungus around windows in some bathrooms. Caused by water leakage through gaps in the windows. Caused discoloration of paint. Potentially bio-hazard to be investigated.

Discolouration of concrete and paintwork.

A mixture of environmental wear and water damage causing corrosion of plasterwork and discolouration of paintwork.

Corrosion of materials.

Features and fixtures.

Adhesive damage to concrete slab.

Adhesive remaining from linoleum tiles, difficult to remove from existing concrete slab - likely to lead to further damage of the element if not handled carefully.

Damage/ chipping to tiles.

Some cosmetic damage to the bathroom tiles, likely due to wear and tear or building repair work. Can be resolved with replacement of substitute tile.

Extensive corrosion of plaster and concrete.

Most severe case of damage to the concrete elements where corrosion is deep enough to expose the reinforcements. Likely due to environmental wear and man made damage. Potential structural hazard.

Damage / chipping of plaster.

Damage to plaster of external walls is common and seen on all four elevations. In some cases large chunks of plaster have fallen off to expose concrete. Entire external walls will need re-plastering.

Ironmongery.

Ironmongery cont. Environmental / Aging. Man-made damage.

Growth of ivy/ climbing plants.

Due to building neglect and lack of maintenance, several cases of ivy and climbing plants are seen around the building especially to the north-west. Potential structural hazard - root survey should be conducted.

Discolouration and fading of polycarbonate panels.

Polycarbonate has a tendency to discolour and fade due to sun and water damage. These panels will need to be replaced completely.

Inside the building several panes are damaged since the building has been left vacant. All these panes will need replacing.

The southern-most first floor room has been constructed from wooden studs and plasterboard. The boards are now beginning to split and bow. Potential structural hazard, although the walls themselves are non-structural.

Erosion of metalwork.

Fair amounts of oxidisation and rusting have occurred to the metal work including the sheet roofing, parapet flashing and window surrounds and frames. Potentially waterproofing issue.

Missing window and roof panels.

Throughout the building several glass panels and roof panels are missing, leaving the internal spaces exposed to the elements which cause further environmental damage.

To protect the building following its vacancy, steel grids have been attached to the external walls where the windows have been smashed or at risk of break-ins. The fixture of the grids will have left holes in the existing concrete walls.

Since being left vacant the site has been broken into as evidenced by some graffiti to the south elevation. There is also a vast amount of abandoned materials that will need to be removed.