Health consequences of living in a damp building, especially dampness related respiratory problems, are a hot topic nowadays, and with good reason. This kind of a problem is more common than one would think, so I thought I share a…
An Old Farm House with Rotting Joists We have surveyed an old farm house, where the floor was already taken up and the joists were getting replaced. The client was facing a very common problem: rotting joists. It is easy…
Rainwater bouncing back from the ground or the plinth is another source of moisture that affects all buildings, especially older buildings built of more porous, water-absorbent materials.This can be recognized by a green discoloration occurring towards at the base of…
As mentioned earlier, the ideal solution to the problem of driving rain in older buildings is a rendering system that is both waterproof and breathable.The technology of a traditional rendering system that fulfills both of these criteria originates from ancient…
Wind driven rain is a major problem especially in coastal areas, as it can saturate the building fabric, leading to staining, spoiling of internal decorations, even to structural damages long-term.Salts dislodged by driving rain from the fabric can be deposited…
At out last conservation workshop in Venice, we had the chance to visit one of saltiest building in the world - The Old Salt Storage of Venice. But before I dive into the challenges that building meant in terms of…
NO DAMP PROOF COURSE + HIGH WATER TABLE = PROBLEMThis is a case study of a 250 years old stone farm house, with a high water table, where nothing seemed to work... Old buildings built prior to the 1870s often do…
The Effect of Salts The presence of saltssignificantly impact the condition and appearance of the building fabric. The effect of salts is largely unknown to many builders or building professionals. Due to their importance, during the past few years a…