common defects in victorian houses - historic … defects in victorian... · common defects in...
Post on 02-Aug-2018
238 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
Common Defects in Victorian Houses
A Presentation from Quadriga Contracts Limited
By Lindsay Law
WHAT IS A QUADRIGA?
QUADRIGA’S SERVICES:• Survey Diagnosis and Proposal
• Full C.A.D Design and Detailing Service
• Structural Repair & Resin Bonding
• Concrete Repair, Cathodic Protection & Coatings
• Masonry Repair and Consolidation
• Car Park Repair & Refurbishment
• Total Façade Restoration & Maintenance
• Timber Restoration & Conservation
• Heritage Refurbishment
• CPD Accredited Seminar
Victorian Houses
• Reign of Queen Victoria – 1837 – 1901
• National Rail Network
• Designed by Builders
• 6 Million Homes Built in 75 Years
Types of Victorian Houses
• Jacobethan (circa 1830’s)
• Gothic Revival (circa 1870’s)
• Arts & Crafts (circa 1880’s)
• Terraced
Jacobethan (circa 1830’s)
• Castle Like Fortifications
• Steep Roof Gables
• Intricate Brickwork
• High Chimneys
• Half Timbering
Gothic Revival (circa 1870’s)
• Made Popular by Pugin
• Pointed Roofs and Arches
• Stained Glass Windows
• Embellishments
• Ecclesiastical Touches i.e Turrets
Arts & Crafts (circa 1880’s)• Reaction to the Excesses of Victorian
Industrialisation
• Revival of Traditional Craftsmanship and Restore Simplicity
• Medieval, Romantic or Folk Styles of Decoration
• Look for Small Cottage-Style Wooden Casesment Windows, Sloping Roofs and Bare Stone and Brickwork
Terraced
• Solution to Demand for Cheap Urban Housing
• Continued to Early 1900’s
• Individual Design Repeated Over and Over
Design Issues
• Shortcuts – Inherant defects
• Design Issues Such as Roof Design and Windows
Roofs
• Major Area for Heatloss
Early• Dominated by Georgian Ideology• Serviceability Issues• Trap for Drifting Snow
Mid• Traditional with Central Ridge Parallel to Front Wall
Roofs
• Major Area for Heatloss
Early• Dominated by Georgian Ideology• Serviceability Issues• Trap for Drifting Snow
Mid• Traditional with Central Ridge Parallel to Front Wall
Windows
• Bay Windows – Foundations
• Trees Very Close to Front of House
Fire Break Walls
• Missing Fire Break Walls
Wall Tie Failure
• Use of Fewer Wall Ties
• Corrosion – Aggregates ( Electrolytic Action When Wet )
Floor Joists
• Floor Joists built into Walls
• Poorly Ventilated Voids Beneath Timber Floors
• Timber Beams Forming Part of Wall Structure
Damp
Three Types of Damp
• Rising Damp
• Penetrating Damp
• Condensation
Rising DampRising Damp Is A Form Of Dampness That Occurs, Particularly In
Older Buildings, When Groundwater Rises Up Through Walls, Floors And Masonry Via Capillary Action, Which Is The Ability Of A Liquid To
Flow In Narrow Spaces In Opposition To Gravity.
1770’s Onwards Damp Proofing Courses Officially Had To Be Added, In Some Areas This Was Already Taking Place In Others It Didn’t
Happen Until Much Later.
Penetrating DampPenetrating dampness is defined as the entry of water into a
property. This includes leaking roofs, defective guttering, entry of water through defective windows, poor pointing, spalled
brickwork and down chimneys.
• Rogue Bricks – Absorbing Water – Freeze – Expand – Break
• Incorrect Mortar Mixes
• Failed Rainwater Goods
Penetrating Damp
Penetrating dampness is defined as the entry of water into a property. This includes leaking roofs, defective guttering, entry
of water through defective windows, poor pointing, spalled brickwork and down chimneys.
• Rogue Bricks – Absorbing Water – Freeze – Expand – Break
• Incorrect Mortar Mixes
• Failed Rainwater Goods
Penetrating Damp
• Poor Detailing of the Junction of Roofs and Walls
• Poor Window Detailing
CondensationThe Conversion Of A Vapour Or Gas To A Liquid.
Main Reason For Condensation In Victorian Buildings Is Due To Solid Wall Contruction And Lack Of Ventilation.
How Does Water Get Into Walls?
• Water Is Present As A Gas All Around Us, Harmless Not Wet• Old House Walls Alsways Have Bit Of Water In Them As A Vapour• If Wall Is Cooled The Water Can Turn Into A Liquid ( Condensation )• Water Can Evaporate Through Lime Plaster Or Lime Mortar Or Stone• If It Is Blocked By Gypsum Plaster, Cement Render Or Pointing On The
Outside The Wall Will Get Wet.
CondensationThe Conversion Of A Vapour Or Gas To A Liquid.
Main Reason For Condensation In Victorian Buildings Is Due To Solid Wall Contruction And Lack Of Ventilation.
How Does Water Get Into Walls?
• Water Is Present As A Gas All Around Us, Harmless Not Wet• Old House Walls Alsways Have Bit Of Water In Them As A Vapour• If Wall Is Cooled The Water Can Turn Into A Liquid ( Condensation )• Water Can Evaporate Through Lime Plaster Or Lime Mortar Or Stone• If It Is Blocked By Gypsum Plaster, Cement Render Or Pointing On The
Outside The Wall Will Get Wet.
Movement
• Subsidence
• Settlement
• Bowing and Leaning
• Cracking
• Differential Movement
Movement
Foundations – Should Be Deep Enough To Avoid Movement In The Ground Caused By Frost And Seasonal Moisture Changes
Victorian Footings – Less Than Half A Mtr Deep Can Depend To A Large Extent On The Type Of Ground Theyre Built On.
Chalk And Rock Are The Firmest Types Of Subsoil But Clay Has A Nasty Habit Of Drying Out, Shrinking And Cracking
The Word Subsidense Refers To The Ground Beneath Foundations Giving Way.
Heave
Heave is swelling usually caused by;
Droughts
Tree roots
Heavy frost
Subsidence
Leaking Drains Can Turn The Ground Under Homes Into Soft, Squelchy Marshland
Subsidence
Nearby Excavation Work
Subsidence
Sinkholes And Old Mine Workings
Settlement
• Commonly Mistaken For Subsidence
• Constructional Settlement Is Usually Complete By The End Of Construction
• Some Victorian Houses Built On Clay, Silts And Peat Have Still Not Achieved Equilibrium Due To Their Nature
Bowing and Leaning
• Victorian Houses Prone To Bowing Out Or Leaning Of Gable Walls
• Cast-iron Spreader Plates And Tie Bars Commonly Inserted
Bowing and Leaning
• Vulnerable Parapet Walls At Roof Level And Heavy Gables Over Windows
• Installation Of Bressumer Beams And S And X Shaped Tie Bars
Bowing and Leaning
• Walls Leaning Out At Upper Level Usually Caused By ‘Roof Spread’
• Roof Rafters Pushing The Top Of The Wall Out As They Are No Longer Being Hel In Place By Ceiling Joist
• Clue – Gaps Of Window Frames In Upstairs Rooms Wider At The Top Than The Bottom
Bowing and Leaning
• Cracking To Interior Platerwork
• Gaps Between Skirtings And The Floor
• Standard Bow Ties Are Recommended To Go Into Joist Ends
• HD Bow Ties Are Recommended To Go Into Parallel Joist Through A Solid Wall
Cracking
• Mostly Insignificant – Superficial Cracks Up To 1mm Wide Are Unlikely To Be Of Any Great Concern
• More Likely To Occur Where Hard, Modern Plasters And Cement Renders And Mortars Have Been Applied To Flexible Old Walls
• Cracking More Serious Where It Extends Right Through The Wall From The Ground Up And Where Vertical Tapered Crackeing Is Wider At The Top Or Mirrored
Cracking
• Mostly Insignificant – Superficial Cracks Up To 1mm Wide Are Unlikely To Be Of Any Great Concern
• More Likely To Occur Where Hard, Modern Plasters And Cement Renders And Mortars Have Been Applied To Flexible Old Walls
• Cracking More Serious Where It Extends Right Through The Wall From The Ground Up And Where Vertical Tapered Crackeing Is Wider At The Top Or Mirrored
Diagnosing Cracking
• Crack Monitor Gauge
Cracking
• Structural Alterations – Walls And Windows Removed And Replaced
• Neighbours Carring Out Basement Coversions
Differential Movement
Usually Appears At The Junction Between Two Structures With Different Foundtion Depths
• New Extensions• Bay Windows
Generally Dealt With By Stitching
Great Mistakes
Great Mistakes
• Quick Fix – More Harm Than Good
• Polyurethan Spray Foam Being Used To Glue The Undersides Of Tiles To Battens
• Failure To Provide Enhanced Structural Support To Roof Structures
Great Mistakes
• Do Use Lime Pointing Between Your Brick Or Stonework
• If It Is Rendered Outside It Will Be Lime Render And Lime Plasters Inside
• Allow Water To Be Absorbed Into The Fabric And Evaporate Out
Great Mistakes
• Replacing Good Quality Sash Windows With Inappropriate Modern Aluminium
• Removing Windows Without Supporting Brickwork
top related