Title:
How can residents stall the dilapidation of their building ? - RealAcres.com
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Summary:
How can residents stall the dilapidation of their building ?
The performance of our homes and buildings depends on how well we maintain them. A sign of deterioration (crack , corrosion, dampness etc) observed in a flat or in a building is called a ‘distress’. If we are watchful, we can take the necessary action needed to counter such distresses before they become worse.
Today, we shall look at some commonly encountered types of distress so that you can recognize them when you come across them in your flat or your building.
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realacres , india
Article Body:
#Concrete and RCC:
These are predominantly used in the structural components of the building such as columns, beams and slabs. Any distress observed in such components may indicate loss of strength and therefore, call for ‘structural repair’. This is a common checklist in this category-
Cracks / hollowness / dampness in concrete
Spalling (local internal separation of concrete )
Falling of cover concrete (surface layer )
Corrosion of bars
Thinned / broken bars
Deflection / sagging of beam and slab
Sinking of column
#Walls and plaster:
Distress caused by seepage primarily spreads through walls. Watchful occupants can easily locate many from the following list of distress-
Dampness or seepage
Salty deposits / efflorescence
Fungus / plants growing on wall
Holes in walls
Termites
Separation cracks found at the junction of RCC and wall
Diagonal ( inclined) cracks near the junction of column & beam
Hollow / loose plaster
Local absence of plaster
Disintegration of mortar between bricks / blocks
Sinking of walls on ground floor
#Doors / Windows:
The checklist in this category commonly covers the following-
Decay / cracks and disintegration
Termites
Distortion of door / window frame
Absence of chajja for window
Cranky movement of sliding windows
#Flooring / skirting:
This is a common list in this category-
Cracks in tiles
Looseness / heaving of tiles
Growth of fungus
Rough surface ( excessive scrubbing )
Seepage through flooring joints
Sinking of flooring on ground floor
#Plumbing:
Distress in plumbing and drainage are closely related to the sources of seepage of water. Watchful occupants can easily locate many of the observations in the following list –
Cracks / loss of joints in the pipes causing leaks
Broken / absence of rainwater pipes
Absence of vent pipes for toilets
Pipes running too close to walls and accumulating laitance
Backflow from kitchen / toilet
Corroded water supply pipes
Broken / uncovered chambers
#Toilets and kitchen:
Seepage though a toilet or kitchen above can be very annoying. Nevertheless, it is pretty common too. Many of the points mentioned above apply to this category also. Additionally, the following points may also be noted –
Leaking flush tank
Rotting of door frames
Exposure of tile joints
Improper sealing of fixtures
Distress in RCC loft
#Waterproofing:
Bad quality of the terrace waterproofing system can cause considerable agony for the occupants of the top floor, year after year. Once seepage from terrace starts, it progressively becomes worse and locating the source of seepage can be extremely difficult.
In fact, the sources may be many. Local treatment may not prove to be effective and complete re-waterproofing is expensive. Members should, therefore, look for the early signs of the following points and take an early action on them-
Cracks on surface associated with hollowness
Excessive roughness of surface
Inadequate surface slope
Obstructions to flow of rainwater
Cracks / blocks at the mouth of rainwater pipe
Pipes running too close to parapet walls & accumulating laitance
Too few rainwater pipes for a zigzag shaped terrace
Improper watta / drip mould at the junction of slab and walls
No protective cover on the parapet wall
Water tank directly touching the slab.
#Miscellaneous:
Some of the other watch points are as follows-
Leaking water tanks
Sagging lift room slabs
No paving or rough / cracked paving
Cracked / tilted compound wall
Broken RCC jail for staircase
Corroded electrical conduits
Non- functional fire fighting system
Rodents (rate) in premises
#Applications:
You can apply these watch points to the external and common areas ( building faces, stilts, staircase , terrace etc) as well as to apartments. In some cases you can even identify the cause of distress by proper correlation of your observations. Observations concerning structural distress and distress in the common areas should be brought to the notice of the Managine Committee of your Co-op. Housing Society and action on other observations should be taken by the members themselves. http://www.realacres.com
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