The Life of a Building

John Parvin, Major Loss Team Manager, Zurich

What buildings are designed to do and what is the expected level of resilience of a building against
storm and flood etc.

How buildings deteriorate over time

Common examples of gradually operating causes.

Types of materials found in a building and their typical timescales for deterioration.



What buildings do?
Keep the weather out?
Provide a home ?
Make money for architects and contractors?
Walls to hide behind? Display wealth or good taste?
Sites for productive labour and entertaining leisure?
Establish ownership?
Prevent some people from coming inside? Prevent others from leaving?
Buildings stabilize social life.

But buildings and their elements do wear out
What effects the life of building
materials
There are a large number of environmental and chemical factors which
can affect the durability of a material or component during its service life.
These include the following:

Moisture
Humidity
Temperature
Driving wind and rain
Chemical pollutants
Solar radiation
Site conditions.

Use of the Building




Guidance on Building defects
Inappropriate use of materials

Use of material adjacent to another which adversely affects it

Lack of knowledge by designer

Building being subject to forces or agents unknown at design stage

Inaccurate info from manufacturers

Poor quality manufacturer

Poor workmanship

Lack of routine maintenance

Durability -Main Materials in Buildings
Bitumen materials : felt , liquid coatings, asphalt

Bricks and tiles : mostly clay and concrete some bricks calcium silicate
( sand lime bricks )

Concrete

Metals- copper , ferrous , lead and zinc

Plastics

Stone - limestone and sandstone

Timber softwood and hardwood

Warranty life, Design life and Real life
Domestic Building Terms
1 Chimney stack
2 Flashing
3 Ridge
4 Purlin
5 Slating or tiling
6 Hip
7 Felt and battens
8 Strut
9 Insulation
10 Electrical conduit/wiring
11 Soil and vent pipe
12 Cold water storage tank
13 Vent pipe with wire balloon
14 Central heating header tank
15 Rafters
16 Timber stud wall
17 Floor joists
18 Felt with stone chippings or reflective
paint
19 Cement rendering
20 Overflow pipe through wall
21 Hot water cylinder
22 Cavity brick (or block) wall
23 Gutter and rainwater pipe
24 Concrete or steel lintel over opening
25 Supporting steelwork
26 Water main within ground
27 Damp proof course
28 Air brick
29 Wall ties
30 Gulley with grating
31 Solid wall
32 Floor joists
33 Surface water to soakaway
34 To main sewer
35 Interceptor trap
Commercial -Portal Frame Building
Damage caused by wear and tear,
atmospheric or climatic conditions
(other than storm or flood), rot, fungus,
insects or any gradual cause.
Policy Exclusions
wear and tear, the action
of light or atmosphere,
moths, vermin or insects
corrosion, dampness,
dryness, wet or dry rot,
marring, or
scratching
Policy Exclusions ( continued )
gradual causes including
deterioration or wear and tear
inherent vice latent defect
gradual deterioration wear
and tear frost change in water
table level its own faulty or
defective design or materials
corrosion, dampness, dryness,
wet or dry rot, marring, or
scratching
Financial Ombudsman
Drains Accident in slow motion

Water ingress into basements and cellars

FOS view that a flood does not have to be a sudden and violent
event. flooding can happen where water enters (or builds up in) a
property slowly and steadily

basement room that was watertight before has started to let water
in, and the insurer says that the damage was caused by failed
tanking and that the tanking had failed because of wear and tear
and/or lack of maintenance. Fos view e say that the cause of the
damage was flood not the failure of tanking

Build up of snow


Examples of Moisture Sources
Roof Leak
Defective
Flashing
Uncapped
Chimney
Condensation from
Flues
Plumbing
Leak
Rising
Damp
Condensation
Leak from
Services
Defective
Guttering
Defective
Pointing/
rendering
Spillage
Ground Moisture
Defective
Drainage
High Ground
Levels
Flat roof
Typically found on single storey
extensions and many types of
commercial building





Common Issues

Lack of fall
Solar radiation
Thermal Movement
Poor workmanship





Cross section of a flat roof
Flat roof - Common problems
Age related cracking
Gravel slippage
Flat roof more common problems
Splits
Pooling of
water
Flat roof even more problems
Blisters
Ponding
Felt Roof Failure
Felt Roof Failure
Single membrane Roof Systems
Mechanically
fixed
Adhered
Single ply membranes are strong.
Used on large flat roof areas ,
they form complete, durable roof
systems. Typical products are
Sarnifil, Bauder

Problems Defects

in installations / design

Lifespan


Warranties 15 years . Life span 25
years plus ??
Ballasted
Asbestos Cement Roof
Use

Older Properties Garages and industrial
Buildings
Modern equivalent cement composite

Common Issues

Brittle
Too Shallow a pitch
Brittle
Rusting Fixings
Inadequate support

Thermoplastic roof sheets
Use of Flash Band

Conservatory roofs
Used at joints and at junctions instead of
lead

Thermopastic Sheets Substitute for glass


Common Issues
-
Thermal movement ultraviolet light
Becomes Brittle

Flashband inadequate primer

Step Flashing
Lead stepped flashing makes
water proof joint at junction of
chimney/ dormer window.
Soakers under flashing


Possible Problems
Roof might drop exposing
soakers

Flashing Pulls out

Lead perishes over time
Cement Fillet Chimney
Purpose

The sand cement fillet is placed
around the base of the chimney
rather than lead


Common Issues

The cement haunching cracks and
is susceptible to water ingress and
frost damage

Water enters between stack and
tiles

T
Defective Chimney Stack
Felt and Battens
Purpose :

The felt is a secondary defence to water .


Common Issues

Water penetrates the slates/ tiles at verges
/ eaves valleys etc Overtime this will
cause rot to the battens and felt

Valley Battens installed incorrectly




Rafters
Purpose
To support roof covering




Common Issues

Inadequate size sagging

Roof leaks and condensation

Lack of Straps
Purlins
Purpose

To provide support to rafters



Common Issues

Very often inadequate size to
support weight of rood .
Particular problems with older
roofs when covering changed



Condensation/Mould in Roof
Increased Insulation

Eaves are blocked with Insulation

Breathable felt Tyvek


Potential Issues

Build of moisture can rot timbers or
cause water ingress damp into
rooms
Leaking Gutter
Gutter formed from Plastic ,
Cast Iron , Asbestos


Common Issues

Joints fail Thermal
movement . Cast Iron rust

Gutters leak causing water
ingress

Weight of snow can cause
failure
Suspended Timber Floor
Wall plate supported suspended
timber floor

Sleeper walls




Common Issues

Lack of ventilation causes damp

Flood or escape of water can
cause rot if not dried adequately

Air Bricks
Allows air to circulate under timber
floors



Potential Issues

If blocked air cannot circulate
causing rot

Flood waters will enter




Drains
Pipes can be of various materials clay ,
pitch Fibre or Plastic


Potential Issues

Pitch Fibre limited life span and collapse
over time

All pipes can get blocked and cause
backing up

Other drains leak which can cause other
problems


Ground Floor
Sulphate attack
Moisture from general water
in ground can cause sulphate
attack .

Regional variations on risk


Potentially Insured peril but
possible gradually operating
cause
Basement
Converted to habitable rooms with no
proper damp proofing

Potential Issues

Flooding / Rising Water tables Escape of
water causes water ingress.

Gradually Occurring ?





Modern Timber frame
Stud Partition Wall
Stud Walls/ Timber Framed
Typical timbers with plasterboard
Some modern building metal studs




Common Issues

Excessive moisture will cause twisting ,
warping and possible rotting

Insulation contaminated following flooding

Plaster finish
Most common surface in do, Various types
:Browning plaster,
Bonding plaster, One-coat plaster, Lime
Plaster, Finishing plaster



Potential Issues

Susceptible to movement and will easily
crack .
Flood or escape of water will cause salts to
effervescence causing paint to flake off





Lath and Plaster Ceiling
Used up to 1950s. Wooden
lathes nailed to ceiling or wall
studs . Each lathe spaced
and filled with plaster

Potential issues

Overtime due to thermal
expansion and construction
the plaster debonds and loses
its key


Render
Render is used as finishing coat on
stone and block work



Potential Issues

Debonds from substrate over a period
of time .

In new build inappropriate mix

It will sound hollow if tapped

Water penetration and frost


Tyrolean
Pebble Dash
External Render
Chipboard Decking
Originally used on roof decks
and on floors .Shredded wood
held together with glue .

On roof decks now use ply or
OSB


Potential Issues

Warps or disintegrate when it
becomes wet

Floor Joists
Structural members supporting floor
boards / chipboard floor




Potential Issues

Joists twist if not adequately braced

End of joist can rot if exposed to water -

End treated / separated from moisture




Issues caused by Wet Perils??
Wood rotting fungi:
- Dry rot (Serpula lacrymans)
- Cellar fungus (Coniophora puteana)
- Control of rot.
- Other fungi in buildings

Rising damp:
- Presence and features/heights of rising damp
- Remedial damp-proof courses types and performance
- Control of rising damp and re-plastering

Condensation
- Condensation -v- other sources of dampness-
Dry Rot/ Wet Rot
Dry rot (Serpula lacrymans)
Wet Rot (coniophora puteana)
Lintel
Purpose to support wall over
Modern lintels are metal or concrete ,
Older ones timber


Common Issues

Timber rots and twist
Metal rusts
Concrete spall




Life of Materials- Roofing Components
Life of Materials- Walls / Windows
Summary
Review actual policy exclusion wording

Look carefully at whether damage would have occurred but for the
insured peril operating

Further sources of info

Internet

BRE

Local Surveyors

Summary

Discard preconceptions.

Adopt a systematic approach.

Collect all available relevant data

Marshal the facts

Observe the chronology

Distinguish opinion from observation.


Correct diagnosis provides a proper basis for policy interpretation
Questions ????