Dry Rot – An ‘Intelligent’ Fungus requiring intelligent diagnosis

The reason that dry rot is often so devastating is because of its ability to travel long distances as it searches for more and more timber to remove moisture from

Source: Dynamic Property Care UK

As a Building Surveyor there are certain words that you know, just by saying them will strike fear and panic into the majority of members of the public. Words such as subsidence or asbestos are examples, which regularly appear in the news due to significant cost or health implications. In many cases however, potential subsidence or the identification of asbestos often result in relatively simple and cost effective solutions although it seems to be a natural human reaction to automatically think the worst. The ‘term’ dry rot is also generally well known by members of the public, however unlike subsidence and asbestos the implications of the discovery of dry rot is more often than not serious, depending upon the stage at which it is actually identified.

I was recently watching a well know property renovation programme on TV a few weeks ago where the Presenter had identified what looked to be dry rot on the ground floor of semi-detached three-bedroom residential property. Although, I agree that what he was looking at did appear to be dry rot, his description included, ‘feeding off concrete’ which is completely inaccurate as well as some of his terminology being confusing and wide of the mark. TV programmes should be mindful of the information that they provide, as it is possible, dare I say likely, (just by the nature of the amount of viewers), that someone will act on what they are being told which could result in loss/damage. In order to identify if or where dry rot may be present, it is useful to understand the conditions that dry rot needs to grow and thrive.

Dry rot is a fungus, often referred to as an ‘intelligent fungus’. The reason dry rot is referred to as intelligent is because of its ability to travel across non-timber surfaces and to take moisture from timber. What is left behind is dry friable timber that can easily be broken up with moderate hand pressure.  The reason that dry rot is often so devastating is because of its ability to travel long distances as it searches for more and more timber to remove moisture from. It is worth noting that when the dry rot fungus travels across non-timber surfaces such as bricks, mortar, concrete etc. it is just using these as a route or bridge to find other timber. Dry rot does not ‘feed’ off these types of surfaces but carries moisture with it in strands which allows it to grow and spread. If left untreated dry rot has the ability to affect vast amounts of timber within a building, often resulting in extensive specialist remedial works which are not cheap to deal with.

Dry rot is a living fungus which will continue to grow by feeding off timber, which it will completely destroy be removing all of its moisture. Without being too technical, there are four primary stages in the dry rot lifecycle. The first stage is Spores. The spores are constantly present in the atmosphere however are only activated in certain conditions, which require timber and moisture. For dry rot to thrive its ideal environment will include timber with a moisture content of between 22% and 25%, warm humid temperatures of between 240 and 300, poorly ventilated areas and dark concealed spaces. This is why dry rot will often spread undetected in basements, floor voids, roof voids, behind plasterboard in timber stud walls and the like. As the spores start to become more concentrated they develop into small white strands known as Hyphae, which look a little like small white cob-webs. These are reasonably easy to identify and a good indication of dry rot.

Source: Midas Property Developments

As the hyphae feeds off the timber it will extract further moisture from the timber as it continues to grow and become more concentrated in volume to a point where the hyphae mass develops into the next stage of the dry rot cycle, know as Mycelium. Visible large white mycelium strands can travel large distances in search of more timber and as previously stated can travel across non-timber surfaces in order to find new timber. In suitable conditions, mycelium will continue to exist and grow at a considerable rate within a building. Fungi prefers dark and damp areas with little or no air movement, therefore where these conditions change and threaten the fungus; its natural response is to create a Fruiting Body (Sporophore), and this is the final stage of the dry rot lifecycle. Visually the fruiting body can take a number of forms, however will generally appear in ‘mushroom like’ form. The fruiting body is the fungi's response to a threat to its survival and its reaction is to throw out spores into the air which can be transferred to other vulnerable areas within the building, which allows them to germinate and create a new attack of dry rot, thus restarting the dry rot life cycle right from the very beginning.

The dry rot lifecycle described above demonstrates how the fungus can spread so quickly and how much damage that can be caused if left undetected. It is possible to treat dry rot however this requires specialist knowledge and something that should not be attempted ‘on the cheap’.  If all traces of dry rot are not dealt with then all that will happen is the fungus will continue to grow and spread and start to affect any new timber that may have been installed. The steps below provide an indication of remedial works to deal with dry rot, however please bear in mind that this is indicative only and specialist advice should be sought in all situations:

1.   Deal with the moisture source
2.   Brush down any exposed masonry to remove visible surface fungal growth
3.   Deep-drill masonry at regular centres and irrigate with fungicidal wall solution
4.   Sterilise all exposed masonry surfaces with fungicidal wall solution
5.   Remove all affected timber including a minimum of 1m past the last identifiable location
6.   Dispose all affected timber from site
7.   Provide new treated and primed timber where previously removed
8.   Spray all new and adjacent timbers including cut ends with fungicidal spray
9.   Re-plaster where required using a cement and sand render mix
10. Ensure adequate ventilation is used

Dry Rot is easy to misdiagnose and I would always recommend that you engage the services of a professional such as a Building Surveyor for advice and guidance. Take a look at the excellent video below from Brick Tie Preservation.

Author: Gary O’Neill

Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with colleagues, friends and family who you think would be interested

Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the?copyright notice at the end of the blog.

Party Wall etc. Act 1996 – Service after work has commenced can prove to be futile!

Unless there is damage caused on an Adjoining Owners land, when works are nearing completion, there is little benefit in appointing and paying for surveyors and issuing party wall notification at this point.  This is because the works ‘have already taken place’, (or mostly), so the remaining provisions that can be included in a Party Wall Award, at this late stage, will be extremely limited

Source: https://www.localpartywallsurveyors.com

The requirements of the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 often come as a surprise for those who propose to undertake works to domestic buildings as well as those who propose works to commercial buildings in England and Wales.  Given that the provisions of the Party Wall Act have now been in existence for over 20 years it is equally surprising that there still seems to be a general lack of awareness of the requirements of the Act.  The amount of Building Owners (a term used under the Act to describe the party who is undertaking the work), who choose to ignore the Act, whether through ignorance (which is no defence in law!) or a genuine desire to cut corners to save on time and expense, never ceases to amaze me. If the main purpose of the Act is to prevent and resolve disputes it seems a contradiction in terms that appointments under the Party Wall etc. Act, were usually made when a dispute had already occurred! (at this stage, the dispute was a dispute in general terms and not a Party Wall dispute).

For the purposes of this article I will refer to the domestic client, someone who in most cases (but not all), will have very little construction knowledge and will rely on others to point them in the right direction.  For many in this situation the first port of call may be to contact a Contractor to come a long to give them some initial advice as well as an indication of likely costs, a ball park figure if you like. I can remember several situations where I had been appointed by a Building Owner as Party Wall Surveyor, after works had commenced, where for whatever reason they had been made aware that they should have notified their Adjoining Owners (a term used under the Act to describe the party who is affected the work), but had not been advised of this by their Contractor, who they felt should have brought this to their attention. In my experience however, most builders/contractors have the same lack of knowledge of the Act as anyone else!

Source: Quorum Consulting Engineers

The impact of dealing with the Party Wall Act retrospectively can vary for the Building Owner depending on whether any damage has occurred on the Adjoining Owners land (which is one of the main reasons that brings the Party Wall Act to the attention of the Building Owner), and how advanced the works are.  In the case of damage occurring before party wall notification has been served, an Adjoining Owner may need to rely on common law rights and may seek an injunction in the County Courts to have the works stopped. The Adjoining Owner will not be able to rely on the provisions of the Party Wall Act at this point because the Act has not been initiated, which only happens when notification is served.

In the situation where works are well advanced and sometimes nearing completion, it is worth thinking about the benefits of a retrospective notification and a retrospective Party Wall Award (sets out the terms and conditions for the proposed works, including costs/fees).  One of the key reasons for the introduction of the Party Wall Act was to enable Building Owners to undertake work and give Adjoining Owners confidence that the works would be carried out in an appropriate manner and any damages caused on the Adjoining Owners land, in respect of the notifiable work would be rectified. Unless there is damage caused on an Adjoining Owners land, when works are nearing completion, there is little benefit in appointing and paying for surveyors and issuing party wall notification at this point.  This is because the works ‘have already taken place’, (or mostly), so the remaining provisions that can be included in a Party Wall Award, at this late stage, will be extremely limited.  An Adjoining Owner should not be given the impression that they can solely use the provisions of the Act as a way of disrupting the Building Owner and making them occur excessive expense (the Act also provides for the Building Owner to meet the reasonable fees of an Adjoining Owners Surveyor, if appointed), unless of course damage has occurred as a result of any works that may be notifiable.

If it is realised that a Building Owner has failed to serve Party Wall notification and works have been completed and an Adjoining Owner is not satisfied with the standard or quality of the works then they can scrutinise Building Regulations and Planning Permission requirements to check that these have been complied with and also consider areas of common law such as negligence, nuisance and trespass etc, if they have suffered damage or disruption. I have previously been approached by a number of people in this very situation where they have been told to insist that their neighbour issues retrospective Party Wall notification.  For the reasons explained above, this is a pointless exercise and very poor advice. Once works are complete an Adjoining Owner should seek a common law remedy if they feel they have a justified grievance with their neighbour. They cannot rely on the provisions of an Act that has not been initiated in the first place! 

It is worth noting that for the purposes of this article I have used the terms Building Owner and Adjoining Owner throughout.  Whereas these roles only exist once the Party Wall Act is initiated through the service of notices, these terms have been used to explain the relationship between those who may have work undertaken and those who may be affected by these works.

Author: Gary O’Neill

Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with colleagues, friends and family who you think would be interested

Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.

Party Wall etc. Act 1996 – Much more than just Party Walls!

It is easy to see how the Party Wall etc. Act can be mis-interpreted, particularly by members of the public, just by the nature of its title.  For those who work in the property professions and interact with the Act on a regular basis there will be generally less confusion, however in my experience this is not always the case!

Source: tayrosshomes.com

Although there is a lot of information available about the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 (the Act), and its implications, it appears that there is equally as much mis-understanding or even ignorance about the Act, particularly from members of the public in relation to if and when the Act may apply.  Awareness of statutory approvals such as Planning Permission and Building Regulations approval seems to be improving, however, the existence let alone the requirements of the Act, often comes as a complete surprise to many.

If you are proposing certain types of work on your land or to your property then you may be required to ‘notify’ your neighbour under the Act. It is worth pointing out at this point that the requirements and procedures within the Act are completely separate to other statutory permissions such as Building Regulations and Planning Permission.  On a number of occasions I have been informed by householders that they were either not made aware of the requirements of the Act by their advisors or that they thought that they had obtained all of the relevant permissions because they had Planning and Building Regulations Approvals, which is completely incorrect.

If you are proposing any work to your land or property it is worth undertaking a little research to establish if the work falls under the scope of the Act and therefore will require notification to your neighbour/s (referred to as Adjoining Owners under the Act).  As you would expect, I would always advise you to seek professional advice to confirm whether notification under the Act is required and if so to also guide you through the process, however, nowadays, with the raft of information available on-line, there is no reason why you shouldn’t undertake your own research in the first instance to give you a better understanding of the Act. The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (formally the Department for Communities and Local Government) have produced an excellent explanatory booklet, which explains the Act in a clear understandable manner and is a really good starting point, particularly for those with little or no knowledge of the Act. You will find a copy of the booklet by clicking on this (link).

You may be surprised by the range of different types of work that are notifiable under the Act, which you will see are not just restricted to a party wall itself. The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government’s booklet defines a party wall as, ‘a wall is a "party wall" if it stands astride the boundary of land belonging to two (or more) different owner’. The booklet then provides some illustrations to demonstrate this point. It is interesting to note that the definition of a party wall is not just restricted to a wall inside a building, but can also relate to external walls also, such as boundary walls. The Act uses the term ‘Party Fence Walls’ to describe walls that are not part of an actual building itself, however may still require notification under the Act for works to, or in close proximity to them.

Source:My property guide

The term ‘etc’ in the title of the Act is also significant. Three innocent little letters (etc.), however the implications of the term denote that the scope of the Act is much wider than just Party Walls. In fact some works that require excavations near neighbouring buildings may also require notification under the Act. Section 6 of the Act requires notification of excavations within 3 metres or within 6 metres of a neighbours building or structure based upon the following criteria:

‘excavate, or excavate and construct foundations for a new building or structure, within 3 metres of a neighbouring owner’s building or structure, where that work will go deeper than the neighbour’s foundations;

or excavate, or excavate for and construct foundations for a new building or structure, within 6 metres of a neighbouring owner’s building or structure, where that work will cut a line drawn downwards at 45° from the bottom of the neighbour’s foundations’

The six metre ‘rule’ is a little more complicated to understand (see the diagram below) than the three metre ‘rule’ and usually relates to deeper excavations such as piled foundations and the like. It is also worth noting that the six metre rule can affect more than one adjoining owner, depending upon the depth of excavation and the proximity of adjacent buildings and structures. In order to establish how many adjoining owners may be affected in any instance by the six metre ‘rule’ it will be necessary to take measurements and produce a section drawing which will detail the depth of the proposed excavation and the location and proximity of adjacent structures and buildings. Professional expertise is highly likely to be needed to take measurements and to produce a section drawings to establish if and how many adjoining owners will be affected.

Source: My property guide

Another term used within the Act is ‘Party Structure’. This again suggests that the Act does not relate exclusively to party walls. In fact there are a number of notices that may be issued under the Act, one of which is a Party Structure Notice. The reason the notice is not entitled a Party Wall Notice, is that this would be misleading and not account for any works other those to Party Walls. Party structures are generally defined as dividing structures such as floors and other partitions, however it is very rare that these structures are subject to party wall notification.

In summary it is easy to see how the Party Wall etc. Act can be mis-interpreted, particularly by members of the public, just by the nature of its title. For those who work in the property professions and interact with the Act on a regular basis there will be generally less confusion, however in my experience this is not always the case!  As notification under the Act may be required for a whole range of different types of work, as defined in section 1, 2 & 6 of the Act. All construction professionals, regardless of discipline should have a good understanding of the Act including its procedures.

In my next article I discuss retrospective party wall notification and in future articles I will consider different types of notifiable works in more detail, as well as tackle the thorny issue of fees under the Act.


Author: Gary O’Neill

Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with colleagues, friends and family who you think would be interested

Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read thecopyright notice at the end of the blog.

Why should we bother with Renewable Energy?

If you are hoping that in the future fuel costs will reach a peak and then start to reduce then I am afraid you are going to be bitterly disappointed. There may well be short term reductions, however it is inevitable that fuel costs will not only continue to rise, but rise significantly

Source: Business Standard

There is no shortage of media coverage in respect of the impact of global warming, climate change, energy conservation, sustainability, greenhouse gas emissions and so on........ Our understanding and concern about these issues will vary significantly from those who have a genuine concern about protecting the planet for future generations to those who’s work may be directly related to these issues, right through to those who know very little and even those who make a conscious choice to ignore them!  The problem however is that even if you are one of those who fall into the latter categories, it does not change the fact that you will be affected in exactly the same way as everyone else.  This is no more starkly demonstrated than in the increased cost of energy over recent years, which have soared to record levels.

Over the last two hundred years we have become dependent on fossil fuels such as gas, oil and coal, which has allowed us to develop our world at a staggering pace.  All of this development in terms of infrastructure, buildings and the like require large amount of energy, to heat, cool, ventilate, provide light and power etc.  If we are to maintain, or more likely increase the rate of development around the world then we also need to consider alternative ways of creating this energy. The problem with fossil fuels is that they are a depleting resource and at some point, in the future it will run out.  Now this is unlikely to happen in our generation or indeed generations in the foreseeable future, but one thing is for certain in that at some point, however far in the future, fossil fuels will become incredibly scarce and are likely to run out.  If you are under the impression that we should not be concerned about this now, as it will not have any major impact on us in our lifetime then think again!

Source: Daily Record

The problem with anything that is in short supply is that basic economical principles come into play.  Fossil fuels are a prime example of this. Remember they are a depleting resource and therefore a commodity in short supply.  The impact of this is that when demand is high (which it always is) and supply is limited (which it is), then market conditions allow energy providers to increase costs as they know that they are providing something that people actually need. The market then adjusts to these increased costs. The Guardian (November 2017) reports; ‘Gas and electricity companies have been the biggest culprits for raising prices over the past 20 years, according to an analysis published just a day after utility giant’s SSE and npower revealed plans for a mega-merger – prompting fears of yet more price rises. The research found that the cost of utilities has risen at triple the rate of inflation over the past two decades. The average rise in prices for a basket of goods between 1997 and 2016 was 50.7%, but utility bills went up by 139% – far outstripping the average 78% rise in weekly household income, which has gone up from £316 to £562 over the period’ (Link).

If you are hoping that in the future fuel costs will reach a peak and then start to reduce then I am afraid you are going to be bitterly disappointed. There may well be occasional short term reductions, however due to the economical principles described above it is inevitable that fuel cost will not only continue to rise, but rise significantly. Of course, the majority of articles that you will see in the media focus on the damage to the environment caused by greenhouse gas emissions, particularly carbon, from the burning of fossil fuels. This is something that we need to deal with immediately, however I would suggest that if you were to talk to most people on the high street they would be more concerned about the increase in fuel costs rather than the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The positive thing however, is that if we can create energy by using alternative renewable technologies then we can deal with both issues at the same time!

In future articles I will focus on the use of renewable technologies as a way of impacting on greenhouse gas emissions, however for the remainder of this article I will continue to demonstrate the financial effect of creating and using energy from fossil fuels, which is happening and impacting on us all right now!  The Committee on Fuel Poverty annual Report – October 2017 (Link), in its Executive Summary states; ‘The Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Fuel Poverty Statistics published in 2017 report the number of households in fuel poverty has increased from 2.38 million in 2014 to 2.50 million in 2015 (the statistics provide data on a two-year time lag). The average fuel poverty gap (this is the average additional amount that fuel-poor households need to spend to meet their energy needs, compared to the national median spend) has only fallen £18 per year from £371 to £353’.  The reference to fuel poverty is defined by Poverty.org.uk (Link) as: ‘Households are considered by the Government to be in 'fuel poverty' if they would have to spend more than 10% of their household income on fuel to keep their home in a 'satisfactory' condition. It is thus a measure which compares income with what the fuel costs 'should be' rather than what they actually are.  Whether a household is in fuel poverty or not is determined by the interaction of a number of factors, but the three obvious ones are: The cost of energy, the energy efficiency of the property (and therefore, the energy required to heat and power the home) and Household income’.

It is abundantly clear that many in the UK are continuing to suffer financial hardship as a result of increasing energy costs, and unless we can find alternative ways of creating and conserving our energy, then this situation is likely to become even more critical. Increased demand for a depleting resource is a recipe for disaster. We therefore have to introduce alternatives, which is now a necessity not a choice. If you are in one of those categories described at the beginning of this article who have not really paid much attention to global issues, perhaps it is now time to think very carefully about how you individually, and all of us collectively can save energy as well as also being open to consider retrofitting of  new renewable technologies. This will not only provide benefits from a financial viewpoint, which may not be immediate (although costs associated with enhancements is an article in its own right!), but also from an environmental viewpoint, where we can start to have a real impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and colleagues who you think would be interested

Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice.

Climate Change and Energy Efficiency – The Challenge of Tackling Older Buildings

Whether you have your own political views or are sceptical about government policy and initiatives it is important to embrace them as we only have the possibility of making a difference, if we are prepared ‘to give it a go’, after all, we have to start somewhere

Source: Source: http://www.cjhole.co.uk/news.html

Are you aware of the significant impact of climate change on our planet?  Are you aware of the major influence that those working in the built environment, could have in dealing with this very serious issue? Or, like many do you really care at all?  We are already experiencing the impact of climate change as a result of the way that we have used our planet to a point where many of these changes are now irreversible. The issue now is how we slow down the process and try to protect the environment for future generations. The Environment Agency website (Link), emphasises the human impact on our climate, and portray some very stark and worrying facts:

‘There is a scientific consensus that the recent observed rise in global temperature can only be explained by the rise in greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activities.

Since the industrial revolution, human activity, mostly the burning of fossil fuels, has resulted in the release of large amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This is enhancing the greenhouse effect and pushing up global temperatures.

Average global temperatures have already risen approximately one degree Celsius since pre-industrial levels, and even if we could stop emitting all greenhouse gases tomorrow, they would continue to rise by at least a further 0.6 degrees. Limiting temperature rise to below two degrees is the internationally agreed target to avert dangerous climate change.

There are clear signs that our world is warming. We’ve had markedly higher global average temperatures over the last decade, ice sheets and glaciers are melting and average river water temperatures are increasing. Globally, the hottest ten years on record have all been since 1990, and February 2010 was warmest on record for southern hemisphere’

Source: http://www.zmescience.com/ecology/environmental-issues

It is therefore clear that action is needed now and whether we like it or not, we must all play our part. Much of this action is actually imposed on us through legislation such as Building Regulations and other initiatives such Code for Sustainable Homes, BREEAM etc. which are primarily voluntary (although funding requirements may in effect make these mandatory). This is fine if we are dealing with new buildings, but how do we deal with the existing varied and largely energy inefficient building stock we have in the UK?  These are the types of buildings that waste a great deal of energy through older inefficient elements and therefore readily lose heat through the building fabric, requiring additional heating and therefore more energy to try to achieve acceptable internal temperatures.  If we make our buildings more thermally efficient, this heat energy is retained longer in the building, therefore reducing the amount of additional heating we need and subsequently reduces our reliance on fossil fuels.

According to BBC News (2006), ‘Transport consistently grabs the headlines on climate change emissions but buildings pour out about half of the UK's CO2 - 30% from homes, 20% from commercial buildings’.  The Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) completed an assessment of a variety of impacts of various sectors may need to prepare, which included the Built Environment: ‘The UK’s built environment includes: 27 million homes, commercial and industrial properties, hospitals, schools, other buildings and the wider urban environment. At the current replacement rate, around 70% of buildings that will be in use in the 2050's already exist. It is clear therefore that those working in the built environment have the opportunity of influencing the impact of climate change in all sectors including both new build and existing buildings. This has also been emphasised by the UK government’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% (from the 1990 baseline) by 2050 under the Climate Change Act 2008. In order to achieve this it is necessary to significantly reduce our reliance on depleting resources such as fossil fuels (which emit high quantities of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon) and consider the use of more energy efficient and low carbon ways of creating energy (renewable technologies), making our buildings more thermally efficient in addition to educating people to operate and use buildings more efficiently. This is fundamental to achieving a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and necessary if we are to stand any chance of meeting our targets.

The government have set a strategy with the objective of achieving the targets set within the Climate Change Act 2008 (Link). Whether you have your own political views or are sceptical about government policy and initiatives it is important to embrace these policies as we only have the possibility of making a difference, if we are prepared ‘to give it a go’, after all, we have to start somewhere.  It is ok to be sceptical, however until policies and initiatives are introduced and tested we have no way of knowing whether they will work or not. I along with many others raised issues with the now demised Green Deal, however I have also gone onto state that I think in principle Green Deal was a good idea undoubtedly needed some re-adjustment to make it more effective. The important thing here is that the UK government decided to tackle poor energy efficiency in existing buildings. However, trying to encourage people to incorporate energy efficient measures and renewable technologies into their buildings is always going to be difficult for a number of reasons.  

The Green Deal worked on the basis of a low interest loan which is added to fuel bills, for energy efficient enhancements which were recommended by a Green Deal Assessor. The ‘golden rule’ then assumed that the repayments on the loan would not exceed the savings made on the energy bills, therefore the bill payer/s should not notice any difference in the amount they were are paying each month. 

There is also constructional detailing issues in respect of retrofitting existing and occupied buildings to increase thermal efficiency and also issues in respect of introducing and installing renewable technologies. Once installation of enhancements has been completed it is also necessary to ‘educate’ occupiers to help them to understand how to use them.  It is pointless increasing thermal efficiency and installing new technologies into a building if the occupier continues to waste energy because they don’t understand how to use the system correctly.  Again, this emphasises the need for a holistic approach to dealing with energy efficiency in existing buildings rather than concentrating on the technologies alone.  This is a tough nut to crack with no easy solutions. It will be interesting to see what the government come up with next when trying to tackle energy efficiency in existing buildings.

Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and colleagues who you think would be interested

Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog

10 Tallest Buildings in the World - In Pictures

The World's 10 Current Completed Tallest Buildings (at May 2016)

In last week’s article I discussed the human desire to construct high rise buildings and posed the question: Is there a limit to how high we can build?’.  The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), have formulated a list from their database (link) which shows completed, under construction and planned ‘skyscrapers’ over the coming years, demonstrating that construction and demand for high rise buildings is on the increase.   This week I wanted to publish details of the 10 current completed highest buildings in the world, as detailed the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) database:

Number 1

Burj  Khalifa  - Dubai - UAE  - 828 Metres  - 2717 Feet - 163 Floors - Completed 2010 

Source: foundtheworld.com

Number 2

Shanghai Tower - Shanghai - China - 632 Metres - 2073 Feet - 128 Floors - Completed 2015

Source:www.latimes.com

Number 3

Makkah Royal Clock Tower Hotel - Mecca - Saudi Arabia - 601 Metres - 1972 Feet - 120 Floors - Completed 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Number 4

One World Trade Centre - New York - USA - 451 Metres - 1776 Feet - 94 Floors - Completed 2015

Source: www.aecom.com

Number 5

Taipei 101 - Taipei - China - 508 Metres - 1667 Feet - 101 Floors - Completed 2004 

Source: www.taipei-101.com.tw

Number 6

Shanghai World Financial Centre - Shanghai - China - 492 Metres - 1614 Feet - 101 Floors - Completed 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Number 7

International Commerce Centre - Hong Kong - 484 Metres - 1588 Feet - 108 Floors -Completed 2010

Source: www.architecturalrecord.com

Numbers 8&9 

Petronas Towers - Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia - 452 Metres - 1482 Feet - 88 Floors -Completed 1998

Source: blog.123hotels.com

Number 10

Zifeng Tower - Nanjing - China - 450 Metres - 1476 Feet - 89 Floors - Completed 2010 

Source :skyscrapercenter.com

Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and colleagues who you think would be interested

Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog

Is there a limit to how high we can build?

On May 6th 1954 when Roger Bannister broke the four minute mile, there were many who thought that this would never be beaten.  The record has been broken a further eighteen times since then..... This also seems to be the case with high rise buildings, motivated by our human desire ‘to go one better’ than the previous best.

Burj Khalifa Tower - Source: www.youtube.com

Sometimes we have to stand in awe at the creativity and innovativity of the human race, where we are constantly stretching the boundaries of possibility. This is well demonstrated around the globe with the large amount of high rise buildings that are either in the process of being constructed, or have actually been completed. Demand for high rise buildings is on the increase, which is demonstrated by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), who have formulated a list from their database which shows completed, under construction and planned ‘skyscrapers’ over the coming years.  Click on this (link) to take a look at this list where you will notice that if all of the proposed and under construction buildings are completed, then by 2021, only three of the current top 10 buildings (Burj Kalifa, Shanghai Tower and Makkah Royal Clock Tower), will remain in the top 10 buildings, and in fact only five of the current top 20 buildings, will still appear in the top 20 by 2022.  These statistics are staggering, however they demonstrate our inate desire to build big.  At the top of the list of proposed tall buildings is the Kingdom Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This is now under construciton and projected for completion in 2018. It is expected to cost in excess of $1.2bn, and form the first phase of a wider Kingdom City scheme that is estimated in the region of $2bn.  Kingdom Tower will rise to 1000 metres, which will exceed the current completed tallest building (Burj Kalifa – Dubai), by a further 172 metres.

The tallest building in the European Union is currently The Shard’ in London. Completed in 2012. The building stands at what now seems to be a modest 309.6 metres, when you take into consideration the buildings on the CTBUH list.  In fact if all of the under construction and planned buildings on the list are completed, The Shard will not even appear in the top hundred and fifty buildings in the World by 2021, even though it currently sits as the 80th highest completed building in the World.

Kingdom Tower, Jeddah - Under Construction - Source: www.youtube.com

There are a number of reason that may motivate investment in a high rise building, including, scarcity of land in large cities (often their central business districts), increasing demand for business and residential space, economic growth, human aspiration to build higher, innovations  in structural systems and products and ultimately prestige. However, planning and constructing a large building comes with many challenges that are less of an issue for smaller buildings.  This includes things such as finance, planning restrictions, energy use (although many new buildings are adopting renewable and other technologies), structural considerations, circulation in what effectively becomes a vertical street, external façade (fixing, maintenance and cleaning), internal environment to achieve human comfort, and so on.  The more high rise buildings that are built, then the more these issues are better understood, however as we stretch the boundaries and construct even higher, then we are likely to encounter further obstacles that we may not have previously contemplated.

As an example let us consider one of the fundamental needs, water supply, in a very high building.  If we consider the provision of a water supply pipe from the bottom of the building to the top, it is easy to imagine why this could prove to be problematic.  As previously stated the current highest building in the World is 828 metres high.  Therefore trying to ensure that the water supply travels such a long distance in a vertical direction and can be used at the right pressure when needed is never going to be straightforward:

‘Plumbing is one of the more challenging problems to solve due to the loss in pressure as water travels up a vertical pipe. Plumbing engineers found out that as you lift water above a datum, you lose 1 pound per square inch for every 2.3 feet of elevation. This small but incremental loss makes achieving high water pressure at the top of a water column very difficult. Most water fixtures require at least 25 psi to operate or flush properly, so measures to ensure consistent water pressure throughout the building must be implemented. As the building get taller, another problem arises as the water pressure at the bottom of a vertical pipe becomes too great for safe operation and building codes’
                       
‘The early solution to this problem was a water tank mounted on the top of a building with fill pumps at the bottom of the building.  Water is supplied to occupants through a simple gravity down feed system.  Today, a system of pressure-reducing valves and sub-risers are used to manage the inconsistent water pressure throughout a skyscraper. Pressure-reducing valves reduce the pressure at the bottom of the building, while sub-risers increase the pressure for the skyscrapers upper floors. Today’s systems lack a main tank, but rather integrate the whole system within a buildings walls and basement’ (Source: http://www.allaboutskyscrapers.com/)

The above discusses a single issue to demonstrate the complexity of design issues in respect of building higher. Other issues such as sewage, lifts, emergency escape, fire fighting provision, earthquakes (and many others ) etc. could equally have been selected, as they pose significant design challenges for very high buildings.  Despite this it appears from buildings on the CTBUH list, that these issues are not standing in the way of buildings becoming evermore higher. This then poses a question. ‘Is there a limit to how high we can build?’ Well, at present it appears not, but surely there has to be a limit?  On May 6th 1954 when Roger Bannister broke the four minute mile, there were many who thought that this would never be beaten.  The record has since been broken a further eighteen times since then, with the current record being held by Moroccan, Hicham El Guerrouj achieving a time of 3.43.13 in Rome in 1999.  This also seems to be the case with high rise buildings, motivated by our human desire ‘to go one better’ than the previous best.

Who knows what human ingenuity will produce in the future? The possibilities seem endless. In fact take a look at the list of ‘all’ tall buildings on the CTBUH database and you will see that there is a ‘vision’ to build at a height of 4000 metres in Tokyo, Japan. This is four times higher than the Jeddah Tower which will become the new highest building in the World when completed in a few years time. This vision appears hard to believe however I am sure many thought the same about a human being running a mile in less than four minutes prior to 1953, so you never know……..

Try to take the time to look at this fascinating documentary which shows how the current highest building in the World was constructed.

Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and colleagues who you think would be interested

Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog

Routine property maintenance – Why is it so often overlooked? – Part 1

By adopting a planned approach to maintenance an occupier can help to avoid the need for unplanned emergency repairs. This will also help to maintain the value of a building and in some cases even help to add value.  

Source: quotationcheck.com 

I am not a mechanic but like most people I am aware that if I do not do take care of my car then it will eventually break down. Regardless of what you may know about cars, most people can do basic things such as checking oil and water levels, checking and maintaining tyre pressures as well as the filling up with fuel and occasionally even cleaning your car!  In a similar way buildings require 'regular basic maintenance' in order to prevent more long term issues manifesting themselves, which if not carried out can prove to be very expensive to rectify. As a Chartered Building Surveyor it never ceased to amaze me when I would see significant defects or damage, which had resulted from what would have originally been a very simple thing to fix.  On occasions this was down to lack of knowledge or awareness on behalf of the occupier, however it can also be said that laziness was also a common cause. This is because many see and are aware of problems in their building but do not see any urgency as the building is still ‘functioning’. Basically, the issue is ignored!  Going back to the example of the car, it would be the same as hearing a rattling noise in your car as you drive along and instead of getting this rectified you turn the radio up, because the car is still  'functioning'. Eventually however the car will break down and the cost of repair is likely to be much more expensive than if you had dealt with the problem in the first place.  The old adage ‘prevention is better than cure’, is something that immediately comes to mind and this is particular relevant in respect of buildings.

By adopting a planned approach to maintenance an occupier can help to avoid the need for unplanned emergency repairs. This will also help to maintain the value of a building and in some cases even help to add value.  The value of a building can be significantly affected by its condition; in fact there are many examples of properties of similar size and type, in very close proximity that can vary by many thousands of pounds as a result of the difference in their conditions. If regular un-costly maintenance can add significant value to a property, then you would have to ask why so many people fail to do it!

Source: www.todayshomeowner.com

There are a number of routine basic maintenance tasks that can be undertaken in a building (both externally and internally) in order to increase the serviceable life of various components and to prevent more serious, often costly problems occurring in the future.  As you can see from my suggestions below, in most cases you do not need any specialist knowledge or training and you will only need to engage the services of a building contractor for the more risky or complicated activities or possibly where it may be more physically challenging than you are able.

Clear rainwater gutters - Blocked gutters will allow rainwater, sometimes in high volumes, to discharge onto external surfaces.  Over a period of time this can result in problems such as penetrating damp, condensation and timber decay to occur.  Large volumes of water discharging into the ground can also affect the ground bearing capacity of certain types of ground under foundations, sometimes resulting in very serious problems such as ground movement such as settlement or subsidence.  Therefore regularly checking that gutters are clear can prevent some very significant defects occurring in the future.

Cut back trees, shrubs and vegetation - Trees, shrubs and vegetation provide a much softer appearance than buildings and structures and are an important feature for many when considering purchasing or occupying a building.  Whereas they have many positive qualities, if not maintained they can prove to be extremely detrimental to a building.  Trees and particularly tree roots can undermine foundations and damage drains and are often found to be the cause or significant contributing factor to ground movement. Therefore, trees need to be monitored and maintained when they are located within a distance that could affect a building. If trees become an issue, specialist advice is likely to be necessary from an Arboriculturist in order to provide accurate remedial measures to address the problem.

Vegetation in close proximity to a building will retain a large amount of moisture.  Ivy is a common example of vegetation that grows rapidly and can cover large areas of external masonry walls.  Whilst this may provide a certain amount of ‘charm’ for many, in prolonged wet conditions, the ivy will retain a large amount of water, which will be in contact with external walls.  This will result in colder surface temperature for the wall, which in turn can increase the risk of condensation internally.  Add to this the fact that ivy provides a habitat for all sorts of insects which can use it as a route into window frames, air bricks and other weaknesses in the building at high level and suddenly it starts to lose a little bit of its charm. This is issue is not exclusive to ivy, in fact any vegetation that is allowed to grow in close proximity to a building has the potential to cause the same issues, and should therefore by regularly maintained and controlled.

Wash down UPVC  - Over the last thirty years UPVC has become increasingly popular as a material used for external building components, particularly for guttering and downpipes and window frames.  UPVC external cladding, soffits and fascia boards are also now commonly used in place of timber due to the perceived reduction in maintenance and improved life expectancy.  To a point this is correct, however it is a complete misconception that once UPVC is installed that it can be left forever and does not need any maintenance. Have you ever notice that when first installed that UPVC has a ‘shiny gloss’ finish.  However over a period of time being exposed to external elements, the surface will dull down. This can be due to photo-oxidation which causes bleaching (staining) and loss of pigmentation of the UPVC.  Once this occurs the UPVC will pick up dirt, dust and other particles and become discoloured.  Simply washing down UPVC surfaces every six months with warm soapy water will significantly reduce the risk of this occurring.
Next week, In part 2 I will discuss some further routine maintenance tasks that can be undertaken in a building (both externally and internally) in order to increase the serviceable life of various components and to prevent more serious, often costly problems occurring in the future.   

Please feel free to share this article and other articles on this site with friends, family and colleagues who you think would be interested

Information/opinions posted on this site are the personal views of the author and should not be relied upon by any person or any third party without first seeking further professional advice. Also, please scroll down and read the copyright notice at the end of the blog.