Building surveying > Biodeterioration
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Building pathology
04 October 2007
Biodeterioration of building materials is a complex issue and requires a multidisciplinary integrated approach, which combines the skills of building mycologists, entomologists, public health, services and structural engineers,...
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Assessing decay organisms
04 October 2007
The following techniques are used to diagnose the decay: physiochemical and morphological characteristics of decay; cultural characteristics of organisms; genetic fingerprinting; trained animals; Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC'S) testing....
Summary
This section discusses biodeterioration (dry rot, wet rot and toxic moulds) and characteristics of decay with the view that environmental management and control, combined with preventative maintenance, are preferable to chemical eradication. Preventative maintenance should, in most cases, forestall the need for major interventions, and it is beyond doubt that it reduces the cost of conserving buildings. Environmental management and the ongoing monitoring of environmental conditions within buildings ensure the long-term health of both materials and structures.
This section is maintained by Dr Jagjit Singh of Environmental Building Solutions Ltd.
- Building pathology
- Assessing decay organisms
- Timber decay
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Fungal decay
- Dry rot
- Detection of dry rot
- White rot and brown rot
- Cellar rot fungus
- Poria fungi
- Phellinus contiguus
- Donkiporia expansa
- Pleurotus ostreatus
- Asterostroma species
- Paxillus panuoides
- Lentinus lepideus
- Dacrymyces stillatus
- Ptychogaster rubescens
- Soft rot
- Moulds
- Slime moulds
- Plaster fungi
- Peziza species
- Pyronema domesticum
- Stain fungi
- Insect decay
- Environmental factors affecting biodeterioration
- Inspections and surveys for biodeterioration
- Remedial treatment for biodeterioration
- Monitoring and stabilising built environments
- Further information on biodeterioration