BUILDING REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE

There are many causes of cracks, anything, from natural causes like the recent tremors to using wrong or inadequate building materials. Cracks may appear in the walls bricks/block mortar plaster, beam-wall joints, columns –wall joints, slabs, beams, columns, foundations and in many other places. Much as it’s not a simple task, it’s essential you take any cracks seriously and get assessment done in order to specify their significance. Most buildings will develop cracks at some point in time during their service life due to the following causes. 1.Poor workmanship Poor mixing of building materials, like cement sand and aggregate will cause cracks in the walls, beams, slabs etc. Normally poor workmanship is as a result of ignorance, carelessness, negligence, lack of proper supervision and many others or worth still a combination of all these. 2.Temperature variations  It’s important to know that most materials tend to expand when subjected to direct sunlight and cont...

1.Assess the Plaster Cracks While covering damaged plaster with drywall is cheaper, materials that are period-authentic maintain the historic integrity of an old house. In addition, the plaster will be more durable. Begin by assessing the cracks and trying to determine possible causes. In this case, there are large cracks that have been repaired previously, as well as mid-size and tiny "spider cracks." Settlement over time is one cause of cracked plaster, but another is key disintegration. This is where the plaster protrudes through the wood lath to create a bond. It can also be caused by poor-quality plaster, water damage or normal wear and tear. 2.Clean Out the Cracks The first step in repairing cracks is cleaning them out. Use a five-way tool or other scraping device. In the case of larger cracks with plaster falling out, remove the damaged plaster to reveal the binding course. Knock old plaster through keys in the lath to establish ...

If your roof has a crack in it, it can lead to numerous problems. The most noticeable is the leak than can form from a crack. As rain seeps into the crack, it can eventually drizzle through your ceiling and into the floor below. The leak can also lead to mold problems in your insulation, the need to replace ceiling drywall or tiles and other types of damage. You need to fix your roof immediately. The good news is that it is fairly simple to repair a crack in the roof. 1 Safely climb up on the roof using scaffolding or a sturdy ladder. Locate the crack in the roof by inspecting the tiles or other surface. You use the visible leak inside to locate the general area, but remember that water can travel horizonally before it is apparent inside. Once located, you can commence repairs and stop leaking quickly. 2 Apply roofing mastic to the crack. This compound is very sticky and typically black in color. Dip it out with a trowel and spread it over the crack a quarter...