TYPICAL PROBLEMS WHICH APPEAR IN FINISHING ELEMENTS AND SERVICES IN BUILDINGS.

Wall elements

· Paint

These defects may occur due to poor or incorrect preparation of the surface, poor application of the paint and/or chemical reactions. The general remedy is to remove all the affected paint and carry out the correct preparation of the surface before applying in the correct manner new coats of paint. Most paint defects are visual and therefore an accurate diagnosis of the cause must be established before any remedial treatment is undertaken. The defects which occur are; 




1. Bleeding: this is blemish of the paint surface by chemical action, mainly caused by applying an incorrect paint over another.

2. Blistering: this is a formation of small bubbles which is caused by allowing resin or moisture to be entrapped, the subsequent expansion causing the defect.

3. Blooming: this is caused by presence of moisture during application. It can be avoided by not painting under these conditions.

4. Chalking: this is powdering of the paint surface due to natural ageing or the use of poor quality paint.

5. Cracking: this is mainly caused by deformation of successive coats of paint.

6. Peeling: this is caused by poor adhesion, presence of moisture, painting over unclean areas or poor preparation.

7. Grinning: this is due to poor opacity of paint which allow paint coat below to show through, sometimes is the result of poor application, incorrect thinning or the use of the wrong color.

8. Saponification: this is the formation of soap from alkali present in or on surface painted. The paint is ultimately destroyed and a brown liquid appears on the surface.

· Plaster

this is a wet mixed material applied to internal walls as a finish to fill in any irregularities in the wall surface and to provide a smooth continuous surface suitable for direct decoration. 

                           
                                                   AFFECTED PLASTER


Typical problems which appear in plaster works are:

Blistering of plastered surface: This is the formation of small patches of plaster swelling out beyond the plastered surface, arising out of late slaking of lime particles in the plaster.

Cracking: Cracking consists of formation of cracks or fissures in the plaster work resulting from the following reasons.

i. Imperfect preparation of background

ii. Structural defects in building

iii. Discontinuity of surface

iv. Movements in the background due to its thermal expansion or rapid drying

v. Movements in the plaster surface itself, either due to expansion or shrinkage.

vi. Excessive shrinkage due to application of thick coat

vii. Faulty workmanship.

Efflorescence: It is the whitish crystalline substance which appears on the surface due to presence of salts in plaster making materials as well as building materials like bricks, sand, cement, even water. This gives a very bad appearance. It affects the adhesion of paint with wall surface.

Flaking: It is the formation of very loose mass of plastered surface, due to poor bond between successive coats.

Peeling: It is the complete dislocation of some portion of plastered surface, resulting in the formation of a patch. This also results from imperfect bond.

Popping: It is the formation of conical hole in the plastered surface due to presence of some particles which expand on setting.

· Wall tiles

If wall tiles were not placed careful they can wear out of wall very easily. All these can be caused by various mistakes which appear during construction such as; 

                            
                                                TILE DEFECT IN A WALL.

Poor workmanship

Bad mixing of the plaster.

Unleveled wall finish during plastering.

Floor elements.

· Floor tiles

Wearing of tiles: this is caused by lack of maintenance, also some tiles are intended for wall use only. When used on floors, they will wear quickly.

Cracking: This is usually the result of a floor system that is not stiff enough to support the tile or moisture from below. Tiles can also be cracked by impact damage. Heavy items dropped on the tiles will sometimes crack or break them.

· Sand-cement finish

Cracking: always this is caused by various causes such as poor workmanship, low standard of slab below the finish, moisture from the ground, movement of the slab due to thermal expansion or structural defects, unsound mixing of sand and cement, etc.

Wearing of the surface; this is usually caused by poor/bad mixing of sand and cement. Also the moisture which rise from below can weaken the floor slab and floor finish.

· Timber floor finish

Buckling & rotting: Timber flooring may not be well secured buckled, due to improper installation or lack of maintenance, or failure to act immediately following a spill or leak in the building. Improper floor installation can conspire with shifts in building moisture (or outright leaks) and temperature to cause severe buckling of wood floors and in some instances laminate flooring products as well. 


                          
                                                      TIMBER FLOOR FINISH


Wearing: this is caused by lack of maintenance for a long time or using soft wood as a finish material for floor.

· Roof

Leakages: these leaks are mostly caused by poor installation and bad workmanship. This can cause some materials which are usually roof coverings to leak. Sometimes it is caused by lack of maintenance.

Shrinkage: this is always caused by nature such as temperature against material used as roof covering.

· Plumbing

There are so many defects and problems which can appear in various building services such as plumbing. The major problem in plumbing is leaking of pipes. Leaks in the pipes can be caused by; 


                       


                         
                                                              LEAKING PIPE.


1. Ageing of plumbing fixtures , especially pipes & connections.

2. Lack of maintenance for a long time.

3. Bad choice of materials which are used to make pipes against type of liquid which is going to pass through the pipe. Example a lead pipes should not be used to distribute acid water as lead is a cumulative poison.

· Electricity.

Electricity is among of the sensitive services in a building, if there is any defect of electricity in a building it can cause fire explosion. Among of the things which can cause electrical defects are;

Over-fusing. This occurs when the wire size does not match the amount of electricity. The wire is only rated for that specific amount. If an excess of electricity passes through the wire, the wire can overheat and cause a fire.

Double lugging. Double lugging is connecting two wires to one breaker where there should be only one wire.

Neutral and ground contact at sub panel. Neutral wires and the wire to ground must be separated in a sub panel. The neutral bar must be insulated with plastic to prevent contact with any metal parts.

Improper ground system. A "ground" is the side of an electric circuit connected to earth. A metal water pipe, Ufer bar, or ground "rod" provides electricity with a path to ground, or earth. If the path to ground is interrupted (by plastic pipe or loose clamps, for example), an electrical hazard can be the result.

Exposed splices. When electric wires are joined, they should be in an approved electric junction box with cover. If wires become loose, electricity short circuits and can cause a fire. When splices are contained in a box, a fire is less likely to happen.

Unprotected wires. Wires mounted on a wall should be protected either with conduit, or should be installed behind wall surfaces