The Negotiator March 2012

TheBusiness

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TheKnowledge Building defects

A. Settlement. B. Subsidence. C. Hogging. D. Compression.

1. 2. 3.

Vertical cracking of brickwork in the walls of a property is usually caused by:

A. Corrosion of metal supports in the walls. B. Eccentric loading of the walls from the roof of the property.

C. Thermal or moisture movement in the wall. D. Undermining of foundations through a leaking drain.

In an old Victorian property with a pitched slate covered roof, which ONE

of the following would NOT normally be a cause of rain water entering the roof space? A. Corrosion of fi xing nails causing slipped and missing slates.

B. Torn or missing underfelt. C. Perished fl ashings around chimney stacks. D. Condensation on rafters and purlins because of inadequate ventilation.

is MOST likely to be caused by: A. Penetrating dampness. B. Condensation. C. Rising dampness. D. Leakage from water pipes within the bathroom.

4.

ANSWERS FROM LAST QUIZ Construction 1. C 2. B 3. B 4. D 5. C

See the December issue of the magazine for corresponding questions.

1. Foundations are always taken down to a fi rm bearing, and the depth at which this occurs will vary with ground conditions. Firm ground may be much deeper, in which case the foundations will be deeper

36 ● March 2012 ● TheNegotiator

Damp and mould growth in the fi rst fl oor bathroom of a residential property

property. Dry rot is MOST likely to be found where? A. External timbers are very wet from a lack of paint or staining protecting the timbers. B. There are damp conditions and little or no

5.

through, for example, the use of piles. The water table will vary with ground conditions, and may be closer to the surface. It will vary from season to season. Foundations are a minimum of 750 millimetres below ground level, because at this depth thermal movements and moisture movements are negligible and frost rarely penetrates, so answer C is correct.

2. This is a negative question, so three of the answers are legitimate functions of a ground fl oor. Answers A, C and D are functions of a ground fl oor, but B,

Rot can be a serious problem for timber sections in the structure of a residential

ventilation in dark internal areas such as cellars.

C. Internal timbers are soaked from leaking water pipes.

D. Internal or external timbers are periodically wetted from slight leaks through a roof covering.

keeping out wind and rain, is not really a function of the ground fl oor. It is a function of the walls and roof of the property, so B is the correct answer.

3. In traditional cavity walls, the cavity is 50 millimetres wide, so answer B is correct. Some more modern properties have wider cavities that are partly fi lled with insulation. However, they still leave an empty cavity of 50 millimetres wherever possible, to prevent water from the outer leaf of brickwork reaching the inner leaf, so B is correct.

4. Windows have a variety of names for diff erent sections of the window frame. The horizontal piece at the top of the frame is the ‘head’, and at the bottom is the ‘sill’. The vertical section at the side of the frame abutting the brickwork is the jamb, but the vertical sections separating glazing pieces are the ‘mullions’, so answer D is correct

5. Flat roofs should have a slight fall or pitch to ensure that rainwater is shed from the roof. The minimum pitch is 2 degrees and the maximum pitch for a fl at roof is 10, so answer C is correct.

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When a property is fi rst built, the loading on the ground will cause:

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