A building after the passage of time begins to deteriorate. The causes of the poor condition of a building are usually related to a bad construction during the work or to the deterioration of the construction materials used. For these reasons pathologies in construction or constructive pathologies arise.
What are Constructive Pathologies?
Constructive pathologies are defects that arise in a construction or building after a while. Pathologies can be assessed based on their type, severity, or deteriorating material. One of the most common pathologies is moisture pathology.
When a problem is detected in a construction, the first thing to do is an exhaustive assessment to detect the cause of the pathology, this corresponds to a diagnostic phase in which a report of construction pathologies is prepared.
Once the causes have been analyzed, we will be able to propose adequate solutions for a good repair that solves the problem, these solutions can include waterproofing of terraces, rehabilitation of the facade, rehabilitation of the building or a new waterproofing of the pool.
Common damages due to construction pathologies
Cracks and Fissures
A fissure and a crack differ in size. The cracks are smaller than 2 millimeters, while the cracks exceed that size.
Normally cracks appear due to the shrinkage of the mortar , probably due to the rapid drying of the plasters, it can also be due to sudden changes in temperature or simply due to the passage of time.
The cracks can be caused by a possible movement of the foundations, the expansion or contraction of the construction or a miscalculation of the structure.
Peeling paint
Dampness
Moisture is a cumbersome problem as it causes dark green stains, mold and odors . Using waterproof paints can prevent mold or green stains from emerging.
It is one of the most complicated to solve pathologies due to ignorance of the movements or paths of water from a higher floor to a lower one.
Alkalinity problem
The importance of avoiding thermal bridges
Almost all the energy lost in a building is caused by thermal bridges. Poor insulation impairs the thermal resistance of the building. It can also be due to the deterioration of construction materials, as they are in poor condition, they lead to heat leaks or moisture penetration.
When talking about thermal bridges we can differentiate between structural and geometric thermal bridges.
This thermal bridge pathology usually arises in windows, in the areas of the exterior facade close to the ground, at the junction of interior partitions with exterior walls.
Avoiding the thermal bridge is possible if we apply a thermal insulation system on the facade. There are systems in the construction materials market reinforced with mortar and mesh, polystyrene or rock wool that will perfectly help the appearance of the dreaded thermal bridge.
Prevention of construction pathologies
A building needs regular maintenance. Temperature changes, as well as pollution affect buildings. In coastal areas, salinity can damage the paint and in rainy areas, humidity and seepage can cause us a big problem. For example, it is common to rehabilitation of buildings in Madrid. The rehabilitation of old buildings is a necessity that arises over the years.
There are many construction defects that originate in residential buildings over time, a poor execution of the construction later brings headaches. These pathologies must be treated quickly if we want to avoid greater evils.
Almost 75% of pathologies in constructions are due to failures during construction, and 50% are related to humidity. This translates into the poor preparation of workers and the quality of the waterproofing materials.
At Site and Field, as a façade and building rehabilitation company, we offer an evaluation and diagnosis service for construction pathologies. We have a team of architects and engineers specialized in the rehabilitation of facades and rehabilitation of buildings to respond to a correct repair of construction damage.
In addition to our technical knowledge and experience, we use the most innovative building materials on the market. Our wide range of solutions ranges from waterproofing and thermal insulation to building and the restoration or rehabilitation of facades.
