It was last week that there were serious and strong earth tremors hitting the various parts of the region. It has given an alarm to house owners for checking the worth and safety of the accommodation they are living in.
It is highly likely, that the accommodation or house you are living in may not be safe from the point of view of withstanding the tremors of an unfortunate eqarthquake.
NORTH EAST construction professionals are urging property owners to have their buildings inspected following the gale force winds and earth tremors that hit the region last week.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, which represents over 2,500 experts in the region, says home and commercial property owners should check carefully for tell tale signs of structural damage.
Wind speeds as high as 80 mph or 125 Kms per hour was recorded during the quake. This is more than sufficient to breakout any strong walls and collapse the house into debris, taking a toll on the house inmates.
As per the news, RICS experts say leaving property unchecked can cause further damage and increase the cost of repairs at a later date.
Property owners should look out for particular points when initially assessing if there is any damage in the aftermath of the winds and tremors.
As mentioned on the News Guardian Website:
Things to look out for are:
Cracks in the ceiling or walls: If left unresolved, a small crack in the corner of a wall or ceiling could cause further structural damage.
For example, if the crack is on the exterior of the property it could allow water to seep into the foundations, causing dampness in the wall and rotting in the timber floors and walls.
Blocked drains or broken drainpipes causing subsidence: Drains can become dislodged or develop cracks which may lead to subsidence in the building. A broken drainpipe could potentially wash away soil from the foundations of the property causing the property to weaken, shift and crack. Drainpipe leakage is the second most common source of subsidence in a property after trees.
Missing roof tiles: Missing roof tiles offer a warning sign that the structural safety of the roof may have been compromised.
Ignoring this warning sign could aggravate problems further with the worst case being that the roof collapses. This becomes even more probable if there is an adjoining chimney, which could cause further instability.
Missing tiles will also provide another avenue for water to seep through, cau
sing severe damage to the roof timbers, leading to the formulation of rot. This may lead to the entire ceiling needing to be replaced.
| Stiff doors and windows: If doors or windows have suddenly become more rigid than normal, this indicates that the doorframe has been compromised and, over time, could cause the frame of the door to crack. | Table of Contents |
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