Case 3
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- Causes of Defects
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- Maintenance and Diagnostics
- Remedial
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Cause of Defects
Efflorescence was localised at the lower portion of the wall panel with the upper portion remaining relatively unaffected. This might be due to poor workmanship, result in bad installation of the plaster. The mechanism is as follow:
- A barline was not carried out by the plasterer upon completion of the upper panel of plaster. This has resulted in a weak joint between the upper panel and the lower panel allowing the penetration of water.
- The presence of soluble salts such as sulphates of sodium and magnesium in the plaster, clay bricks and their bedding joints or blocks of the backing wall.
- With the seepage of water into the wall, the lime products are carried to the surface and as it dries up will appear as efflorescence.
- The water may also enter via a crackline located further up the wall travelling downward with its dissolved salts and exiting at the crackline below.