A problem that plagues residential buildings is that of defects and while these could be attributed to structural issues, often they have also been found to be due to lack of maintenance and poor practices followed by owners and occupants. Because these problems have a tendency to aggravate on being ignored, they should be addressed as soon as possible by professionals who possess the necessary knowledge and expertise. General builders Cornwall would be a great choice and so would be services that indulge in home conservation Cornwall.

Because Cornwall is a peninsula, buildings are more exposed to the sea and high humidity than those situated in hinterland. Therefore, most of the problems arise due to the region’s proximity to the sea. One of the persistent issues that residents face is that of salt damp wherein salt and moisture deposits in the wall build over the years and weaken the wall to the point of rendering it unstable. General builders Cornwall tackle this problem by injecting a chemical into the walls or by setting the new damp course.

Salt and moisture cause another serious problem namely slab edge wetting wherein the concrete absorbs these elements from the surrounding air through capillary action and then cracks from within as also outside. Reasons for this have been traced back to construction phase and in addition to cracking it also leads to formation of mold and rot towards the underside of the floor. If not rectified by professional home conservation Cornwall services, this could cause the building to deteriorate and eventually crumble.

Walls lend a sense of security and privacy to people living in the house and needless to say even a single crack in them is sufficient to cause plenty of distress to the occupants. Cracks could be horizontal, diagonal or lateral depending on the portion of the wall in which they occur. While horizontal and lateral cracks are not so common and generally arise due to construction defects, diagonal cracks are commonplace. Normally these are found to radiate outward from corners of doors and windows and can be prevented through insertion of control joints.

Compromise made on workmanship standards during construction leads to problems later on that require the expert touch of professional general builders Cornwall. Some of the these problems are manifested in form of appearance of weep holes on the surface of the wall, bowing of bricks due to incorrect placement of footing and formation of salt damp within the wall. Particularly noticeable in old and heritage buildings is the problem pertaining to fretting of bricks and this in turn causes the entire wall to fret.

Homes also suffer damage from white ant attacks, out-dated style of wiring and absence of paving in the surrounding areas. Infestation by white ants probably causes maximum damage to the building as they are capable not just of destroying wooden frames but eating up entire walls too. Likewise, old-style wiring is often unsuitable for modern requirements and falls short in multiple ways. Inquiring with home conservation Cornwall services as to whether they handle these aspects as also get the area around the house paved will save you a lot of trouble in looking for and tying up with several separate agencies.


While it is common for residential buildings to suffer from a variety of problems, presence of general builders Cornwall ( http://www.hysmarkltd.co.uk/services ) in the area ensures that these will be taken care of. For a problem that stems out of old construction, enlisting the help of professional home conservation Cornwall ( http://www.hysmarkltd.co.uk/conservation ) would be a good idea as they are experienced in dealing with heritage buildings.