ABSTRACT
No matter how good the materials, the workmanship and supervision, the unforeseen may still affect a building. This may materialise several years after construction. Some examples of these latent defects include: woodworm emerging from untreated timber, electrolytic decomposition of dissimilar metals inadvertently in contact and chemical decomposition of concrete. A building surveyor may provide a general report on the condition of the drainage and sanitation installation, however, a full test for leakage and determination of self-cleansing and flow conditions, to include fibre-optic scope examination, is undertaken as a specialist survey. Apart from a cursory inspection to ascertain location and suitability of system controls, these areas are highly specialised and should be surveyed by those appropriately qualified. Cracks are caused by applied forces that exceed those that the building can withstand. Damp conditions can be the source of many different types of wood-decaying fungi. The principal agencies of decay are: dry rot and wet rot.
