Cracks: subsidence and heave to buildings Costa Blanca
Minor cracks in house plaster, rendering and even brickwork are often the result of shrinkage as the structure dries out. Such cracks are not serious and can be repaired during normal maintenance, but more serious structural cracks are due to movement of the foundations. Trees planted too close to a building can add to the problem by removing moisture from the site, causing subsidence of the foundations as the supporting earth collapses. Tree-felling can be just as damaging; the surrounding soil, which has become stabilized over years, swells as it takes up the moisture which has been removed previously by the tree-root system. Upward movement of ground, known as heave, distorts the foundation until cracks appear.
Cracks can be crack-bonded with a non-shrink pure epoxy resin and voids pressure grouted to fill holes and bond surfaces stopping further movement.
General purpose thixotropic epoxy resin for bonding cracked masonry, metal fixings and anchors. Non-shrink thixotropic epoxy. Flows easily under pressure to fill voids, strengthen porous masonry and bond cracked masonry. Fills cracks from 2mm – 20mm wide. Gels rapidly and cures within 24 hours.
Gotelé Removal
Gotelé is that popcorn Anyglipta effect the Spanish spray on the walls as a standard when finishing off the build. In some places it can look nice with options of different colours and styles of finish. Once Gotelé has been painted with an egg shell or gloss finish it is difficult to remove hours of elbow work and damage to the plaster walls before complete removal. If an emulsion has been painted on the surface then it maybe just a matter of soaking the walls and scraping off but there is still a lot of making good with filler to the existing plastered walls after.
Gotelé Cover
ProSecure Builders Costa Blanca suggest covering the Gotelé with a thin skim of plaster. There are many products out there created specifically for plasticized Gotelé on interior walls such as plaster, plasterboard, mortar, concrete, and old paint, etc. It also fills out any holes, hollows, bumps, cracks and crevices. The end result is smooth straight walls ready to paint. Easy preparation and application with trowel or scraper. Quick and easy sanding. Reduces the absorption of supports, increasing the yield of the paint.
Building Materials Translated
Sand Arena
Building Sand - Chinchilla is good for render repairs
Cement Cemento
Bricks – Blocks Ladrillos - Bloques
Plaster - Yeso fino is good for skimming render and Gotelé Yeso
Plasterboard Cartón de yeso
Roof Tiles Tejas
Floor Tiles Baldosas
Wall Tiles Azulejos de la pared
Copper Pipes Tubos de cobre
No More Nails No más clavos
Tile Adhesive Cola
Mold on walls
We have had a few enquires about damp stains so following on from our first brief article we thought we would write some more on the subject.
There are innumerable species of mould growth and lichens here on the Costa Blanca as in the UK which first appear as tiny coloured specks or patches on render and masonry. They gradually merge until the surface is covered with colours that range from bright orange to yellow, green, grey and black.
Moulds and lichens will only flourish in damp conditions, so try to cure the source of the problem before treating the growth. If one side of the house always faces away from the sun, for example, it will have little chance to dry out. Relieve the situation by cutting back any overhanging trees or shrubs to increase ventilation to the wall. Check for leaks. Maybe think about installing a gutter system at roof level as most houses on the Costa Blanca don't have one and when they do it is inadequate for the volume of rain that can suddenly come down.
Removing the growth
Brush the wall area vigorously with a stiff bristle brush. This can be an unpleasant, dusty job, so wear a facemask. Brush away from you to avoid getting anything in your eyes. This will not eradicate all the microscopic spores so a solution of bleach and water must be brushed on with an old paintbrush. If the problem persists then seek out a fungicide solution from most Brico DIY places. Or you could of course give us your Local Costa Blanca Builder a call.
Contact Arteriors Costa Blanca for a free inspection and quote: 653 029 746
Arteriors - Costa Blanca – Building – Maintenance – Construction La Nucia - Polop, Alfaz, Benidorm, Finestrat, Albir, Altea, Calpe, Villjoyosa and in land
Damp proofing and Damp Damage Removal
Arteriors Costa Blanca, have been called to many damp proof problems and not just basements, but anywhere in the house especially here on the Costa Blanca you can find black mold and crumbling plaster. The black mold can be harmful if left unattended. There are various products that remove theses stains but a good quality bleach will do the job killing the spores and removing the blackness. Caution is required and safety gloves, goggles, overalls and a dust mask is highly recommended.
What causes damp in the first place?
Moisture, ingress of water. This could be via a leak, an area where there is a large concentration of water like an outside wall being dripped on by an inadequate drainage system. A leaking roof. Ground water penetrating through walls that have no cavities. Or there may be a water source in the room causing high moisture.
The problem must be fixed and then the room or area should be repaired with a waterproof product.
Basements can be tanked sealing the floor and walls again there are many products and ways to do this including asphalt to the floors and waterproof render to the walls before decorating.
Contact Arteriors Costa Blanca for a free inspection and quote: 653 029 746
Arteriors - Costa Blanca – Building – Maintenance – Construction
Removing Gotelé Arteriors – La Nucia Costa Blanca
Eliminar gotelé plastificado - remove the nasty sprayed on gotelé that covers every wall in your home.
Also known as popcorn walls that look like they have been wall papered with Anaglypta.
Eliminación gotelé
There are two types of Gotelé walls: one that has been painted with a water based paint and one with an emulsion referred to in Spain as Plastico.
Spray some water on the wall and if it disappears, soak the walls and scrape away. If it runs down the wall then it will be hard to remove and you would be better off with the second solution.
The problem is if some one has painted the gotelé with plastic paint it is rock hard and a nightmare to remove.
There are products you can buy to remove it. Paint it on the wall and when dry wet it with water and then it will peel off like wall paper, use a large scraper revealing why they gotelé the wall in the first place and you will need to skim it with a thin coat of plaster to cover up all those gauges and previous imperfections that paint will show up.
The second solution and most cost effective in time and money.
It makes more sense to run a trowel or
scraper over the whole area and knock off any lose gotelé, mix up
some plaster like aguplast or yeso fino and fill in those areas
first, then skim the whole wall constantly troweling it flat. If you
are unsure which product to use as there are several ask the person
at the merchants they will give you their product for quitar gotelé.I have always used Yeso Fino or Aguplast they have a long enough working time before they start drying.
Once the yeso has dried, usual 8 hours, run a block of sand paper over it and paint.
You can buy some sealant and paint that on the finished area, which stops suction when applying the top coat allowing for an even coat or give it two coats of paint the first one acting as the sealer.
Some merchants like Leroy Merlin have tubs of pre mixed plaster or paste that you can apply with a roller and then smooth it off with a trowel, rub down and seal ready to paint.