3.8 Module 3 homework Quiz

Please sign up for the course before taking this quiz.

1. Identify detrimental effects of broken downpipes (area d) and misaligned gutters (area e)?
1

(3 correct answers required)
- 1. Washed out pointing to brickwork
- 2. A wet/damp wall behind insulation leading to mould growth
- 3. Not an urgent issue as brickwork will dry out when not raining
- 4. Rot in timber fascias, soffits and rafter ends
2. A broken downpipe shoe (area g) can lead to which issues:
1

(2 correct answers required)
- 1. A potential softening of ground under foundations leading to subsidence
- 2. Rotting of floor joist ends in wall when there is an ineffective damp proof course above the break (i)
- 3. There are no issues as the flower bed is sloping away from house
3. Why might this have happened?
1

(1 correct answer required)(See full question on Module 3 homework sheet)
- The harder cement repointing has led to bricks staying wetter for longer and the trapped water has frozen in cold weather, expanded and damaged the brick surface.
- A broken down pipe has allowed rainwater to wash the face of the brick away
4. It has become evident that there is a musty atmosphere in the rooms with the insulated wall boards installed. Which of these statements are likely to be true?
1

(3 correct answers required)
- 1. Rain driven moisture has entered the brickwork and wet the plaster and wallpaper promoting conditions for mould growth.
- 2. Inadequate ventilation of the rooms causes mould growth behind the lining boards which gives the musty smell.
- 3. Air from the interior of the house is moving behind the wallboard leading to condensation and mould growth forming on the cooler surfaces behind.
- 4. Blocking the air movement described in 3 would remove all risks of mould forming on the old wallpaper.
- 5. Leaving the wallpaper in place gives ideal conditions for mould growth.
5. The old plaster just above the junction between the 1m high damp proofing interior render has lost its adhesion to the brickwork behind and ‘blown’ (area m). Why might this be?
1

(1 correct answer required)
- 3. The injected damp proof course is ineffective, and rain is penetrating through the brickwork; at ‘m’ strong evaporation leads to salts crystallising behind the old plaster.
- 1. The chemical composition of the plaster and wallpaper glue has caused a reaction and expanded the plaster at the junction, leading to salt solutions damaging the plaster.
- 2. The paint and wallpaper used has not been of a correct specification to cope with the two types of plaster, breathable paint would have avoided this problem.
6. There is evidence of damp in the roof void: sometimes when looking up from the loft hatch there are droplets of water evenly spread across the surface of the bituminous roofing felt and stains on the edges of the rafters close to the felt. Why might this be?
1

(2 correct answers required)
- 1. Wind blown rain is being driven under the slates and the roofing felt is degrading over time allowing water ingress.
- 2. Warm moist internal air is penetrating the first floor ceiling and condensing on the relatively cold surfaces.
- 3. There is inadequate ventilation in the roof void
7. What measures could rectify this situation?
1

(5 correct answers required)
- 1. Renew the roofing slates and bituminous felt.
- 2. Insert soffit vents in the eaves boxing and re-lay insulation at the eaves to allow free air movement through the roof void.
- 3. Inhibit air movement from the first floor by better sealing the attic hatch
- 4. Closing off gaps such as around recessed lights or ‘hidden draught chimneys’ where internal partition walls are built up into the attic joists.
- 5. Add a vapour control layer to the ceilings below.
- 6. Install adequate ventilation, particularly in bathrooms and kitchen.
8. What are the factors contributing to this situation?
1

(7 correct answers required)(see Module 3 homework sheet for the full question)
- 8. the plastic sheeting and carpet over the ground floor to cut out draughts
- 6. a good quality but untreated timber was used for the joists
- 3. A high water table and a bare earth subfloor
- 1. position of damp proof course
- 5. no DPC in the sleeper wall
- 2. Blocked vent (z)
- 7. a broken shoe on the downpipe nearby
- 4. External paving (o) laid at a gradient toward the house
9. Looking forward to module 5 where we will be looking at how to improve all the elements of a building, which of the options below would likely to offer the lowest risk, most reliable and sometimes easiest strategy to improve the ground floor whilst incorporating good levels of insulation and airtightness, whilst minimising thermal bridging and thermal bypass?
1

(1 correct answer required)
- 1. Cut back rotting joist ends, bolt new timbers to side of joist inserting into newly formed holes in brickwork wrapping ends in damp proof plastic. Create access to floor space and insert insulation between joists by crawling beneath. Attach a wind proof vapour open membrane to the underside of joists tape butt joints and to the walls
- 2. Repair joist ends as above, render with a weak sand and cement parge coat on bare brickwork between joists and behind skirting. Take up all the floorboards and lay the wind tight vapour membrane up and over the joists taping the butt joints and to the parged wall. Lay mineral insulation between the joists and re-lay a glued or chipboard floor
- 3. Take out timber floor completely, raise ground level with hardcore, lay sand blinding, damp proof membrane, rigid insulation and pour concrete slab. Ensure a insulation upstand around the slab edge to minimise thermal bridge
10. When chimney flues through the house are no longer being used what might be sensible ways to both minimise problems and improve health and comfort?
1

(2 correct answers required)
- 1. Install a vent in the hearth to provide general house ventilation after sealing up an open fireplace.
- 2. Install vents to provide ventilation up the flue to inhibit moisture building up inside the masonry of the chimney stack.
- 3. reduce the chimney stack below insulated ceiling levels.
- 4. remove chimney and hearth structure altogether to increase room space.
11. When repairing or maintaining intermediate floors what might be measures that can be taken to close these air paths when taking up the edge floorboards and skirting boards :
1

(2 correct answers required) (see module 3 homework sheet for the full question)
- 2. Fully filling the area with insulation materials such as mineral fibre, thick polystyrene or foam board.
- 3. Fully adhering hygroscopic insulation boards between joists, against the masonry and taping joists to the board adhesive.
- 1. Parging the exposed brickwork in these areas & taping the joists to the masonry.

Cookie	Duration	Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional	11 months	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy	11 months	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

3.8 Module 3 homework Quiz

1. Identify detrimental effects of broken downpipes (area d) and misaligned gutters (area e)?

2. A broken downpipe shoe (area g) can lead to which issues:

3. Why might this have happened?

4. It has become evident that there is a musty atmosphere in the rooms with the insulated wall boards installed. Which of these statements are likely to be true?

5. The old plaster just above the junction between the 1m high damp proofing interior render has lost its adhesion to the brickwork behind and ‘blown’ (area m). Why might this be?

6. There is evidence of damp in the roof void: sometimes when looking up from the loft hatch there are droplets of water evenly spread across the surface of the bituminous roofing felt and stains on the edges of the rafters close to the felt. Why might this be?

7. What measures could rectify this situation?

8. What are the factors contributing to this situation?

10. When chimney flues through the house are no longer being used what might be sensible ways to both minimise problems and improve health and comfort?

11. When repairing or maintaining intermediate floors what might be measures that can be taken to close these air paths when taking up the edge floorboards and skirting boards :

CarbonLite Retrofit Course (C3)

0 About CarbonLite Retrofit

1 Introduction to CarbonLite Retrofit

2 Buildings in the UK Climate

3 UK Construction

4 Energy in Buildings

5 Moisture in Buildings

6 Case Studies

7 Building Services for Retrofit

8 Retrofit Investment Appraisals and CLR Cost Modelling