On Thu, 16 Sep 2004 15:49:59 +0100, "IMM" wrote:




These creatures would attack any wood. Timber farmed houses in the UK are
common with many being around for 500 years or more. The oldest is from the
11th century.

So consider what can happen if a hidden piece of a panel which gives
it structural strength is compromised invisibly


It is impossible to say what the
long term implications of these are
in the UK environment because there
is too little history and too
small an installed base.

Total nonsense.

No. The installed base in the UK is small and the history short.

The USA & Canada has a large install base with many of the
panels in climates colder and wetter than the UK. We also do not have the
boring insects as north America does, and they have few problems with SIPs.

Take a look at what happens after water has been in contact with
timber for a period, Weevils show up and chew the softened material.



People fail to mention concrete cancer, which is more common that what
people think in UK in houses.

Really. I found the following:

Concrete is the bogeyman of the late 20th century built environment,
says Professor Andrew Beeby, University of Leeds civil engineering
lecturer and a member of the Magazine of Concrete Research's editorial
panel.

"Concrete is the run down council estate, the syringe-strewn tower
block, the deserted shopping arcade.

In the post-war period, people were desperate to build a lot of
housing very quickly. Concrete was an ideal material."

Takes us back to Milton Keynes, I guess.

However, he goes on to say:

The nicely alliterative phrase "concrete cancer" - an unwelcome
reaction between the component cement and aggregate - has also done
the material a disservice, says Mr Beeby.

"Concrete cancer has enjoyed a lot of media coverage and prompted a
huge amount of research. It is very rare and tends to make a structure
look nasty rather than render it unsafe."


Far more common than timber homes failing.

That's probably not difficult if one considers the numbers of each.



..andy

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