Alterations · what a fresh finish hides
Six alterations that change how a building behaves in an earthquake
Each one removes, cuts or overloads the elements that carry sideways load.
1
Internal walls removed for open plan
In a pombalino building these are the frontais, carrying the cage's diagonal bracing.
At a viewingA long, unbroken ceiling in an old building; new beams or steel plates at ceiling level.
2
Openings cut or widened in load-bearing walls
Less wall left to resist lateral load.
At a viewingArches, pass-throughs or wide doorways in thick walls that the floor plan does not show.
3
Ground floor opened up
Upper storeys end up on a weaker base, even when the work was in another fraction.
At a viewingShopfronts, garages or open-plan ground floors below an apartment you are buying.
4
Storeys or attics added
Extra mass at the top, where it does the most harm.
At a viewingA top floor or roof conversion in a different style or material from the floors below.
5
Heavy new floors on old structure
A concrete screed or slab over timber joists adds weight the walls were not built for.
At a viewingRigid, level floors in a building whose era points to timber.
6
Rotten timber at the wall ends
Joists and frame members lose capacity where water reaches them.
At a viewingStaining at roof and party-wall junctions; floors that dip toward an outside wall.