concrete cracks
Concrete cracks are in the news and in the back of people minds. Not just because of the terrible tragedy of 1100 people dieing in Dhaka They also come to the forefront when we are looking to buy property in Portugal. After many years of dictatorship the poor people of the rural areas neither had the experience, money or access to quality construction methods or materials. They would often see concrete cracks and suppose that as it hasn’t fallen down yet “it will be good for a few more years” In the caste of the tragic Rana Plaza factory it was built on swampy ground and with “extremely poor quality” construction materials supervised by an inadequate regulatory system. The defects and errors that led to the world’s deadliest garment-industry accident. This mirrors Portugal of old so it’s not surprising to come across concrete cracks, cracks in walls and concrete beam failure, bending or cracking. This is a typical situation where a reinforced concrete floor was cast but the reinforcing was not held inside the concrete slab.
Instead it was laid on the shuttering where is strength was greatly reduced. A mixture of bending and humidity resulting in the thin concrete covering the steel to fall off weakening the slab further. When it comes to concrete cracks in pillars, walls, columns or beams that’s a far more serious matter. You should seek advice before paying a deposit no matter how fabulous the property is. Remedial work is often an expensive unknown so its sensible to get at least a professional opinion of the problem. All is not doom and gloom of course. Some concrete cracks can be diagnosed as none serious and may even give you some negotiation power with the seller. You could commission a property appraisal or talk to Castelo Construction for an opinion .
For information on how we can help you and what we do go to http://www.casteloconstruction.com/ Email info@casteloconstruction.com Phone 00351 927168247 or SKYPE CasteloConstruction, PENELA, Portugal
