Assignments

Detecting fungal decay
Storey buildings and houses are searched for fungal and rot damage in connection with purchase/sale, insurance, renovation, urban renewal etc. Phone or e-mail us for an offer.

Background
After a number of years as a lecturer at the Agricultural University and head of the laboratory at the Danish Technological Institute, where I have taught more than 12,000 pupils problems with fungal and rot damage, I have chosen to establish myself as a consultant microbiologist and head of Hussvamp Laboratoriet to be able to offer a professional, fast and impartial guidance for the housing sector within the area of prevention and controlling fungal attacks in buildings and building materials.

Identification of fungi
Our main area of interest is identification of wood destroying fungi and insects, but we have experience with identification of other pests as well, such as bacteria, moulds, algae and lichens on plastic, rock, concrete, clothing and metals. The identification is performed using microscopy as well as culturing. The mentioned organisms may damage materials partly by discolouration, reduced strength or changing elasticity, and partly by changing the indoor climate.
Our targetgroup is: Architects, housing co-operatives, free-hold flat associations, contractors, insurance companies, consultant engeneers, carpenters and bricklayers, as well as suppliers to the above mentioned. Private tenants, house-owners and others with problems are welcome too.


Urban renewal. About 500 apartments from around 1894. Skydebanegade, Copenhagen V.

About 60 attacks of Dry Rot, together with many cases of rot damage

Our specialty is concentrated on the following topics:

Fungal insurance
When an estate constitutes a 'normal risk' it is possible to get an insurance against fungal damage. The latter is defined as the unexpected, suddenly evolved damage. During lasting bad maintenance, expected or rather self-inflicted damages evolve.
Fungal damage is covered by the insurance, but self-inflicted rot damages are not covered.
Identification of both fungal and rot damages is a specialty of Hussvamp Laboratoriet, where our finest task is an impartial mapping of causes, extent and nature of the damages.
Prevention of fungal and rot damage. Constructive protection:
The construction of houses must be appropriate so that rainwater is lead away, absorption of dampness from the ground is prevented, and condensation problems are brought to a stop.
Guidance based on knowledge from the business, and employment of modern measuring equipment is given.


Frederiksberg Castle from 1715.

Attack of House Longhorn Beetle, Cellar Fungus and Dry Rot. The floor beam was joined by halving with fresh larch timber.

Consultancy on repair
To repair the damage is not sufficient, it is also important to prevent the fungal attacks of e.g. dry rot from breaking out again.
The construction often has to be changed, the source of moisture eliminated and the timber must be impregnated. Maybe different building materials have to be used.

Fungicides
When a constructive protection is difficult to use, it may be necessary to employ a chemical protection. In these instances it is important to choose remedies, that under the given circumstances are effective and at the same time take environmental demands into consideration.
The least poisonous remedy should always be chosen when the efficiency against fungi is equal, thus favouring both the building workers and the inhabitants.


St. Magleby Church from 1611.

Battlement attacked by White Polypore and Dry Rot.

Problems with indoor climate
These are often complex. Smells and gasses from building materials and moulds often cause allergic symptoms and discomfort to the occupants.
Finding the cause of the problem and eliminating it is often difficult.

Contract research
We have solved a number of special tasks for both the public sector and the industry, concerning choice of fungicides, new formulations and testing of these.

Testing materials
There are more than 20,000 different building materials available and one fourth of these are replaced yearly. By accelerated tests in a phytotrone the durability of building materials can be tried.

Courses
Solving the daily problems is important, but when we have solved a number of tasks, a common pattern of development is shown, which we seek to pass on.
In May and November two days courses are held, where basic circumstances of fungal decay and rot of buildings and construction materials are explained.
A number of solution models to the latest problems will also be presented.
Furthermore we hold more specialized courses for the building industry both here and abroad.

Survey and valuation
By ordinary consideration of cases the damages are identified and guidance on repair is offered to try and reconcile the involved parties to the best of our ability. If all possibilities have been tried, it is important, that specialists are involved, that will undertake an objective account of the problems for the legal proceedings at courts all over the country.