Within this case study 146 windows made from Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) were examined in two 3-storey casern buildings in Lingen (Northwest of Germany), where they were in service for eleven and 19 years. The window frames were painted with white opaque lacquer, reliable information about potential preservative treatment was not available. The windows were examined with respect to decay and moisture content measurements were conducted. Almost all damages were observed on windows exposed to West, which is the weather side in Northern Germany. Different types of decay were responsible for failure: Brown and white rot were found on the windows, often together on the same frame. In some cases white rot was also associated with soft rot. Decay occurred mainly in the bottom parts of the weatherboards and in the blind frames. However significant mistakes during installation of the windows were identified to be responsible for the high number of premature failures.
Keywords: Coating defects, decay type, performance, wood protection by design
Authors
Brischke C.
Institute of Vocational Sciences in the Building Trade (IBW), Faculty of Architecture and Landscape Sciences, Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover, Germany
Janßen T.
Login to download the PDF