Barry Richardson provides a complete coverage of the problems which arise when wood and other building materials suffer from any of the many types of decay that can arise due to damp, fungal or insect attack.

The book is concerned with remedial treatments of several different types, specifically dampness, wood deterioration, masonry deterioration and thermal problems, as well as moss, algae and lichen growth on masonry, sulphate attack in buildings, and various health conditions which are related to the building environment and materials. He deals with all aspects of remedial treatment, from the initial survey to how to replace materials effectively when deterioration has progressed too far.

1. Improved diagnostic recommendations, particularly in relation to dampness, are included in this thoroughly revised second edition. As well as updating the terminology, Barry Richardson has added a chapter on health and safety in relation to remedial treatments, a subject of great importance because of the increasingly stringent health and environmental controls.

The general descriptions of remedial treatments are followed by seven appendices which are designed as convenient reference sources for architects, surveyors, engineers and contractors.