Non-Destructive Testing & Investigations

Huw Lloyd using a Resistograph to test internal timbers.

Resistograph

EBS Ltd scientists use a Resistograph to determine the exact location and type of decay that may lay hidden within building timbers and trees.   This advanced detection technique uses an electronic, high-resolution needle drill, that measures resistance and is completely non-destructive.  This saves unnecessary exposure work and the destruction of the historic fabric.

Just like surgeons who use stethoscopes and keyhole surgery to examine internal organs, non-destructive inspection techniques enable the condition of timbers to be ascertained without opening unnecessary parts of the building fabric.  They are therefore especially valuable in buildings of historic and architectural interest.

Non-destructive Inspections

We carry out a visual inspection of the building to detect mould, damp and timber decay.  This is backed up with non-destructive instrumentation to determine the exact type, extent and cause of the damp and timber decay.

We use a range of moisture meters, Endoscopes, Borescopes or Fibre Optic inspection.

Interpreting information from fibre optic inspection requires practice.  It is easy to confuse spiders' webs with fungal mycelium.  Borescopes are excellent at allowing an assessment of the distance that a dry rot outbreak has grown from its origin.  They can prevent damage to precious wall coverings and avoid the necessity for wide scale lifting of timber to allow access to hidden areas.  

A Technical Report

A technical report is prepared for conservation repairs, chemical free solutions to woodworm, deathwatch beetle and fungal infestation.