PROCEEDINGS AND CD OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUILT

ENVIRONMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, 3rd-4th DECEMBER 2007, UNIVERSITY

SCIENCE MALAYSIA

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 PROCEEDINGS AND CD OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUILT
ENVIRONMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, 3rd-4th DECEMBER 2007, UNIVERSITY
SCIENCE MALAYSIA

UNDERSTANDING THE COMMON BUILDING DEFECTS IN MALAYSIA’S

HISTORIC BUILDINGS

Kamarul Syahril Kamal1, Assoc. Prof. Dr. A Ghafar Ahmad2, Lilawati Ab

Wahab3 and Saipol Bari Abd Karim4
1, 2, 3
Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
4
Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
kamarul_uitm@yahoo.co.uk, aghafar@usm.my, lilawati@perak.uitm.edu.my and
saipolbari@um.edu.my

ABSTRACT: Malaysia has a rich legacy of historic buildings with outstanding craftsmanship
and architecture quality. They form an impressive historic features and heritage of the past
work of man. It is important to conserve and preserve historic buildings because they provide
a sense of identity and continuity in a fast changing world for future generations. However
some of these buildings are at risk from defects and are not being well cared for due to lack
of technical knowledge and high cost of repair and maintenance. A general knowledge
associated with understanding the common building defects that normally occur in Malaysia
historic buildings is important as to protect and enhancing historic buildings from being lost
forever. It is because defects are concerned by society at large due to their possible dangers
such as structural collapse and loss of use. The use of modern building construction
techniques and developments in material technology may be viewed as improvements to a
building. However, this approach will dispute where such action may affect the appearance
of historic buildings. A general guide about building defects, repair and maintenance is
important especially when dealing with historic buildings because prevention is better than
cure. Basically something has to be done to reduce the frequency of defects by choosing
appropriate approaches, methods or techniques in repair and maintenance because it is an
expensive item to historic buildings. The correct diagnosis of building defects associated with
the correct remedial action is the only economic basis for successful repair and maintenance
programme. It is expected that this paper could contribute some benefits to architects,
engineers, builders, surveyors, contractors, and conservators and by all those who
concerned with the care and conservation of historic buildings.

Keywords: Historic Buildings, Building Defects, Building Conservation, Repair and

Maintenance.

1. INTRODUCTION OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS IN MALAYSIA

Since the building boom of the 1970s, many of Malaysia’s historic buildings have
been demolished. Recent large scale urban development continues to threaten
pre-war buildings, while other historic buildings are simply deteriorating due to
age, neglect and high cost of maintenance. Fee (1998) expressed that to lose
these buildings, however is effectively to obliterate historical memories, and
there is now increasing pressure from various segments of the community to
conserve the nation’s historical heritage. As we all known that conservation is

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 PROCEEDINGS AND CD OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUILT
ENVIRONMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, 3rd-4th DECEMBER 2007, UNIVERSITY
SCIENCE MALAYSIA

the action taken to prevent decay, embracing all acts that prolong the life of
cultural and natural heritage. Building conservation according to (Fielden, 1996;
Insall, 1972) relates specifically to the process of repair, maintenance and
restoration of historic buildings which aim to prolong a building’s life and
function. In Malaysia, the practice of building conservation is considered new.
Laws for historic building conservation are established throughout legislation
whereby a national inventory of historic buildings includes lists and schedules of
old buildings for protection. Under the Antiquities Act 1976 a historic building or
monument aged at least 100 years old can be listed or gazetted by the
Government through the Museum Department to give protection and
encouragement for preservation and conservation (Kamal, 2002). Most of the
historic buildings in Malaysia use building materials which are easily available
locally such as timber, stone, brick and plaster. Example of historic buildings in
Malaysia according to Ahmad (1997) are mosque, churches, palaces, clock
towers, prisons, government offices, institutional and commercials, residential,
schools, railway stations, hotels, forts and monuments.

2. COMMON BUILDING DEFECTS

Some historic buildings in Malaysia are at risk from defects because these
buildings are not being well cared for, due to lack of knowledge and high cost of
repair and maintenance. Basically, it is very important to recognize and diagnose
the defects at each building element in historic buildings because there are so
many defects that occur at various locations with different types of causes and
symptoms. In majority of historic buildings in Malaysia, the existing structures
are normally made from stone, brickwork, plaster and timber. There are 15 types
of common building defects that normally occur and their causes according to
(Ahmad, 1994:2; Kamal, 2001) are as follows (refer Table 1);

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 PROCEEDINGS AND CD OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUILT
ENVIRONMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, 3rd-4th DECEMBER 2007, UNIVERSITY
SCIENCE MALAYSIA

Table 1: Some examples of common building defects and their causes.

1. Cracked Brickwork at Ipoh Old Post Office may be
caused by subsoil movement; foundation movement and
failure; expansion of brickwork; and spread of roof
structure.

2. Crumbling of Brickwork Mortar Joints at Malacca

Shop houses may be caused by incorrect mortar fixture;
chemical action or combination of both; and presence of
salt crystallization.

3. Full Thickness of Plaster Loose at Ipoh F.M.S. Bar

and Restaurant may be caused by plaster has failed to
adhere to a brickwork; movement of walls; and vibration
or ageing.

4. Blistering of Paintwork to Rendering at Ipoh Darul

Ridzuan Museum may be caused by chemical attack on
the paint film; excessive rain; dampness; wind and sun
received can easily turn the surfaces of the paint to be
chalky or blistered.
5. Discoloured and Blistering Finishes at Ipoh Dato’
Panglima Kinta Mosque may be caused by the presence
of moisture where the colour may changes caused by
chemical reaction; and mould growths.

6. Deteriorating Roof Tiles (Algae, Lichen and

Mosses) at UPSI Tanjung Malim may be caused by
harmful growths thrive in damp conditions with
chemicals found in roof coverings.

7. Slipping and Broken Roof Tiles at Ipoh Railway

Station may be caused by the fixing or mortar no longer
holds; or walk upon.

8. Timber Decay at Taiping Railway Station may be

caused by wood destroying fungus either dry rot or wet
rot.

9. Timber deterioration at Ipoh Education Department

may be caused by insect or termite attacks.

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 PROCEEDINGS AND CD OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUILT
ENVIRONMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, 3rd-4th DECEMBER 2007, UNIVERSITY
SCIENCE MALAYSIA

10. Peeling and Flaking Paintwork at Georgetown

High Court may be caused by lack of maintenance; and
lack of adhesion due to moisture content; and poor
preparation of previous surface.

11. Dampness Penetration at Larut, Matang and

Selama District and Land Office may be caused by lack
of damp proof course; by passing of the damp proof
course; and failure of damp proof course.

12. Patchy Damp at Perak Museum, Taiping may be

caused by leaking pipes embedded in the walls or floors.

13. Patchy White Deposits at Batu Gajah Government

Court Complex may be caused by chemicals in the
bricks are dissolve by water and come to the surface
they form as crystals when the surface dries.

14. Mould Growth at Taiping Railway Station Ticket

Office may be caused by damp surfaces.

15. Harmful Growths at Ipoh Bulan Bintang Building

may be caused by cracks in the walls or roofs creating a
suitable ground for any seed to grow.

Source: Researchers pilot survey (2007).

In order to proof that building defects do occur at Malaysia historical buildings, a

pilot survey has been conducted to over 200 historical buildings in Malaysia.
Four major town has been selected as the case study which are Kuala Lumpur,
Ipoh, Georgetown and Banda Hilir, Malacca and the categories of building
surveyed are as follow:

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 PROCEEDINGS AND CD OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUILT
ENVIRONMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, 3rd-4th DECEMBER 2007, UNIVERSITY
SCIENCE MALAYSIA

Shophouse; 92;
45%

Institution; 16; 8%

Business; 11; 5%
Residential; 18; 9% Cinema; 2; 1%
Palace; 0; 0% Museum; 5; 2%
Government; 16; School; 5; 2%
8%
Railw ay Station; 1;
Hotel; 3; 1% 0%
Club House; 2; 1% Fort; 1; 0%
Etcetra; 1; 0% Religious; 36; 18%
Club House Hotel Government Palace Residential
Shophouse Institution Business Cinema Museum
School Railw ay Station Fort Religious Etcetra

Figure 1: Category of historical buildings surveyed.

Meanwhile, the findings of the pilot survey are as follow:

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 PROCEEDINGS AND CD OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUILT
ENVIRONMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, 3rd-4th DECEMBER 2007, UNIVERSITY
SCIENCE MALAYSIA

Window ; 139; 12% Floor; 142; 12%

Staircase; 68; 6%

Ceiling; 97; 8%
Door; 154; 13%

Roof ; 157; 13%

Internal Wall; 146;
12% Building Services;
External Wall; 174; 78; 7%
15%
Other Element; 19;
2%

External Wall Internal Wall Door Window

Floor Staircase Ceiling Roof

Building Services Other Element

Figure 2: Types of building elements where defects normally occur.

Referring to the above data, it clearly shown that the most common building
defects normally occur at historical buildings are at external wall (15%) (eg.
rising damp, cracking of brick, crumbling of mortar, flaking of paintwork and salt
attack), followed by roof (13%) (eg. sagging of timber frame, broken tiles,
missing tiles, deterioration of surface and harmful growths), door (13%) (eg.
decay of timber frame, insect attack, distortion of shape, delamination of panel
and flaking of paintwork), internal wall (12%) (eg. rising damp, cracking of brick,
loose of plaster, discolour of paintwork and cracking of tiles), floor (12%) (eg.
damp of surface, cracking of screeds, loose of tiles, defective of floorboards and
decay of timber frame), and window (12%) (eg. decay of timber frame, insect
attack, flaking of paintwork, rusting of steel and cracked of glass). Meanwhile the
least elements where building defects normally occur at historical buildings were
at ceiling (8%) (eg. watermark, loose of plaster, and lichen of surface), building
services (7%) (eg. leaking of pipes and malfunctioning equipment), staircase

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 PROCEEDINGS AND CD OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUILT
ENVIRONMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, 3rd-4th DECEMBER 2007, UNIVERSITY
SCIENCE MALAYSIA

(6%) (eg. decay of timber frame and flaking of paintwork) and other element
(2%) (eg. defective structure and drains).

3. COMMON CAUSES OF BUILDING DEFECTS

According to the National Building Agency (1985), defects occur either because
of poor design, or low quality workmanship, or because the building was not
constructed according to the design, or because it has been subject to factors
not allowed for in the design. These primary causes may operate singly or in
combination and result in defects indicated by changes in composition of
materials; in the construction itself; in the size, shape or weight of materials; or
simply in appearances. In the care and conservation of historic buildings in
Malaysia, Ahmad (2004) expressed that understanding the nature of the building
materials and accurate diagnosis of defects is most important. This is because
historic buildings are like older people, vulnerable to all sorts of diseases.
Therefore, in order to chase this problem, conservators, architects, engineers,
builders, building surveyors, contractors and those involve in building
conservation should first become familiar with the building materials in common
use before going deeper into the proper techniques to repair and maintenance in
historic buildings, structures and monuments. It is important to be able not only
to diagnose simple defects and instruct repairs, but also to recognise and
describe those problems which need expert help and act accordingly (Oram,
1994). Referring to Ahmad (1994:1) there are five main factors that govern
building defects or problem to historic buildings which are;
a. Climatic Conditions
Like many other tropical countries, Malaysia has heavily rainfall and warm
sunshine al, year round. This implies that buildings in the country tend to
weather rapidly, particularly in respect to external building materials which are
exposed to external causes such as rain, wind, solar radiation and atmospheric
pollution.
b. Location of Building
Historic buildings that are located near the sea or rivers tend to have
common building defects. This is because the water coming from the ground
causes dampness penetration and structural instability. In addition, solutable salt

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 PROCEEDINGS AND CD OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUILT
ENVIRONMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, 3rd-4th DECEMBER 2007, UNIVERSITY
SCIENCE MALAYSIA

which comes from the sea and together with the presence of a polluted
atmosphere can cause damage to the exterior surface of the buildings.

c. Building Type and Change of Use

Most historic buildings that maintain their original functions or uses appear to
have fewer problems compared to buildings that change their use and function.
This is because historic buildings were built to only hold certain loads and
sometimes may not withstand additional loads on the existing structure.
d. Maintenance Approach to the Building
Building maintenance organized through a rigorous of cyclical maintenance
plays a major role in preventing building defects. Historic buildings that neglect
building maintenance may fall into several defects which may lead to structural
failures. To secure the general structural stability, it is important to regularly
inspect not only the main structural elements like roof structure, beams and
columns but also other common building parts.
e. Building Age
Basically all elements of historical buildings tend to deteriorate at a lesser or
greater rate depending upon their location and function. Aging building
materials, particularly timber should be checked frequently. The proper
treatment of building repair and maintenance should be given full considerations.

4. FRAMEWORK FOR REPAIRING HISTORIC BUILDINGS

Repair is the very heart of the approach to building conservation, a subject

which, like architectural history, has grown in Malaysia into a fully developed
discipline. According to (Marks, 1996; Cook & Hinks, 1992), one of the principal
mean to guarantee conservation is to undertake regular repair and maintenance.
Such treatment is necessary in reference to all properties. In order to survive,
building must be useful and must be wanted. To be wanted, and to survive,
building should be not only structurally and constructional sound, but also
practical and efficient to use and pleasurable to look at and to be in. Any building
which is in poor repair or impractical to use, unpleasant to be in, is likely to be
more or less at risk. The loss of any building is inherently wasteful; it may entail

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 PROCEEDINGS AND CD OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUILT
ENVIRONMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, 3rd-4th DECEMBER 2007, UNIVERSITY
SCIENCE MALAYSIA

cultural loss and historical loss. Building conservation is not only, therefore,
about repair and maintenance, and, in practice, repair works are quite likely to
be coupled with alterations, the objective of which may include improved
usability in an existing use, conversion to another use, or improved internal or
external appearance (Richardson, 1995). Repairs to the fabric of a building to
remedy defects or significant decay should, as far as possible, be carried out as
nearly as possible at the time and to the extent that they are necessary. Repair
is an ongoing process and no repair is ultimate or final. The summary listed here
is attempted to express the needs of repair of a historic building (Weaver, 1993);
1. The need for understanding, experience and judgment, based on
clear principles.
2. The need for work to be prepared directed and carried out by people
of appropriate experience and skills.
3. The need for work to be preceded by research and investigation and
to be properly monitored and recorded.
4. The need to balance conflicting objectives.
5. The need for conservative approach, based on minimum intervention
and reversibility, which respects the whole history and authenticity of a
building.
6. The need for a systematic approach to preventive conservation.
7. The need for repairs to be carefully considered, wherever possible
planned, and regarded as part of an ongoing process.
8. The need for a holistic approach to buildings, their materials and
systems of construction.
9. The need for any restoration to be cautions and honest.
10. The need to regard buildings and materials as finite resources.
11. The need for existing and new work to make an honest and well
integrated whole.
12. The need for a building, its contents and setting, to be considered
together.

5. CONCLUSION

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ENVIRONMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, 3rd-4th DECEMBER 2007, UNIVERSITY
SCIENCE MALAYSIA

Understanding the common building defects is simply a logical way of proceeding

from the evidence to the cause of a defect, after which remedies can be prescribed.
The more that can be found about why defects have occurred, the more can be fed
back through the repair works by the professionals responsible for the conservation
works. Good repair practice is central to good conservation in Malaysia. Repair
would be the only action required to enable historic buildings to survive. The present
reality, however is that other sorts of intervention may be necessary to
accommodate change. Alteration of one sort or another, in addition to
straightforward repair, must sometimes be inflicted on buildings if they are to
continue to be useful and wanted. Conservation, therefore, may entail more than
repair. Destruction is invariably wasteful and may be positively damaging, while the
creation and conservation of good buildings is always worthwhile where repair and
maintenance may seem a modest unglamorous activity that can be continuity of
past, present and future, working closely with historic buildings, scan be sheer
pleasure, and making them good in the Malaysian way, indeed be glorious.

6. REFERENCES

Ahmad, A. G. (1994:1). Building Maintenance [Online]. [Accessed 9th September

2007]. Available from World Wide Web: http://www.hbp.usm.my/conservation/

Ahmad, A. G. (1994:2). Why Building Decay [Online]. [Accessed 9th September

2007]. Available from World Wide Web: http://www.hbp.usm.my/conservation/

Ahmad, A. G. (1997). British Colonial Architecture in Malaysia 1800-1930. Kuala

Lumpur: Museums Association of Malaysia.

Ahmad, A. G. (2004). Understanding Common Building Defects: The Dilapidation

Survey Report [Online]. [Accessed 9th September 2007]. Available from World
Wide Web: http://www.hbp.usm.my/conservation/

Cook, G. & Hinks, J. (1992). Appraising Building Defects. London: Longman

Scientific and Technical.

Fee, C. V. (1988). The Encyclopedia of Malaysia: Architecture. Singapore

Archipelago Press.

Fielden, B. M. (1996). Conservation of Historic Buildings. Oxford: Butterworth

Architecture.

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 PROCEEDINGS AND CD OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BUILT
ENVIRONMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, 3rd-4th DECEMBER 2007, UNIVERSITY
SCIENCE MALAYSIA

Insall, D. W. (1972). The Care of Old Buildings Today. London: The Architectural
Press.

Kamal, K.S. (2001). Defects in Historic Buildings [Online]. [Accessed 6th September
2007]. Available from World Wide Web:http://buildingconservation.blogspot.com/

Kamal, K.S. (2002). Building Research Methodology in the Conservation of the

Architectural Heritage [Online]. [Accessed 6th September 2007]. Available from
World Wide Web:http://buildingconservation.blogspot.com/

Marks, S. (1996). Concerning Building. Oxford: Reed Educational & Professional

Publishing Ltd.

Oram, P. (1994). The Repair and Maintenance of Historic Buildings: A Brief Guide
for Owners, Architects and Agents. Ireland: The Northern Ireland Historic
Building Council.

Richardson, B. A. (1995). Remedial Treatment of Buildings. London: Construction

Press Ltd.

The National Building Agency (NBA). (1985). Building Defects: Diagnosis and
Remedy. London: Construction Press.

Weaver, M. E. (1993). Conserving Buildings: Guide to Techniques and Materials.

New York: John Wiley & Sons Inc.

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