Guidelines for inspection of natural stone building facades

Existing building facade inspection ordinances are inconsistent and leave much of the investigation methodology to the discretion of the professional performing the facade inspection. Guidelines for facade inspections that establish the critical inspection elements and special considerations for particular facade materials would ensure that the professional performing the inspection will provide all the key components of the facade inspection while allowing that professional to evaluate the most suitable approach for each inspection component of a particular building. For natural stone facade inspections, the key elements of the inspection process include: precautionary measures assessment; building facade history review; visual surveys; up-close inspections and field testing; inspection openings, probing, or interior surveys; and determining the need for laboratory analysis and calculations. Special considerations that need to be accounted for during the stone facade inspection are the classification of the stone; material properties and environmental effects on stone; and problems relating to the design, construction, maintenance and repair of exterior stone cladding.