Increase in the Cost of Renovating Historic Buildings Due to Incorrectly Selected Locations for Mycological and Technical Testing

A mycological assessment evaluates the technical condition of a building by identifying damage from biological corrosion, which is particularly susceptible to fungal growth and insect attack. Such assessments are crucial for brick and wooden monuments. Accurate mycological assessments provide essential documentation for builders, designers, and cost estimators, indicating both locations of damage and the risks associated with weakened structures. The proper selection of testing locations during tender documentation preparation for historic buildings is critical, as it significantly impacts renovation and modernization costs. This article reviews building defects and testing protocols used in mycological expert opinions for buildings constructed between 1899 and 1900. It lists additional tests necessary during modernization and details costs resulting from incorrect assessments. The findings offer valuable guidance for specialists evaluating mycological hazards. The research revealed that 48% of structural elements in the examined buildings were incorrectly assessed solely through visual inspection, with the majority of errors occurring in lintels and cornices. Repairing these elements proved to be significantly more costly than the initial testing, with lintel repair exceeding excavation costs by over 60 times and cornice repairs by more than 130 times.