Renovation Management Method in Neglected Buildings

: Renovation works to buildings are often not carried out or there are shifts in time, which causes degradation of the building. The article presents an analysis of the consequences of abandoning renovation works. The aim of this article is to present a method of preliminarily planning renovations of a MRUB (Managing Renovation in Un-renovated Buildings). This method of decision-making support is based on the consequences in the case of the omission of renovations. The omission of renovations may lead to a threat to the stability of the building’s structure, threaten the lives of its users, and further damage the building by damaging further elements, or even cause a building disaster. Often, as a result of the abandonment of renovation, usually caused by the lack of the owner, improper manager, or irresponsible owners, these objects are degraded. The consequences of the failure of renovating buildings lead to irreversible processes of destruction. As a result of the research, it was found that it was not only a bad technical condition that was a prerequisite for carrying out the renovation. The consequences of the absence of renovation works, in addition to the technical condition, should be a motivating factor. The problem of the abandonment of renovations is presented using the example of the palace in Drwalewice.


Introduction
The technical condition of the building changes as a result of the aging process. The good management of building maintenance should be based on regular renovation work. Proper management of renovations of the building maintains its technical condition at an appropriate standard level. Proper operation of buildings requires experience, interdisciplinary knowledge, and skills [1][2][3][4]. Incorrectly made decisions on behalf of the building owners or managers regarding redeployment during the implementation of renovation projects have a negative impact on the aging processes of buildings.
The consequences of wrong decisions concerning the renovation or maintenance failure of buildings lead to irreversible destruction processes [5][6][7][8]. The aging process of a building is closely related to its technical condition [9][10][11][12][13]. Absence of renovation work results in its acceleration. In many historic buildings, renovation activities are often abandoned. As a result, the technical condition is constantly degrading, and the functional properties reach lower and lower values [14,15]. Objects listed on the register of monuments are subject to strict conservation protection. Unfortunately, due to the higher costs of renovation and the need to supervise work in historic buildings, many valuable buildings are damaged. What will be completely destroyed as a result of negligence, omissions, and atmospheric factors can only be reconstructed to resemble historical elements in its form and material, but it will be only a reproduction, and not an original element. Therefore, regular repairs, renovations, and conservation are extremely important in order to prevent the complete degradation of the object and thus the loss of its historic value. This research concerns failure buildings. Often, these buildings are historic buildings, but failure buildings are not necessary historic objects. In the case of historic buildings, these buildings that the greater the consequences, the more necessary the renovation. Abandoning renovation works always brings with it many consequences. The most dangerous effect is building degradation.

Materials and Methods
The good management of building maintenance should be based on predictive and preventive maintenance renovation works. Knowledge of the consequences of abandoning renovation works can help to minimize the occurrence of construction failures in the future. No renovation work on individual elements in a building should cause a threat to the stability of the building structure, risk the lives of users, continue to damage the building by damaging further elements, or even a building disaster.
The method of the preliminary planning of renovation works of a MRUB (Managing Renovation in Un-renovated Buildings) consists of the following sequence of actions: 1.
establish the most important effects of the lack of renovations; 2.
determine the weights for each consequence of the abandonment of renovation works using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method; 3.
determine the mathematical equation determining the importance of renovation needs; and 4.
determine the level of the consequences of abandonment of renovation works for each element of the building.
The proposed method consists of identifying the most urgent repairs needed. The MRUB method is based on the premise that the higher the consequence of the lack of renovation works, the more important the renovation.
For this purpose, the consequences of the lack of renovation works were determined as well as the measures and weights of these consequences.
The proposed method is for buildings made using traditional technology. The material solutions for individual elements of the building were adopted and are presented in Table 2. It was assumed that the walls were made of brick, and the ceilings and stairs were wooden. The rafter framing structure is wooden covered with ceramic tiles.
The proposed method is not a method of planning conservation work. Historical buildings are especially important, and the preservation of souvenirs of the past should be taken care of. In Poland, the conservation officer often determines the conservation methods for each building individually, but not always. The proposed method is only a preliminary plan of building renovation and can be applied to historic buildings only on the condition that there is the conservator's acceptance. In the case of historic buildings, the conservator's guidelines should be taken into account.

Determination of the Most Important Effects of the Lack of Overhaul
The abandonment of renovation works is an extremely important factor causing degradation of the building. The effects of failure to repair the individual building elements presented in Table 1 can be divided into catastrophic, serious, significant, and insignificant. The catastrophic effect is defined as degradation of the building, which may be caused by the lack of renovation to damaged structural elements and gas pipes, pipes, and electrical installation accessories. The consequences of the serious omission of renovations include damage to the building's structure and the lack of safety to users. For example, a damaged roof covering may cause damage to the rafter framing and ceiling. Failure to carry out repairs involving the roofing has catastrophic, serious, significant, and irrelevant consequences. Destroyed and not renovated roofing is the cause of the lack of aesthetics of the object (insignificant effect). Lack of renovation to the roofing causes damage to other elements of the building such as the roof truss structure, floors, and plaster (significant effect). As a result of abandoning the renovation of the roofing, there is a lack of comfort in using the object (significant effect) and even a lack of safety to the users (serious effect). Destroyed and not repaired roofing may be the cause of damage to other structural elements (serious effect) or even further degradation of the building (catastrophic effect).
The building was divided into components. For each component, the consequences of abandoning renovation work on that component were determined. Criteria for the consequences of abandoning renovation works were defined as follows: C1-building degradation C2-building structure damage C3-lack of user safety C4-negative impact on the environment C5-lack of comfort in use C6-effect on damage of other elements C7-lack of aesthetics

Determination of Weights for Each Effect Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) Method
In the proposed method, decision-making processes in the form of a hierarchical structure have been applied. Many techniques supporting the choice are known. The simplest of these is the AHP technique, which has been used in the method of consequences of the lack of renovation works. There are many techniques supporting choices. The decision-making process with the use of the AHP technique is one of many, and it is flexible and universal. In the method proposed in this article, the AHP technique was used.
The assessment of the consequences of the abandonment of renovation works was carried out by means of a multi-criteria analysis. The weights of each consequence of abandonment of renovation works were determined using the AHP. The data were obtained on the basis of consultations with persons involved in the renovation of buildings including building managers, university research workers, appraisers, conservators, employees of design offices, and contractors. Over 50 experts were consulted. The task of all experts was to determine the weighting of the consequences of the lack of repair works: C1-building degradation, C2-building structure damage, C3-lack of user safety, C4-negative impact on the environment, C5-lack of comfort in use, C6-effect on damage of other elements, and C7-lack of aesthetics.
The consequences of C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, and C7 were then compared in pairs in terms of relevance for each criterion. After summing up the scores obtained in each of the criteria for each variant, the final assessment of the variant was obtained. In this way, a ranking of options for the consequences of the lack of renovation work is created, determining the relative advantage of one over another. The obtained results of consultations are presented in Table 3. The obtained results of the AHP method are presented in the diagram in Figure 1  The numerical values obtained are the weights of the individual consequences. The numerical values are not physical quantities, they are without units, and they are unchanged numbers.

Determination of the Mathematical Equation Determining the Importance of Renovation Needs
Each element of the building was inspected for its technical condition, a result of which the percentage of its technical condition was determined. Thanks to the dependence of the degree of technical condition of the element on the aspect of the consequences of abandonment of renovation works, it is possible to obtain the renovation coefficient for each building element. Indicators ranked from the largest to the lowest size will determine the urgency of renovation of the elements in the building.
By using the solution of Equation (1), we obtained the values assigned to each investigated element in a building. The numerical values, which are the results of the study, are the indicators of the order in which the renovations are performed, Mi. The higher the indicator, the more necessary the renovation of the i-th element. However, the indicator does not mean any physical size of the renovated elements, and is only used to rank the building's elements due to the proposed order of performing the renovations. where: • M i -the renovation sequence indicator; • E i -coefficient of the consequences of abandonment of renovation works; • Sz i -degree of technical condition; • i-denotes an ordinal number of an element in a building, i = 1, 2, 3, . . . , n; Old buildings were very often built over several periods. In different periods, other building materials were used. Each building material wears out differently and has its own period of durability. During periodical inspections of a building, the technical condition of each element is determined, expressed by the degree of technical condition.
The degree of technical condition, Sz i , is determined visually. In this building, for each i-element, an authorized building expert in Poland will determine the degree of technical condition. The greater the damage, the higher the degree of technical condition. This indicator is determined in percentages from 0 to 100. The degree of technical condition changes over time and is determined each time during periodic inspections of the building.
The coefficient E i of the consequences of the abandonment of renovation works is defined as the sum of the weights for each element: where: • E i -coefficient of the consequences of abandonment of renovation works; i-denotes an ordinal number of an element in a building, i = 1, 2, 3, . . . , n; • j-denotes consequences, j = 1, 2, . . . , 7.
The C ij coefficient refers to the consequences of the lack of renovation work on individual building elements. If the consequence exists ("plus" according to Table 2), then the coefficient occurs. For each consequence, the coefficient is different and its value is given in Table 3.  The building was divided into n-elements ( Table 2). Each i-th element in the building has its own purpose and has a different function [31,34]. Weights of A i elements are assigned for each element. The values of the weights are included in Table 4. The assessment of the technical condition of the building can be carried out visually. An experienced expert assesses the technical condition of each building element on a scale from 0 to 100. This method gives the degree of technical condition. The greater the degree of technical condition, the more damaged is the building element. In the case of historic buildings, not every experienced expert can assess the technical condition. In addition, the conservator must accept the expert.

Determination of the Level of Consequences of Abandonment of Renovation Works for Each Component of the Building
The results of the E i are the determinants of the order of performance of renovation works for individual elements of all tested buildings. The E i indicators do not represent any physical quantity and are only a comparative scale.
The E i indicators should be ranked from the highest to the lowest value. Indicators indicate the order in which all building elements should be renovated. The higher the indicator, the more it needs to be renovated. The highest values were shown by the building's structural elements, and above all by the walls.
The proposed method does not include costs. It was assumed that the consequences of the lack of renovation works are most important to save the building. The costs are inevitable and will still be necessary.
In the case of historic buildings, the conservation guidelines should also be considered. If the conservator recommends the renovation of one of the elements in the first place, then this element must be excluded from the method. The E i value for such an element must be considered as the maximum, and the proposed method should be applied to the remaining building elements. It should also be remembered that in historic buildings, there may be a change in the scale of the A i weights of the elements due to preserved historical details.

Results and Discussion
The aim of the article was to identify and classify the consequences of a lack of renovation works. The indirect aim of the research was to make building owners aware of the consequences of abandoning renovation works. Knowledge of the consequences of abandoning renovation works could help to minimize the occurrence of construction failures in the future.
It would seem that the more worn out the element, the faster it should be repaired. However, this is a mistaken concept as not only does the technical wear and tear of a building element, but also the consequences of not renovating this element, influence the order of renovation works.
Provided that all elements are in a similar technical condition, the order of renovation works can be determined. This is based on the fact that the degree of technical wear and tear in this building was 50% for each element. According to the method, the value of the M i factor was determined for each building element (Table 5). M i -factors sorted from the highest to the lowest value indicate the order of renovation works for the building.
In Table 5, the building elements were ranked according to the size of M i . In this method, the sequence of renovation works of the building elements was created and it was assumed that all elements were similarly used.
The results indicate what the most needed renovation of the structural elements is. Structural elements are made of building materials with a longer durability than other building elements. The longer the durability period, the slower the degree of the technical condition increases. In fact, the degree of the technical condition of these elements will be lower than other elements.
The minimum possible value of the renovation sequence indicator M i results from the technical condition of the building element. If the degree of technical condition of any building element is defined as Sz = 0, then the M i factor is also M i = 0.
The highest possible value of the M i renovation sequence index is possible for 100 percent of the technical condition of a building element. The maximum value of M i is possible for masonry walls, which can be maximum of 2281.748. Maximum values of the renovation sequence index M i for all building elements are presented in Table 6.

Case Study: A Neo-Gothic Palace
The Palace in Drwalewice is an example of one of many similar failure buildings in western Poland. The palaces in Poland survived the warfare, but were often unfortunately abandoned later on. The palaces were not used for a long time and had not been renovated. Today, the buildings already have owners. However, the buildings are so badly damaged that the owners do not know where to start with the renovations. As such, the proposed method may be helpful.
The palace and grange complex is located in the western part of the village. The entranceway leads from the south side onto a vast yard, around which outbuildings are located. The palace, situated with the facade facing the west, is located in the eastern part of the yard. Behind the palace, in the eastern and southern part, is a landscape park. The body of the building was created by various extensions added to the main body of the building.
The earliest mention of the village of Drwalewice (Driwalowitz 1295 r., Wallwitz 1791 r.) dates back to the 13th century, as an emolument of the parish in Solniki [40,41]. From the middle of the 14th century, the village belonged to the von Unruh family. The building of the renaissance residence-a fortified manor-is connected with Hans Wolf von Unruh. The village changed owners a number of times. Near the end of the EVIII century, the estate was bought by P.G. Strempel, who rebuilt the manor house. Since 1872, the owners of Drwalewice have been the von Eichmann family, and, in 1875, another reconstruction of the building took place [45][46][47][48].
The palace, erected from stone and brick, is a plastered, two-story structure with a finished attic and basement, and covered by a flat roof hidden behind crenellation (Figure 2). The majority of the basements are covered by a brick cross-barrel vault; the rooms in the southwest corner were constructed as a segmented ceramic vault on steel beams. Over the ground floor and first floor, there is a wood ceiling with sound boarding, with only a room on the ground floor situated in the eastern central part or the building, being covered by a groin vault. In an upstairs room, located in the south part of the building, the moldings have been partially maintained. The ceiling covering the stairwell is decorated with a rosette. In the hall on the ground floor and first floor, there are arcades supported by four columns and eight half-columns covered by a wooden ceiling. The window openings are covered with dripstones-rectangular on the lower floor, and narrow, and ogee-arched on the upper one. A decorative element of the facade is a portal with a balcony, with supports in the shape of griffins. The balustrade is ceramic openwork with an oak leaf motif. Above the balcony, a cartouche is laid in masonry. The current form of the palace was shaped as a result of three building phases. In the basements, the relics of a renaissance manor have been maintained. From the reconstruction in 1791 are the rooms of the main body. The towers in the corners, terraces in side elevations, and a balcony in the front elevation were added in the 19th century. The building was originally founded on a square plan; in the second phase, it was extended to a rectangle; and in the third, enriched with numerous extensions.
Before the building was profoundly rebuilt into a Neo-Gothic palace, it had been subjected to earlier modernization in 1791. The function of the building changed from defensive to residential. The reconstruction in the 19th century was not limited to introducing the new Neo-Gothic décor; it also covered enriching the bodies of the building with numerous annexes. The main body of the palace was coped with an attic crenellation. The tri-axial center of the façade and remaining elevations were raised and surrounded by pinnacles. The ogives main entrance was accented by a balcony placed above it, with a ceramic balustrade and griffins. The body of the building was decorated with annexes. On the north side, a tower was added on, which was four-sided in the lower part, with the upper transitioning into an octagon. A loggia was added to the tower on the north side. The east (garden) elevation was enriched by a protrusion with a balcony, the south elevation by two annexes lower than the body of the palace. The inside also received a new Neo-Gothic decor. The hall was divided into a front part covered by a wooden ceiling as well as a two-bay vaulted cloister supported by square columns and pilasters with decorative caps located further in. In the tower, in the south part of the building, in the basement, and on the ground floor, a colonnade running along the southern and western walls can be found. The arcades are supported by slender iron columns with caps covered by stylized floral ornamentation (Figure 3). The doors are decorated by a motive of ogives recesses, a stylized rosette, and crenellated lintels. The staircase leading to the upstairs is decorated by a forged balustrade (Figure 4).  The results of the carried out assessment of the technical conditions [48] indicate that there is a need for a complete renovation of the building (Appendix A).
In the analysis, all elements of the palace building in Drwalewice were taken into account. The obtained results are presented in Table 8.  Tables 7 and 8 contain the same building elements, but in Table 7, the elements are ranked. In Table 8, the building components have been ranked in value of M i factor from the highest to the lowest. The obtained order is an indicator of the urgency of renovation works. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that the value of technical wear and tear is not the same as the necessity of carrying out renovation works.   Figure 5 shows the results of the renovation sequence indicators for all elements of the palace in Drwalewice. Additionally, the diagram contains the maximum and average values that are possible for the building elements.

Conclusions
The proposed method is a new approach to determining the urgency of renovation works. In planning methods, the effect of renovation works is always taken into account, and in the MRUB method, differently, the effect of failure to complete renovation works.
Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that: • the value of technical wear and tear is not the same as the necessity of carrying out renovation works, and • the most urgent renovation works are the renovation of the foundations and walls.
As a result of the research, it was found that bad technical condition was not only a prerequisite for carrying out the renovation. The consequences of the absence of renovation works, in addition with bad technical condition, should be a motivating factor.
In the area of Middle Odra, there are over a hundred manors and palaces that remain. The majority of them, however, are not in use, so their technical conditions are undergoing continuous deterioration. The presented palace in Drwalewice is among such buildings. Adaptions to the current service needs, as will be the case with Drwalewice palace, will allow for these buildings to be saved from further destruction. The palace in Drwalewice is not in use as of today. Aside from the natural wear of materials and the destructive influence of atmospheric and biological factors, the bad technical condition is the result of the object not being in use. The lack of carried out repairs has caused the progressing deterioration of the building to accelerate. Planned renovation works will stop this process.

Conflicts of Interest:
The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Appendix A
A technical assessment of the palace was carried out. The assessment of the technical condition of individual building components was prepared on the basis of carried out inspections ( Figures A1 and A2), periodic uncovering, and test measurements [48].  The foundation of the building is composed of a strip foundation of various dimensions with an offset of 15 cm, made from boulders on lime mortar with an addition of clay; the average diameter of the boulders is approx. 60-70 cm. The depth of the strip foundation is approximately 80-120 cm below the level of the basement floors. Uncovering of the foundations in the northeastern and southwestern part of the building has been carried out. Severe damp from the groundwater on surfaces was determined (Figures A3 and A4). The soil in areas of the foundation uncovered is loamy sand. The level of groundwater is above the level of the foundation and there is a lack of vertical and horizontal damp insulation.  The walls of the basement are made from boulders and class 7.5-10 fired, solid brick, with a cement-lime mortar (composition of mortar lime:cement:sand = 3:1:5), and plastered on both sides. The thickness of the walls ranges from 65 cm to 210 cm. The middle, and oldest part, is on laid in lime mortar with the addition of clay. The outside walls of the ground floor (thickness ranging from 70 to 82 cm), first floor (thickness from 42 to 82 cm), and attic (thickness from 20 cm to 54 cm) are made from fired, class 7.5-10, solid brick on lime-cement mortar (composition of mortar lime:cement:sand = 3:1:5), and are plastered on both sides.
Slight cracks and scratches, 1-2 mm in width, are present (e.g., a crack on the western wall running between the window openings at the level of the ceiling above the ground floor). The cracks were caused by external factors (moisture, temperature, etc.). Cracks are the results of slight shifts over a period of many decades. Such shifts do not currently occur.
The walls of the basements are severely damp. From the outside, large amounts of efflorescence including salt efflorescence and discolorations are visible from the inside on the plasters. In the east part of the building, on the ground floor, the walls are severely damp due to water entering from the ground by capillary rise. The walls of the room under the terraces are damp from rainwater.
The inside walls of the ground floor and first floor (ranging in thickness from 12 to 78 cm) are made from class 7.5-10 fired, solid brick laid in lime-cement mortar (composition of mortar lime:cement:sand = 3:1:5), and plastered on both sides. Some of the inside walls of the attic are studwork walls (12 cm thickness) made from pine posts and beams covered by boards and reed.
Cracking is not present on the inside masonry walls. The walls do not require repairs and protection. Only on one wall in the room covered by the groin vault, on the wall from the direction of the hall, is a vertical structural crack visible.
Wooden elements in the studwork walls are heavily dampened, with the walls needing to be replaced by new ones. The majority of the basements are covered by a brick barrel vault (group 1 of brick). Two rooms in the southwest corner were made as ceramic segmental vaults on I 2000 steel beams, with 1.5 m spread. Over the ground floor and the first floor, there is a wooden ceiling with sound boarding. The ceiling beams measure 18 × 23 cm or 20 × 25 cm, with 80-100 cm spread.
The room of the hall on the ground flood is covered by a decorative wooden ceiling made from profiled beams and coffers. The room of the ground floor, situated in the eastern, middle part, is covered by a vault made from brick on lime mortar (group 1 of brick). In the room in the northeastern part of the building, there is a ceiling on I 200 steel beams, on the underneath finished by fake beams (profiles from boards), creating a coffered ceiling.
In a room upstairs, in the south part of the building, partially preserved moldings are found. The ceiling covering the stairwell is decorated with a rosette.
In the upstairs rooms, in the northwestern part of the building, there is a ceiling made of prefabricated concrete ceiling slabs from I 200, with a spread of 1.2 m.
In the room upstairs, in the northern part of the building, the floor slab deflection is approximately 15 cm. The floor requires additional support. Upstairs, the ceiling beams are significantly damp. The wooden construction of the ceilings requires general repairs, partial strengthening, and the partial replacement of elements ( Figures A5 and A6). Additionally, it is recommended that the wood be impregnated with insecticides and fungicides.
In the hall on the ground floor and upstairs, there are arcades supported by four columns and eight half columns covered by a wooden ceiling. In the tower in the south side of the building, in the basement, and on the ground floor, a colonnade running along the south and west walls can be found. The arcades are supported by slim iron columns with column heads covered by stylized floral ornamentation.
Cracking is present in the arcades in the hall: a vertical crack running along the arch of the arcades on the ground floor and first floor (located on the south side), 5 mm wide as well as horizontal cracks, 2 mm in width, between the central wall and the arcade covering. Arcades in the south tower are heavily damp due to the leaking terrace.
The construction of inside stairs in the northern part of the building is brick arched, supported by a steel beam with wooden treads and risers. The cast-iron balustrade contains a floral motive. Stairs in the south side of the building-reinforced concrete-were built in the 1980s. The outside stairs are concrete.
The construction of the roof framework is of the rafter-purlin type from pine, comprising a few parts: central, pitched, with the roof ridge perpendicular to the front elevation, and two pitched side parts; the layout of the roof ridges is parallel to the front elevation as well as rafter frameworks over the towers. The roof is covered with roofing felt, with the end walls coped with an attic imitating a crenellation.
The technical condition of the roof framework is varied. Bending and severe dampening of elements occurs locally. Thermal insulation is 5-10 cm thick Styrofoam. The Styrofoam has undergone oxidation. The roof covering of the roofing felt on tar is in bad condition and the boards need to be replaced. The chimneys are in good condition.
The gutters, downpipes, and flashing are of galvanized steel. Missing parts of the gutters and downpipes allow rainwater to penetrate inside, leading to the destruction of outside plasters and the dampening of the walls.
The floor in the rooms of the basements is concrete. On the ground floor and first floor, there are wooden or concrete floors, missing in some of the rooms. In the hall on the ground floor, there is terracotta flooring 17 × 17 cm in size. There is no flooring in the attic. The floors in the basement are damp and cracked. Concrete flooring in the basements requires repairs and patching.
On the ground floor, first floor, and attic, the windows are double-paned, casement, folding with a fanlight, with wooden frames and wooden windowsills. In the basements, the wooden windows are single-pane loom windows. The window openings closed with weather molding on the lower floors are rectangular; on the upper floors they are narrow and ogival. The window frames are from the 1980s. The doors on the ground floor are two-winged; the ones on the first floor and in the attic have not been retained. The front opening has an ogival profile. At the entrance to the balcony are double-winged glazed box doors. Some of the doors on the ground floors are original from the reconstruction that took place in the 19th century. The preserved doors and door frames are partially infested with wood-destroying pests and mechanical damage is visible. The doors require repairs and conservation.
The original plasters were stripped. Currently, the walls are covered by a cement-lime mortar with a thickness of approximately 2 cm, which was laid in the 1980s.
A decorative element on the front elevation (west) is the balcony on supports in the shape of griffins with an openwork balustrade with an oak leaf motif. The structure of the balcony is a flat light masonry slab on steel beams. The architectural details are ceramic. An arms cartouche can be found over the balcony.
Window openings are closed with dripstones. At the level of the ceiling over the ground floor, the elevation is decorated with an inter-story cornice. The windows of the tower are enriched with a kinked profile that is adjacent to the higher part of the frame of the window opening.
In rooms at the level of the basements and ground floor, the walls are covered with a lime-cement and cement-lime mortar (applied in the 1980s), 1.5 cm in thickness. Original cement plaster and polychromes are present on the walls of the stairwell. In wet rooms, the walls are partially covered with ceramic tiles. Damp, numerous cracks, and missing plaster all occur in the rooms of the basements.
The inside walls are not painted. On the walls of the stairwell and arcade columns in the central part of the building are the remains of Neo-Gothic polychromes.
The building contains the remains of a water and sewage service system as well as a very inadequate heating system. The wiring system is damaged, with makeshift connections to the light sources posing a fire hazard.
The wooden ceilings over the ground floor and first floor do not fulfill the specified ultimate limit states of load-bearing capacity, and the immediate renovation of the ceilings in a manner that allows for preserving as much of the historic substance as possible in an unchanged form is recommended.
Missing pieces of ceiling decorations of the decorative coffered ceiling in the entrance hall as well as in the northeast room on the ground floor ought to be completed and impregnation with wood preservative agents carried out. Renovation of the moldings, polychromes, and staircase balustrades inside the building is recommended. The moldings in the room in the southeast corner are in good condition and do not require repairs, whereas moldings over the room of the stairwell are in a bad state; moreover, the ceiling beams and the ceiling need to be replaced. The moldings are prefabricated plaster elements (made according to an architectural template and installed on spot) that ought to be taken down, and put back up after a new ceiling has been constructed. Photographic documentation should be carried out prior to commencing the works. The taken down wood paneling should be subjected to conservation work to fill in the missing elements and put back up in its original place.
The bad technical condition of the roof structure indicates the necessity of immediate repairs to the framework. A new roof cover and thermal insulation of the roof ought to be carried out, replacing all flashing, gutters, and downpipes. The foundation needs to be dried and the building equipped with drainage.
There is vertical and horizontal cracking in the arcades in the hall: a structural crack runs vertically on the arcade parallel to the east wall as well as a horizontal crack between the arcade covering and the southern wall. In an effort to establish the reason behind the existing cracks and scratches, non-destructive tests were carried out. The monitoring of the cracking allowed us to assess the stabilization of the cracks. Control strips were placed on the arcades. The observation of the strips did not reveal shirting. The cracks therefore originate from an earlier period and are currently not expanding, therefore, these can be considered as stabilized.
From the analysis of the building structure, it was determined that the reason behind the cracking is the shifting between the hall and the room covered by the vault. A change in the geometry of the wall is connected with excessive bending of the ceiling and overloading of the pillars on the vault. The emerging cracks in the arcades do not threaten the safety of the structure.
Vertical structural cracks running through the third, fifth, and seventh axis were also observed on the west outside wall. Here too, control strips were placed to determine the dynamics of the cracking. Observation of the strips did not reveal shifting; the cracking therefore originated from an earlier period and is currently not expanding and is stabilized. The structural walls of the building do not reveal any deformation and damage that could threaten the structural safety or the safety of use, disqualifying the building from further service functions.
Renovation of the inside and outside stairs ought to be carried out, and floors and flooring replaced with new ones with the exception of the flooring in the entrance hall; outside plasters need to be repaired to fill in the missing areas. There is also a need to install heating, water and sewage, electrical and lighting protection systems.
The windows should be replaced with new ones, with their designs similar to the original ones. The doors (doors and doorframes) should be subjected to renovation and conservation. Missing doors ought be made according to designs reflecting those of the original doors.
The structure of the balcony slab over the main entrance ought to be reinforced and completed with the preservation of details and cleaned. Sandstone and ceramic elements present in the front elevation (i.e., the arms cartouche, balcony balustrade, stairs, porch column caps, griffins supporting the balcony slab, and terrace balustrade in the southern elevation) should all be subjected to conservation and renovation. The details should be recreated based on the remaining elements. Insulation of the terraces needs to be carried out, the original balustrades restored and missing areas patched up, with the entirety of the balcony subjected to conservation. On the elevations, missing parts of the molding and outside plasters should be patched up.