Fundamental care of a historic building or monument is based on good maintenance, keeping in working order all features and systems which contribute to its protection from adverse conditions. Regular maintenance, in turn, requires a programme of inspection, the frequency of which depends on the condition and complexity of the building.
Components which have failed, or no longer perform their necessary protective or structural function, require repair. This usually entails replacement of some or all constituent parts of a building element with materials which are compatible with the historic structure as a whole. In other instances, it may require treatment by specialist conservation contractors.
There is now a developed body of conservation expertise, based on years of applied practice. English Heritage strives to disseminate this expertise for the maintenance and repair of historic buildings. A comprehensive suite of guidance is being provided in the revised series of 'Practical Building Conservation' to be published in 2012.
However, evolving market and legislative circumstances also require reappraisal of a wide range of topical maintenance and repair issues.
These include:
- changing production, sources and material properties of building materials
- the application of building regulations to historic buildings
- environmental legislation on the formulation and availability of materials
- criteria for material replacement and identification of appropriate replacement materials
These are addressed through guidance notes on individual topics which are downloadable from the separate pages listed on the left.
If you would like any of these attached documents in a different format,
please contact our Customer Services Department:
Telephone: 0870 333 1181
Fax: 01793 414926
Minicom: 0800 015 0516
