Can anyone suggest a good book with regards to old buildings renovation. Our new project is late 17th Century and in need of love and attention.
We obviously want to do stuff that will allow the building to "live" the way it was intended. If anyone has any suggested books or websites they can point us to with regards to building practices over the centuries it would be most useful.
Cheers Pete
|Can anyone suggest a good book with regards to old buildings renovation. |Our new project is late 17th Century and in need of love and attention.
As the building is Listed, English Heritage have the veto on anything you do, and *must* be consulted about any plans. AFAIK they are amiable lot, call them in *now* and explain what you hope to do, they have a lot of expertise.
|We obviously want to do stuff that will allow the building to "live" the |way it was intended.
English Heritage's policy is that they would prefer to find another use for Listed buildings, because doing nothing causes them to fall down.
|If anyone has any suggested books or websites they can point us to with |regards to building practices over the centuries it would be most useful.
I strongly recomend the SPAB weekend course on restoration
Well, you won't be allowed to. Even though it's your house and your money. Some middle class twonk with an Oxbridge degree in history will insist it is renovated in whatever way he thinks.
You'd be better off "accidentally" burning it down, then taking the insurance money and walking away.
Nah, it's got far too much potential ,and that would not be good for the attached neighbours either side.
We can do "essential maintenance" I believe, which should cover most essential things that need sorting out.
Yes, but it's a matter of convincing the conservation officer to allow you to use a discreetly-positioned RSJ to hold the roof up instead of reclaimed Armada ships' timbers hand-adzed by Aberdonian virgins.
'Cos you'll not find many of them down the builders' merchants.
(Not many reclaimed ships' timbers either. (Woo-hoo!))
Owain
Yes I've heard good reports of these courses
The SPAB site is generally the best place to start looking for books too. They also produce several leaflets which inform you enough to stop you doing things totally wrongly but sadly for you the leaflets are not so hot on techniques for the DIYer
I'm not aware of any old house equivalent to the Readers Digest DIY book (maybe there is a gap in the market there!) but feel free to ask if you have any specific questions - I can probably point you in the right direction to find out
Conservation Officers / Listed Building Officers are not ogres but make sure you talk to them about your plans while you are still at the thinking stage because for sure they will not be happy if you do things detrimental to the future life of the building - and they are likely to have decided (and sometimes unexpected) opinions about what changes are acceptable
Anna ~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England |""""| ~ Lime plaster repair and conservation / ^^ \ // Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc |____|
We're not doing (planning on doing) anything too radical. Externally it is cement rendered which has been cement patched, but gone hollow in many places and cracked in quite a few more, so initially we would be looking at removing the cement stuff and contracting a specialist to lime mortar (or whatever) the outside.
Likewise, inside, one wall (internal) 90% of the plaster (including modern pink stuff) has come away through water, and the removal of at least 4 layers of heavily painted wall paper, leaving the original fireplace opening ready to remove the 1960's fire place.
Apart from that, and replacing some rotten floor boards, we are not planning anything to ambitious. Replacement of the broken bathroom furniture in the "lean-to".
I'm sure we'll get it sorted without too much bother. :¬)
Cheers Pete
Yeah, but it's a good idea to speak to the conservation officer at the LA though if at all possible, unless it is really urgent and essential.. Otherwise there is the possibility that you do something which leads to a dispute later - and once it's done they won't be able to see what it was like before.
We have to do some repairs to our Victorian conservatory - rotting timbers etc. It doesn't need listed building consent, but I got the bod to come round had look and a chat about the likely work, he took a few piccies, we exchanged letters re the work to be done
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