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&onservationGuide'ii~:SSafety,~~curity
,
Maintenan.c~
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ConservationGuidelinesFire Safety,Security & Maintenance
Summary of Conservation
Principles. Research rior to planningwork
. Minimum ntervention - repair rather
than replace. Respecthe setting.
Foreword
This seriesof bookletshasbeen producedby
the Departmentof the Environmento
increase wareness f the valueof our
architectural eritageand o provide
informationon the basicprinciplesand
methodsof conservation nd restoration.
The titles in the seriesare listed on the back
of eachbooklet
Summary of Conservation
Procedure. Research nd analyse istory of building
. Surveybuildingand identifyoriginal
material. Planwork accordingo conservation
principles. Use experts where necessary
. Record all work
. nstallmaintenance rocedures.
These exts are not intended o becomprehensiveechnicalor legalguides.The
main aim is to assist rchitects. uilders.
owners and others. n understandinghe
guidingprinciplesof conservation nd
restoration.They will facilitate he
identification f the most common problems
encountered n heritagebuildings. nd
indicate he best solutions. t shouldbe
appreciatedhat specialised spects fconservation nd restorationwill require
professional xpertiseand more detailed
information.
The Departmentacknowledges,ith
appreciation,he efforts of the authorsof the
individual ooklets,he Irish GeorgianSociety
who coordinated heir production, he
ConservationAdvisory Panelestablishedunder he OperationalProgrammeor Local
Urban and RuralDevelopmentand all others
involved.
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ConservationGuidelinesFire Safety,Security & Maintenance
If you are he owner; rustee.curator;director
or manager f a Her'rtage roperty; he primeresponsibilityalls o you to ensure hat the
building.ts contentsand personson the
premises re protected rom the disastrous
consequencesf fire.
FIRE SAFETY
IntroductionFirescan be generatedby a vast rangeof
causesrom a faulty electricalconnection o
lightning. he earlier an outbreak s detected
the better;and he more planningand
procedureshat havebeen put in place, he
better chance here is of limiting he eventual
lossand damage.
The Fire Safety Legislative
FrameworkFire safety egislations primarilyconcerned
with protection of persons rom injury or
death. However; teps aken o protect lifewill also enhanceprotection of a buildingand
its contents.
The purposeof this sectionof the booklet is
to discuss riefly he issueof fire safety n
heritagebuildings. he booklet is one of a
seriesproducedby the Conservation
AdvisoryPanel.o enhanceawareness f
conservationssues. t provides elevant
informationon fire safety egislation nd
policyas t affectsheritagebuildings. t
advocates fire safetyaudit for all such
buildings, nd outlines he procedures
involved.
If the publichaveaccesso a property.
responsibilityor their safety,n accordance
with Section 18 (2) of the Fire Services ct,
1981, allson the premisesproprietor or
'person n control'. The Department of the
Environment aspublisheda seriesof Guides
which give advice o persons n control of
differentcategories f premises, uchas
placesof assembly,otels. lats and nursing
homes.
If alterationworks or a changeof use,e.g.
from a private residenceo an hotel, s
contemplated,hen the provisions f the
BuildingControl Act, 1990, nd associated
Regulations ill apply. Detailsof theseRegulations re availablen a DoE leaflet
entitledA Guide o the BuildingRegulations..One of the principal equirements f the
BuildingControl Regulationss the need o
obtain a Fire SafetyCertificate, n respectof
proposedworks,before work is commenced.
Objectives of Fire Safety
Concernsabout fire safetyprovisionsn
heritagebuildings rise rom a number of
objectives:. Lifesafetyof resident amilyand
emplo)'eeS,nd anyvisitorsor guests
who may be on the property.. Rescue f buildingcontentswhich are
frequentlyvery valuable nd in the'irreplaceable'ategory f consumed n a
fire.. Saving f building abric and structures
of architectural/historic erit which. f
damaged r destroyed. re lost forever:
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ConservationGuide~~~SSafety, ecurity & Maintenance
A fire safetycertificatemay be grantedby
the relevantbuildingcontrol authority with orwithout conditions. r may be refused. f an
applicants unhappywith the outcome,
she/hemay appeal o An Bord Pleanala
within a period of one month beginning n
the day of the decision.
lobby protection of staircases hich
damageshe architecturalntegrityofrooms
sub-dividing rnate halls/stain:aseso
prevent smokemovement
removalof wooden panellingn rooms
or halls
replacing riginalpaneldoors with
formally ated fire-doors.pplicants for a certificate must show how
they propose to meet five functional
requirements of fire safety n the Building
Regulations.This compliance can be
demonstrated by preparing a fire safety
proposal based on a published guidancedocument - TechnicalGuidanceDocument B -
FIRE. r by using alternative solutions
appropriate to the particular building,
provided an equivalent level of safety is
achieved.
It is important that the flexibility s
recognised. nd hat persons esponsibleorformulating ire safetymeasures nsure hat
advantages aken of this flexibility.
Otherwise nsensitive. xpensive nd
damaging orks may be unde.rtaken
needlessly;
Fire Safety EngineeringThe developmentof fire safetyengineering.
basedon a systems' pproach. asgreatly
facilitated he type of functionalapproach
referred o above.
Fire Safety PolicyIn Ireland fire safety requirements are framed
as simple Functional Statements and are not
detailed prescriptive regulations. This policy
allows a flexible approach for meeting fire
safety requirements in individual buildings,and
recognises hat a large proportion of projects
relate to existing buildings. While an
appropriate level of fire safety o satisfy he
functional statement has to be achieved. n
heritage buildings normal fire protectionmeasurescould be damaging f implemented
insensitively.For instance, he following
common measureswould generally require
alternative approaches n heritage buildings. upgrading ire resistanceof existing
floors which threatens decorative ceilings
FireSafetyengineering llows ire safety n a
particularbuilding o be consideredrom first
principles. redicting ire growth and spread.
and calculatinghe time for critical ife safety
conditions o be reached.This enables
tailored package f fire safetymeasureso be
proposed o meet the life safety equirementsof the regulations.Frequentlyhesewill be
basedon early ire detectionand alarm
systems.Firesafetyengineering an be
particularlyuseful n showinghow safety
proposalsn heritagebuildings re equivalent
to solutions n more conventional uildings.
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all cases, s he benefitsof expensiveire
safetyworl<smay be negated f, or instance,
staffare untrained o respond o early
warningof fire.
This discipline asemerged n recent yearsand will continue o develop.As is he case
for other professional ervices,f seeking
advice, eputablepractitionerswith
appropriateexperience houldbe engaged.
Fire Safety Audit ProceduresFire safety should be an integral and
pennanent part of heritage property
operations. The following steps should be
undertaken by owners or heritage property
managers, in association with conservationand other specialist advisers.
General Approach to FireProtectionFire safety is generally recognised as being a
function of three integrated components, and
it is important that the inter-action is
recognised:. passive fire protection, which is the
protection afforded by the buildings
construction features such as sub-
divisions afforded by walls and floors.
. active fire protection. being specific
facilities. such as fire detection and alarm
systems.. building management, which includes
staff training. emergency procedures.
maintenance of the building and its
services, as well as steps taken to
prevent fires occurring.
I Fire Safety Objectives for the
PropertyThe uses o which a building s put will
determine he fire safetyobjectiveswhich
need o be elaborated.For instance,he life
safety isksare different f the publicare
admitted,or if sleeping ccommodations
provided. Likewise surveyof the contentsof the building generally ndertaken or
securitypurposes)will determine he status
to be placedon protecting hese rom
destructionby fire. Similarlya conservation
study and surveywill identifyoriginalbuilding
fabric and structure,which can againbe
assessedor priority in terms of protection
from fire. The decisionsaken at this stage
will in effect determine he nature and evel
of fire protectionwhich will be appropriate n
a heritagebuilding.
The Fire Safety AuditConservation/restoration projects in heritage
buildingswill generally incorporate fire safety
work as an integral part of the project.
However; it is also essential o undertake fire
safety audits of heritage buildings where
works are not necessarilyplanned. Specialist
advice may be necessary o ensure that the
Fire Safety Objectives of adequate life safety.
protected contents. and minimal damage o
building are achieved. Consideration of
building and safety management s critical in
2 Building Survey
If not already available,building plans should
be prepared which can be used in a survey
of the building with fire hazard and fire
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protection n mind. Suchsurveysare
generally est entrusted o competentandexperiencedire protection engineers. he
surveywill highlight he areas n need of
attention.and onn the basis or the Fire
SafetyPlan or the building.
safelyevacuatedf early warning s given o
staff Automatic detectorscan detect a firecondition rom smoke,heat rise or infra-
redlultraviolet adiation rom a fire. The
technology n Fire Detection andAlarm
systemss developing apidly. nd specific
featuressuchas radio-based wireless)
systems, nd air-samplingubes may be
particularlyappropriate o avoiddamage o
building abric or unsightlyntrusion o
ceilings. he specification f fire detection
and alarmsystems houldbe entrusted ocompetent ire protection engineers.
Unlessappropriatemonitoringand response
proceduresare put in place.expensive
detectionsystemswill not function
adequately.Buildings hich are unoccupied
for part of the day shouldbe linked o alarm
monitoringstations.
It is essentialhat routine estingand
maintenance f fire detectionand alarm
systemss carried out in accordancewith
suppliers ecommendations,s a high degree
of reliance or life safetymay be placedon
them.
3 The Fire Safety Plan
The FireSafetyPlanwill become he heritage
property manager's olicy statementon fire
safety. t shouldbuild rom the previous wo
steps, nd orm the basis or the remainingactionpoints.The FireSafetyPlanshould
thereforegenerally ontain he following:. Building ame,description, ses, Fire
SafetyObjectives, swell as he person
responsibleor fire safety. Fire Protection facilities. ncluding
buildingPlans.llustrating scape outes
and ocationof fire protection acilities,
with specificationsf appropriate
. Emergency ction procedures o be
taken by staff n the event of fire. Control sheets o ensure hat required
actionsare aken and overseenat an
appropriate evel.
4 Implementation of Physical Fire
Protection Measures
The following are the common fire
protection features which would be used inheritage properties.
4.2 Compartments to restrict fire spread
The survey of the building will have identified
the points where the building constructionsuch as masonry walls, will provide a barrier
to fire spread. However; all forms of
construction are only as good as their
weakest link in terms of resisting ire spread.
and heritage properties are particularly
prone to having hidden voids, which facilitate
4.1 Fire detection systems
Fire has much less chance of doing great
damage f it is detected and intervention
starts at an early stage.and buildings can be
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can provide solutions o this dilemma,
provided hey are designednto fire safety
and securitysystems.n accordancewith
appropriatecodesof practice. Monitoring
rapid fire and smokespread. It is necessary
to identifysuchpoints of weakness. nd o
provideappropriate ire stoppingmaterials.
and staffing rrangements re also crucial o
resolvinghe competingdemandsof security
and safety.
It is alsonecessaryo identifyboth horizontal
and vertical ire compartments.o be
providedby floors and walls/doors
respectively; hesecompartmentsshouldbe
chosencarefullyo fit to the existingbuilding
form and construction. Enhancement f
constructionmaybeappropriate o achieve
compartmentationn some circumstances.
4.4 First-aid ire fighting
Appropriate irst-aid ire-fighting quipment.
suchas hose reelsand fire extinguishers
shouldgenerally e provided o enable
trained staff o intervene n the early stages
of fire. Fire detectionand alarm systems
providea good possibilityor early and
successfulnterventionwhile the fire is still n
the early stages f growth.
5 Operational Practices
Operationalpracticeswhich avoid hecommon causes f fire shouldbe put in place
as part of the routine buildingoperation.
5.1 Buildingservices
The buildingservices, lectrical, eating, nd
ventilationshouldbe designed nd nstalled
to appropriatestandards.Routinemainten-
anceprogrammes houldbe put in place o
ensure hat they are operatingsafelyand not
posing isk of fire. Likewise, lectrical ittingsand appliances houldbe checked egularly;
4.3 Escape outes
Adequacyof escape outes rom the building
is crucial o ensuring ife safety.The building
survey; ombinedwith the uses o which he
building s put,will determine f escape outes
are adequaten terms of distance o be
travelled o safety,imes aken o evacuatethe occupants, nd protection of escape
routes rom ingress f smoke.The provision
of early detectionand alarm systems
enhanceshe safeuse of escape outes.
Where provisionof additionalescape outes
would conflictwith the conservation
objectivesn a building.t may be necessary
to limit the numberof persons n the building
at one time who can be safelyevacuated
with the existingescape outes.
The needsof securitycan sometimes onflict
wfth fire safety,n that escape outes and exit
doors will be locked o prevent unauthorised
and uncontrolledaccess, nd o protect very
valuable ontents. Electromechanicalnd
electromagneticockingdeviceson exit doors
5.2 Housekeeping .
House-keeping. ncluding he collection and
removal of rubbish and combustible materials,
especially n no,:,-publicareas, s essential o
avoid build up of potential initial sites for fires.
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5.3 Security
It is also mportant hat appropriateconsideration e given o buildingsecurity.
Arson by intrudersposesa threat to heritage
properties.
solvents, nd petrol-engined lant pose
particulardangers n a building. Materialsnotimmediately equired or work shouldbe
stored away rom the building, nd debris and
rubbishshouldbe removed, nd not burned
in the vicinityof the building.
5.4 Smoking
Smoking lso posesa threat to heritage
property. Adopting and enforcinga No
Smoking' olicy s the simplestway of
eliminatinghis risk.
5.7 Lightning
Lightning trikesalsopose a danger o
buildingswhich are prominent n the
surroundingandscape.nd.where
appropriate. uildings houldbe protectedwith earthed ightning onductors..5 Kitchens
Kitchens nd cookingalwayspose a threat of
fire,and t is important that equipment s
appropriateand safe, nd hat staff use t
correctly.Appropriate irst aid fire-fighting
equipmentshouldbe provided n kitchens,
which shouldbe enclosedby fire-resisting
construction, nd monitored by appropriate
(rate of rise) heat detectors.
6. Preparation for Emergencies
An Emergency ction Planshouldbe
preparedand promulgated. imedat ensuring
that staffwill react n a proper way when a
crisisdoes occur: Preplanningor
emergencies nd holdingexercises elps
minimise he confusion hat will occur;and
significantlymproves he probability or safe
evacuation nd of minimising roperty losses.
Cooperationwith local ire brigades,esulting
in pre-fire planning isits o heritage
properties, s alsomost helpful.This enables
fire brigadeso familiarisehemselveswith
building ayout, ocationof water supplies,
priority actions o take in the event of an
incident, nd he persons hey will be dealingwithin the event of a real ire situation, ll of
which enhance he probabilityof effective
intervention. Suchvisitsshouldbe arranged
through he Chief Fire Officer of the local
FireAuthority
5.6 Renovations
Renovationwork posesone the greatest ire
dangerso heritagebuildings. t is essential
that renovation ontractsprovide or safe
work systems, articularlyhot-work suchas
cutting.weldingand gas-burners,nd that fire
extinguishing quipment s available.
Appropriate supervision rocedures hould
be put in placewhile work is on-going.Where possible ire resisting onstruction
shouldbe used o separate onstruction
areas rom the remainderof the building. t
is essentialhat exit routes are not interfered
with, or that alternative outes are provided.
Rammableiquids, uchas paint hinnersor
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The Emergency ction Planshouldcontainthe followingparts:
. takingother pre-planned ction,suchas
first-aid ire-fightingf appropriate. r
priority salvagework. briefing ire brigades f situationon
~~.
6.1 EmergencyOrganisation
bverybodyassociatedith a herrtage u;ld;nghasa part to play n ensuringt is protected
from fire. The emergency rganisation hart
shouldset out the responsibilitiesf each
personand position. Appropriate provision s
needed o ensure hat different evelsof
responsibility re catered or; and hat
supervision rrangements re in place. Each
personshouldhavea check-sheet hich sets
out their individual esponsibility.nd action
points n the event of emergency; t is
important hat new and emporary staffare
properly nducted nto their role in safety
management.
6.2 StaffTrainingWhen responsibility asbeen assignedo
staff; t is vital that they are hen trained o
carry out the assignedoles. Such raining
will dependon the levelof responsibility.nd
may nclude raining or pre-emergency
functions. uchas maintenance nd esting.as
well as actions o take in the event of an
emergen~
6.4 SalvageOperations
An inventoryof contentsand special eatures
shouldbe createdas a record of the building.
and stored n a separateocation. Successful
salvage perations equire mmediateaction.
The Emergency ction Planshould nclude
appropriatesalvage rocedures.Care s
needed o ensure hat salvage oes not pose
an unacceptableisk of injury o persons
involved. r interferewith fire containment
and suppression. he salvage lan should. identifypriority salvage bjectives
. indicatepersons o be involved
. state emporary;safestores or salvaged
goods. explainuse of protectivecoverings
. identifycontractors or temporary
repairs. aim at gettingsecurityand safetyback n
placeas soon as possible.
Dos and Don'tsDo . appreciate hat fires happenand
endangerpeople.heritagebuildingsand heir contents
. undertakea fire safetyaudit and
makea Fire SafetyPlan. et good specialist dvice
. repare or the emergency
Don't. assumet could never happen
6.3 EmergencyOperationsIf a fire occurs, t is vital hat preparations
havebeen made or the followingsteps:. raising he alarm
. calling he fire bri~de
. e:vacuatinghe premises, nd accounting
for all persons
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ConservationGuidelinesFire Safety.Security & Maintenance
Select Bibliography
Bailey,Sir Alan. Fire ProtectionMeasures orthe RoyalPalaces. London, 1993.
SECURITY
IntroductionThe problem of security n heritagebuildings
is becomingmore and more difficult.The
theft of antiqueswhether in the FineArt.
architectural r archaeologicalategory s
escalating t a frightening ate.
Fire ProtectionAssociation.Heritageunder
Fire (A Guide to Fire Protection of Historic
Buildings).London, 1990.
Fine Arts theftIn the areaof works of art, furniture and
paintings. istorichousesand collectionsare
being argeted regularly.Robbery o satisfya
particulardemand s common.with a market
lined up and readyprior to the theft.of a
particularobject. It is known hat separate
gangs re operating n Ireland, ne laying
claim o say.he dining able trade',while
anotherdealsexclusivelyn drawing oom
furniture !
National Fire Protection Association.
Recommended ractice or Protectionof
Historic Structuresand Sites National Fire
Protection Association 913). Mass..U.SA
Code of Practice for the Management of Rre
Safetyn Places of Assembly (199 I )
Departmentof the Environment,
GovernmentPublications alesOffice,Sun
AllianceHouse,Molesworth Street Dublin 2.
Guide to Fire Precautions in Existing Hotels.
Guesthouses and Similar Premises (1989)Departmentof the Environment,
GovernmentPublications alesOffice.Sun
AllianceHouse,Molesworth Street,Dublin 2
BuildingRegulations echnicalGuidanceDocumentB - Fire (199 I) Department of the
Environment, overnment PublicationsSales
Office, Sun Alliance House, Molesworth
Street, Dublin 2.
Security or the historichome owner is
difficult. In order to claimany of the tax
reliefscurrentlyon offer;public accesss a
requirement.This means, f course, hat
would-be hievescan gainentry to eannark
what might be stolen at a later date.
Owners may view this as an unacceptable
risk and close heir doors, hus losingsome
incomevital for their upkeepof the property.
When this happenshe tourist industry
suffersaswell, as heritageproperties drawgreat numbersof visitors.
Architectural theftThe market for architectural salvagehas
become so buoyant in recent years that
supply is falling far behind demand. This has
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resulted n thefts of architecturalixturesandfittings eaching pidemicproportions.Buildings avealwaysbeen vulnerable ovandalism lead hieveswere at work in the
I 8th century.
Action(i) Inform ocalGardaiStation(ii) contactArt LossRegister: ome stolen
piecesare recovered, ome ost forever:The Arts LossRegisters a majorresource n terms of identifyingandrecovering tolen pieces.At theirheadquartersn London,detailsandphotographs f stolen objectsare kepton a computer data base.The mainauction rooms regularlyuse his facility
to check he credentials f piecesputup for sale,and owners use t in an
effort to track down stolen goods.
Todaymarblechimneypiecesnd gratesareat the top of the list. ollowed by doors,doorcases, taircase alusters, arvedbrackets, huttersand evenwhole panelledrooms! External eaturessuchas doorcases,
fanlights, ate piers,stone urns,gatesandrailings re at risk. In the caseof ruined or
derelict buildings, teps,window sills,floorboards, aving labsand gardenseats
quicklydisappear: Dos and Don'tsDo . put together dentification
informationon high risk objects. store such nformationaway rom
building.
Don't. switch off alam1 ystemsunnecessarily.ven or short periods. neglect o run regularmaintenance
checkson all alam1 ystems.
Sources of InformationThe Council or the Protectionof Irish
HeritageObjectsTel. 044 66344 Fax. 044 66245
Art loss Register
13.GrosvenorPlace.ondon SW I X 7HHTel. 0044 171235 3303Fax. 0044 171235 1652
Prevention and Protection(i) Havephotographsaken of any object
of high risk.suchas urniture.paintings.chimneypiecesnd tems of decorative
art. Store negatives way rom building.(ii). take basicmeasurements f high risk
objectsand record any ndividualmarkings. olour;wood grain.cracksorstains. Store nformationaway rom
building.(iii) take advice rom securityexperts n
conjunctionwith the localgardai. ndinstalla burglaralarm system ailored othe requirements f the houseand
occupants.(iv) switchon alarmat all times of risk.
Architectural tems are most at risk fthe building s empty after a sale. o acaretaker houldbe employedduringthis period.
(v) put in placeprocedures or regularchecksof fire safetyand securitysystemsand updatingof emergency lans.
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parapetwalls shouldbe checked egularly;
Care shouldbe taken hat gutters and pipesare not blocked hus causing build-uporoverflow of water: They shouldbe carefullymaintained nd checkedon a Tlar basis.
Pipesmay racture due to weatherconditions, r get damaged y laddersor
scaffolding.
MAINTENANCEIntroductionMaintenance an be taken o mean heongoingcare and conservation f an historicbuilding.Once the conservation rrestorationwork is complete.and he
1.1 ..ellll' ..tll~I."I"I. 810
appropriate ire preventionand securitysystems avebeen put in place.maintenancetakesover he lead role in the conservationof the fabric of the building.
In the forgoingsectionson Fire SafetyandSecurity he importanceof monitoring iredetectionand burglaralarmsystems asbeen stressed.ogether with the need orroutine esting.and he identification ndbriefingof specificpersonnel o carry outthese asks.This sectiondealsbriefly with themaintenance f the actual abric.
Paintwork should be examined for signsof
rust It can be difficult to paint between
downpipes and the wall but this is the most
vulnerable area and must be protected.
See booklet No. 0 Roofsand RainwaterGoods.
A twice yearly nspectionof the root;internallyand externally.or cracks, oles,damp imbers and cloggedguttersand pipesshouldsuffice o avoid any major problems.These nspections hould deally ake place nthe springafter the wet winter;and autumn
after the leaves ave allen. Interiminspections re recommended fter severegalesor frost
Most problemswhich occur n the fabric of abuildingstem rom the ingress f water or
damp.and ackof ventilation.
DampThe basic ule is o avoiddamp getting ntothe building. t weakensimber and causesrot, rustsmetal and can damagebrickwork
Brickwork and stoneworkDamaged tonesor spalledbricks,where thesurfacehasdisintegrated.houldbe repaired.if possible. r replaced.f necessaryOtherwisewater will find easyaccessntothe building. Mortar decays nd may needrepairingor repointing. Repairof brickworkor stoneworkwithout pinpointing he causeof the deterioration s a useless xercise.Theuseof lime insteadof cement n the repair ofpointingor renderingwill usually dd greatlyto the healthand wellbeingof the house.SeebookletsNo.4 Mortars,PointingRenders nd No.8 Brickwork Stonework.
Roofs and guttersRoof imbers are vulnerableas he roof is themost likelyplacewhere water penetration
mayoccur; o great vigilances necessaryboth externallyand n the roof space.Anydamageo roof coverings houldbe repairedimmediately:Slatesare very resistantowater but can be damaged.All cracked,slippedor broken slates houldbe repairedor put back nto position mmediately.Flashing round chimneys, utters and
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Ironwork
Conservatories,ron railings nd gatesshouldbe subject o regular nspection, leaning ndpainting.Paintworkshouldbe examined orsignsof rust,which indicate hat moisture s
enteringwith resultantdamage.Seebooklet
No. 13 Ironwork
Action
. Act promptly f a problem occurs- thesooner he job is done the lessdamageto the historic abric and he less
expense ncun"ed.
. makesure he origin of the problem has
been ocatedand dealt with in
appropriate ashion.. employ professional elp,asvirtually all
repair obs require suchassistance. nexperiencedprofessional ho is
sympathetico both the owner and thehouse s of vital importance f work hasto be carriedout. This cannot be
stressed tronglyenough.
Dos and Don'tsDo . check oofs.gutters and pipes
regularly. ct promptly. f a problem accurs.
Don't. seala building, y the use of
hen-neticallyealedwindows,blocked-off lues,etc.,as his may
causeseverecondensation roblems.
VentilationGood ventilation s of vital importance, s itencourages vaporationand lessenshe
likelihoodof condensation. hich can causedecayand damage.Gaps n the eaves. ndairbricks. ill ensureadequate entilationofthe roof space. Roomsneed ventilation, swell,and chimney luesand air bricksprovideit naturally.Checkall air bricks egularly orblockage nd, f there havebeen ateradditions o the house, t is wise o checkthat the new constructionhasnot sealedoffany airbricks.Blocking ff flues may causeventilationproblems.Abrupt changes f
temperaturecan also cause ondensation.Alow constant emperature s preferable o
burstsof excessive eat.
Select BibliographyDavey;Heath et ai,(eds.). TheCareandConservationf Georgian ouses(ArchitecturalPress).Oxford. 1986.
Saunders, atthew. TheHistoricHome
OWner's ompanion. ondon, 1987.
Prevention. Provideeasyaccessnto roof spaceand
on to roof: Inspect egularlyandprovideduckboards nd roof ladders o
preventdamage.. checkguttersand downpipes
particularlyafter storms.. provideadequate entilationand
constant ow temperature o avoid
condensation.. checkdangerpoints or signsof damp.
cracks.ust or warping.
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