Conservation Guidelines Fire Safety Security and Maintenance

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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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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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ConservationGuidelinesFire Safety.Security & Maintenance

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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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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ConservationGuide~rr:SSafety.Security & Maintenance

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

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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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Conservation Guidelines Fire Safety Security and Maintenance

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Transcript of Conservation Guidelines Fire Safety Security and Maintenance