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- Beetles can be a threat to old buildings but sound timbers and old woodworm holes are sprayed unnecessarily when a building changes hands.
- Thatched roofs are one of the most evocative symbols of the British countryside; thatched buildings are our best-loved.
- In the 1980s the SPAB helped prevent an EU ban on lead paint. This article explains how it can be used safely in conserving old buildings.
- The future of a hugely significant Devon longhouse dating from the late 14th century was made more secure this weekend after a group of volunteer architects and building craftspeople, alerted by SPAB, gave their time to carry out vital repairs.
- The flood risk is increasing – but there are fears that damage to old buildings is being compounded by unsuitable responses promoted by many insurance companies, loss adjusters and contractors.
- People often don’t realise they have tuck pointing – because it’s a deliberate deceit, done not to be noticeable! Due to this, and the fact that tuck pointing demands great skill, it is sometimes replaced with unsuitable forms of joint finish.
- Repair not replace. Imperfections can contribute to historical interest and should not necessarily be eradicated - or used as a reason to lay a new floor when repairs are often feasible.
- This article weighs up the merits of installing thermal insulation above ceilings in the lofts of old buildings – including those with tile or slate roofs.
- A vernacular roof covering, once found across Europe and North America on a wide variety of buildings, can offer a highly pleasing effect. Yet shingles are practical and durable too.
- Parge-work is seen to best effect when the sun is out, when light and shade on its three-dimensional form leads to subtle changes in the appearance of a building throughout the day.
- This guidance note explores the challenges that arise from timber-framed construction, how to analyse and repair timber frames and more.
- This article reveals the hidden truths behind wattle and daub, brick ‘nogging’, and other materials used in walling.
- High up, largely out of site, is some of our oldest wood craftsmanship. This article explores why timber roofs are worth conserving.
- Advice on considering heritage when installing electricity into old buildings and why this work requires extra skill.
- Sometimes strengthened without good reason, or destructively levelled out, old floors are an oft-abused treasure. This article explains how best to treat them.
- Guidance on the causes of, and remedies for, the emission of smoke and fumes from fireplaces into rooms.
- This advice note sets out the key themes that emerge when caring for one of a historic building’s finest – yet very often overlooked – architectural assets.
- This advice note explores the do’s and don’t’s of caring for an often overlooked architectural asset.
- It is, perhaps, Britain’s most underrated building material – a simple solution worthy of better understanding. Find out what weatherboarding is and how to maintain it.
- This is the installation of thermal insulation at the level of rafters – the inclined timber members that form the top of the frame supporting a pitched roof.
- It’s often possible to take measures to protect old buildings against frost and snow damage – and the cost of doing so can be small compared to the expense of repairs.
- Solid, secure, unchanging? The permanence of old stone can be deceptive. Even one of the toughest of traditional building materials needs monitoring, maintenance and, at times, sensitive repairs.
- This article explores the options for suspended timber floor insulation in historic buildings.
- Old gypsum plaster floors are often unrecognized and frequently mistaken for later concrete. This places them under the constant threat of damage or destruction despite their historic importance and general serviceability.