Review
Provides richly and deeply informed practical guidance to preserve the rich legacy of any old building. (Scottish Sunday Mail )
A sumptuous, yet immensely practical book which should inspire legions of people foolish enough to dream of buying an old, rundown house during a property slump. (Oxford Times )
A starting point, rather than the complete answer. It shows what is possible, when to seek help, and how to carry out minor repairs of your own… It will provide the inspiration to make the rundown house they have just bought into the home they always wanted. (Ham & High )
Anyone who works on old buildings or who lives in one must buy and then use this book. It is immensely practical, properly and helpfully illustrated and is a fitting up-to-date summary of SPAB scholarship and current thinking. This brilliant volume is the manual we've been waiting for. (Kevin McCloud, Grand Designs )
This book is exactly what it says on the cover - a Practical Guide to Care and Repair of Old Houses, and it is a good, well-written beautifully illustrated book based in deep experience and passion for the subject. To produce something so complete and accessible is rare. I can only say to the authors: well done indeed. (Building Limes Forum Newsletter )
"Location, location, location" used to be the rally cry when it came to property but this year we want people to think "maintenance, maintenance, maintenance!" (Loughborough Echo )
A sumptuous, yet immensely practical book which should inspire legions of people foolish enough to dream of buying an old, rundown house during a property slump. (Oxford Times )
A starting point, rather than the complete answer. It shows what is possible, when to seek help, and how to carry out minor repairs of your own… It will provide the inspiration to make the rundown house they have just bought into the home they always wanted. (Ham & High )
Anyone who works on old buildings or who lives in one must buy and then use this book. It is immensely practical, properly and helpfully illustrated and is a fitting up-to-date summary of SPAB scholarship and current thinking. This brilliant volume is the manual we've been waiting for. (Kevin McCloud, Grand Designs )
This book is exactly what it says on the cover - a Practical Guide to Care and Repair of Old Houses, and it is a good, well-written beautifully illustrated book based in deep experience and passion for the subject. To produce something so complete and accessible is rare. I can only say to the authors: well done indeed. (Building Limes Forum Newsletter )
"Location, location, location" used to be the rally cry when it came to property but this year we want people to think "maintenance, maintenance, maintenance!" (Loughborough Echo )
Review
Provides richly and deeply informed practical guidance to preserve the rich legacy of any old building. Scottish Sunday Mail A sumptuous, yet immensely practical book which should inspire legions of people foolish enough to dream of buying an old, rundown house during a property slump. Oxford Times A starting point, rather than the complete answer. It shows what is possible, when to seek help, and how to carry out minor repairs of your own! It will provide the inspiration to make the rundown house they have just bought into the home they always wanted. Ham & High Anyone who works on old buildings or who lives in one must buy and then use this book. It is immensely practical, properly and helpfully illustrated and is a fitting up-to-date summary of SPAB scholarship and current thinking. This brilliant volume is the manual we've been waiting for. Kevin McCloud, Grand Designs This book is exactly what it says on the cover - a Practical Guide to Care and Repair of Old Houses, and it is a good, well-written beautifully illustrated book based in deep experience and passion for the subject. To produce something so complete and accessible is rare. I can only say to the authors: well done indeed. Building Limes Forum Newsletter "Location, location, location" used to be the rally cry when it came to property but this year we want people to think "maintenance, maintenance, maintenance!" Loughborough Echo
Product Description
Here, for the first time, is a completely authoritative guide on how to look after your old house - whether it's a timber framed medieval cottage, an eighteenth century urban terrace or an example of Victorian or Edwardian speculative development.
Taking their lead from the conservation approach of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (who have approved and authorised this volume), the approach is one of respect, restraint and repair rather than 'restoration' which can so easily and permanently destroy the rich historical legacy of any old building.
From the foundations to the roof, from the need for modern services to the maintenance of traditional paintwork and finishes, from windows and doors to breathability and damp in walls and floors, this book provides richly and deeply informed practical guidance. It will be essential reading for anyone with an old house in need of any kind of repair or maintenance.
‘For any of us working on or living in old buildings, this brilliant and properly illustrated volume is the manual we’ve been waiting for. Thank you SPAB.’
Kevin McCloud, Presenter of Grand Designs, Channel 4
Taking their lead from the conservation approach of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (who have approved and authorised this volume), the approach is one of respect, restraint and repair rather than 'restoration' which can so easily and permanently destroy the rich historical legacy of any old building.
From the foundations to the roof, from the need for modern services to the maintenance of traditional paintwork and finishes, from windows and doors to breathability and damp in walls and floors, this book provides richly and deeply informed practical guidance. It will be essential reading for anyone with an old house in need of any kind of repair or maintenance.
‘For any of us working on or living in old buildings, this brilliant and properly illustrated volume is the manual we’ve been waiting for. Thank you SPAB.’
Kevin McCloud, Presenter of Grand Designs, Channel 4
About the Author
Roger Hunt studied stage management at drama school and has worked in film, television and photography. A major turning point in his life was attending a weekend homeowners' course run by the SPAB. Loving history and having been intrigued by building techniques and materials since childhood, he then started writing about old buildings and their construction. He now contributes to magazines on old and new buildings, history and, more recently, sustainability issues. He is the author of Rural Britain: Then & Now, Villages of England and Hidden Depths: an archaeological exploration of Surrey's past.
Marianne Suhr, MRICS, SPAB Lethaby Scholar, is a Chartered Building Surveyor specialising in the repair of historic buildings. After completing a scholarship with the SPAB she worked for seven years in architectural practice, then concentrated on hands-on repair projects including three very different old houses. She was a co-presenter of three series of BBC2's Restoration and has also fronted the Discovery series, Project Restoration. She works part-time for the SPAB, running workshops around the country, teaching builders, home-owners and architects how to repair old buildings properly.
Marianne Suhr, MRICS, SPAB Lethaby Scholar, is a Chartered Building Surveyor specialising in the repair of historic buildings. After completing a scholarship with the SPAB she worked for seven years in architectural practice, then concentrated on hands-on repair projects including three very different old houses. She was a co-presenter of three series of BBC2's Restoration and has also fronted the Discovery series, Project Restoration. She works part-time for the SPAB, running workshops around the country, teaching builders, home-owners and architects how to repair old buildings properly.
