Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair - Hardcover

Roger Hunt; Marianne Suhr

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0711227721 ISBN 13: 9780711227729

Publisher: Frances Lincoln Publishers, 2008

Synopsis

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

About this title

Review:

Provides richly and deeply informed practical guidance to preserve the rich legacy of any old building. --Scottish Sunday Mail

This no nonsense guide is essential for any period-home owner. --Homebuilding and Renovating

Thorough, careful and orthodox account of the various processes involved in repair and refurbishment. A useful handmaid for someone setting out to do work on an old building. --Victorian

About the Author:

Roger Hunt studied stage management at drama school and has worked n 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.

About this edition

• Publisher: Frances Lincoln Publishers
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0711227721
• ISBN 13: 9780711227729
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 208