New SPAB book on repairing old houses

[Nemesis]

Published October:

http://www.spab.org.uk/html/publications/old-house-handbook/?PHPSESSID=b78db0a9c7ffe882c82aff4c8f5e89bc

Old House Handbook
A Practical Guide To Care And Repair

Roger Hunt and Marianne Suhr

In association with the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
“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 in 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
Whether you want simply to maintain an old building or are taking on a wreck in need of major work, there is no shortage of information available; the problem is that much of the advice is outdated, overly invasive or simply lacks detail. Here, for the first time, is an authoritative guide on how to look after your old house – be it an early timber framed cottage or an Edwardian terrace.

Old House Handbook offers highly practical ‘nuts and bolts’ guidance based on experience. Taking their lead from the conservation philosophy of the SPAB (which has approved this book), the authors’ approach is one of respect, restraint and repair rather than ‘restoration’ which can so easily and permanently destroy the rich historical legacy of old buildings. Importantly the emphasis is on helping you get it right first time round, rather than having to live with the consequences of expensive and potentially irreversible ‘mistakes’.

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, Old House Handbook provides deeply informed no-nonsense advice. It is essential reading on maintenance and repair for all those with an old house.
Contents

1. Look before you leap
2. Getting the work done
3. Breathability and damp
4. Walls
5. Structural movement
6. Roofs
7. Timber and carpentry
8. Solid floors
9. Chimneys, flues and fireplaces
10. Windows, doors and joinery
11. Plasters, renders and roughcast
12. Paints and finishes
13. Building services
14. Living for today and tomorrow


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 contributes to a wide range of 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.

Publication Details:
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
ISBN: 978 0 7112 2772 9
Format: 267 mm x 250 mm (10.5 inches x 9.9 inches)
Binding: Hardback - 204 pages, 450 colour photos and illustrations

Old House Handbook is published on 23 October by Frances Lincoln at £25 and can be pre-ordered for £20.00. Visit http://www.franceslincoln.com/Book/6014/0/ and type ‘OldHouse08’ in the promo code space in the check-out basket. Your credit card will not be charged until the book is available. Or call 01235 827702 between 9-5 Monday to Friday and quote reference 46OHCR. Postage and packaging for UK orders is free.

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.

 

[Schoolmarm]

Ordered!! Yaaaay!

 

[Agu]

What is the definition of old?? Is it more for houses built 200 years ago, or 100 years ago or longer or all of the above? The reason I ask is my house was built in 1892, would it be suitable - I assume so but not sure

 

[Nemesis]

As I have placed an order but not yet read the book I can't be definitive, but the advance publicity suggests it is suitable for all tradionally built homes, including Victorian and Edwardian.

...an authoritative guide on how to look after your old house – be it an early timber framed cottage or an Edwardian terrace.

I think the main thing to remember is that the book begins with the SPAB sound conservation principles of sensitive repair - not rip out as once historic fabric is gone it cannot be put back, and deals with the appropriate materials etc to use which won't cause long term damage, and how to approach repair.

 

[KayW]

Amazon have an offer of £16.50 plus free delivery if choose right option - have ordered - looks good.

 

[KayW]

Book just arrived from Amazon - and have to say for a novice like me with a timberframed house it looks very good. Lots of diagrams and explanation which are very user friendly. Most of the advice you can gleam from this forum (and perhaps thats why I found it so easy to follow) but it helps to see picutres of the work being done and diagrams of how things fit together. Would highly recommend for a novice Good practical guidance. For you PPUK longtimers - I think it may be a bit basic and just back up what you have been saying all along.

Have just started to remove the cement render on our house in stages and going well. Everything from knee height up looks fab - sole plates are another story :shock: - even our very conservative advisor agreed a long length would have to be replaced. Its a big shock when the inside looks okay but it has rotted from the outside leaving nothing but a facade. What a great job cement render does. Hmmm.

Have spent the summer doing groundworks (in the rain ) and some landscaping, back to actually working on the house now - will certainly be in need for more advice from you all soon :

K