Maintenance of Historic Buildings
The principle of ‘staving off repair by daily care’ was succinctly defined by William Morris in the nineteenth century, but is still one that insufficiently influences heritage management policy or the taxation structure today. Regrettably, much neglect of historic buildings has been due to a failure to appreciate how relatively simple, regular preventative maintenance should be undertaken. This has not only obvious economic dimensions: the avoidance of costly and often unnecessary repair and need to be more cost effective; but also cultural, social and sustainability aspects: the deceleration of the passage of inexorable decay, ensuring that the vulnerable components of historic architectural fabric survive for present and future generations to enjoy. Maintenance is therefore one of the most important activities involved in the care of historic buildings, but one largely ignored by policy makers and many practitioners.
Unsurprisingly, the Society of the Protection of Ancient Buildings, for which Morris was Secretary, and the charity Maintain Our Heritage have long championed the virtues of maintenance. Their promotion of Annual Maintenance Week – incorporating National Gutter Clearance Day – each November is a meritorious and expanding initiative that deserves much more widespread adoption and support.
In Europe, the adoption of cyclical inspection and good housekeeping has been successfully implemented by Monumentenwacht in Holland and is widely admired and adopted elsewhere. Sadly, this approach has had insufficient influence in Britain despite the best endeavors of Maintain Our Heritage. Their comprehensive research published almost a decade ago helped define the British cultural, organizational and fiscal impediments to better practice adoption, but has led to no sea-change of attitudes. Apart from initiatives particularly aimed at parish churches, good practice examples have been scarce and documentation setting out sound, accessible, comprehensive, practical advice has generally been lacking until now.
Donhead are to be congratulated for publishing this significant and timely addition to the literature. It is the best current guide to rigorous, methodical evaluation of the maintenance needs of historic buildings – especially the requirements for long-term care once a building has been refurbished. This book provides a comprehensive rationale for reversing the all-too pervasive practice of carrying out major repairs in response to a lack of maintenance, but then ignoring the continuing after-care necessary to avoid a repetition of the maintenance problems responsible for the initial decay.
The systematic approach is particularly useful when applied to large or complex buildings, but could equally be applied to a historic building of any size. The author, Jürgen Klemisch, is an architect and project manager specializing in the renovation of historic buildings for the Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz (DSD) [the German Foundation for Monument Protection]. He has distilled in this book the experience he has gained, particularly in the rehabilitation of neglected castles, palaces, manor houses and stately homes that became part of the re-united Federal Republic of Germany after 1989. The content has also been informed by discussions with and feedback from the National Trust.
The book is in two parts: maintenance instructions for use by occupiers, and condition surveys for use by owners or managers. Almost two-thirds of the book is devoted to helpful checklists in the form of work cards detailing routine cleaning, deep cleaning, inspection, servicing and redecoration; and spreadsheets to assist in planning the processes thoroughly. By following the guidance methodically, a definitive logbook can be assembled covering all maintenance needs, including the timing of repairs and accurate budgeting.
The English translation is excellent and the layout is a model of clarity. The book deserves the widest possible audience to ensure that all those charged with managing our huge and diverse legacy of heritage assets not only review their needs systematically but also actively promote and implement the procedures that will defer or prevent the expensive and unnecessary major repairs which would otherwise lead to these becoming at-risk or worse.
Thoroughly recommended.
Bob Kindred MBE, BA, IHBC, MRTPI
Head of Conservation, Urban Design and Planning Policy for Ipswich Council; Special Heritage Advisor to the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee
