Top Tips For Looking After Historic Buildings

Renovating historic or listed buildings can be quite tricky and if you’re the custodian of such a site, it’s essential that you know what you’re doing and what your particular responsibilities are in this regard.

The Historic England website is an incredible resource for anyone embarking on a restoration project, no matter how big or small. It explains the various approaches to repair that you can adopt, helping you get off on the right foot at the outset.

As the organisation explains, you should only use techniques and materials that are appropriate to the fabric of the building, either the same as the parent material or something that has technically and aesthetically compatible properties if the original material isn’t available.

The idea behind any and all interventions is to maximise the life expectancy of the building in line with sustaining the significance of the property. It is also important to make sure that interventions are reversible or retreatable at the very least, while not prejudicing future interventions as and when these are required.

Keeping adequate records is also necessary and these should be made available for others to use, with interventions contributing to the sustainability of future management and maintenance where necessary.

If you’re keen to make your site more energy efficient, Historic England also has a section covering this on its website. Advice includes understanding the significance of the building and any harm that could be done because of the changes being made.

It is also necessary to understand how local environmental factors will influence the buildings, including wind, rain and sun.

With just a little bit of research and preparation, you should be able to successfully restore your particular building - and you can easily get in touch with the team here at Ovolo if you need any help with cornice restoration in London.