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Traditional Building Owners

Our towns, villages and city centres have a wealth of diverse buildings and structures that have been constructed over the centuries that add character to our streetscapes. These include many properties that date from before 1919 and which are often referred to as ‘Traditional Buildings’.

In some cases traditional buildings are ‘Listed’ by the Local Authority or the Scottish Government due to their construction or character being of national or local interest. Changes to these Listed buildings is carefully controlled and supervised by Conservation Bodies and usual planning and development rules do not apply. Owners of Listed buildings are regarded as being their ‘Custodians’, and responsible for preserving their heritage significance before passing them on to future owners.

While a small proportion of properties have Statutory Listing, there are many traditional properties that do not. This means owners do not face the same restrictions that would apply to owners of Listed properties, but they should think carefully when considering making changes to their appearance. As is often the case in life, the fact we can do certain things does not mean they are the right thing to do.

Careless or ill-judged changes to traditional properties, which typically have stone walls, slated roofs, painted timber doors and windows, and timber floors, can lead to ‘unsympathetic’ changes to the outward appearance of the building, and in some cases damaging effects on the structure.

We have the knowledge and expertise to help traditional building owners to understand the special challenges involved in maintaining and altering buildings of traditional construction.

We can provide help and advice to building owners who are planning to upgrade insulation or install heat pumps to make their properties more sustainable. Older buildings often need to ‘breathe’, and applying modern techniques to traditional buildings can result in unwanted and damaging side-effects.

Typical Services for owners of Traditional Buildings include:

Investigating Property Defects and Failures
We are specialist in building pathology and identifying causes of construction defects and can specify necessary remedial works. Where possible we correct poor design detailing to avoid repeated premature failure.
Preparing Detailed Descriptions of Work
Our training and knowledge of traditional building techniques such as natural slating, leadwork detailing and working with natural stone allows us to prepare clear and detailed specifications for use by suitably qualified contractors with experience working on buildings of this kind.
Procurement of Tenders / Quotes
We can prepare necessary documentation and obtain tenders and quotations. We check tenders and quotes received and recommend acceptance of the best submission.
Works Supervision
We can supervise site works to ensure compliance with specification and workmanship quality. We deal with technical queries and liaise with Contractors to ensure clear channels of communication and swift resolution of any issues. We keep our clients fully informed at all stages of the process.

We are passionate about the need to look after our built heritage and we welcome calls from owners of traditional properties who take a like-minded approach.  We would be happy to discuss your requirements and initial advice is free.

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