Established 1893 | BS 460:2002 Certified | UK & International Supply | Expert Technical Support | 0333 987 4452
Traditional cast iron guttering was chosen for its durability as well as beauty, and when maintained can last 100+ years, but this does not make
Historic England’s guidance on rooflights is crucial for anyone involved in the preservation of listed buildings and conservation areas. While there is no single rooflight policy, the principles outlined across various documents emphasize that new rooflights can potentially harm a building’s significance.
Discover the intricate world of parapet gutters and flat roof drainage on historic buildings, from Georgian terraces to Victorian bathhouses. This technical guide delves into the hidden mechanisms that keep these architectural marvels dry, exploring the construction and maintenance of box gutters, valley gutters, and lead flats.
Hopper head capacity is determined less by how much water the head can hold than by how much it can discharge. A hopper is a collecting box: water rises inside it until the depth above the outlet pushes the incoming flow down the pipe.
A field checklist for builders, roofers and heritage contractors: how to identify the gutter profile and pipe size, count every length and fitting, record brackets, offsets and hopper heads, photograph the right details, and know when to book a site survey instead.
Bespoke and purpose-made conservation rooflights for listed buildings: made to measure, bespoke design, or copying an original cast iron rooflight.
Planning authorities publish their own rules on rooflights, and they differ in the detail. This chapter brings together the written guidance of more than twenty
What a conservation rooflight actually costs once the unit, the opener, the flashings, the fitting and the consent are added up. Prices are taken from
A conservation rooflight only looks right if it sits properly in the roof covering around it. This chapter takes each common historic roof covering in
Every conservation rooflight on the market is a copy of the Victorian cast iron original. This chapter is about the originals themselves: how to recognise
How socketed LCC, push-fit Traditional Express, coupling-jointed BS 416 mechanical pipe and socketless EN 877 soil and drain differ, and which one belongs on which building.
Cast iron gutters, downpipes and hopper heads for listed buildings across Somerset and Bath. UNESCO World Heritage Site, BANES, Exmoor NPA.
Cast iron gutters and downpipes for listed buildings in Shropshire. Ludlow Conservation Area, black-and-white timber framing, sandstone vernacular.
Black is a twentieth-century default, not a historic rule. This guide sets out the evidence for historic ironwork colours and matches Georgian, Regency, Victorian, Edwardian and Arts and Crafts buildings to specific colours from our 38-colour linseed oil paint chart.
Specifying cast iron radiators for listed buildings: consent triggers, a step-by-step process, original radiators, reversible installs and heat pump sizing.
Cast iron radiators for cottages: low and slim patterns, sizing small and open-plan rooms, inglenook and reveal positions, and care for breathable walls.
Cast iron radiators for Georgian houses: restrained column patterns, sizing for tall rooms, positions that respect shutters and panelling, and listed buildings.
Plan cast iron radiators early in a period renovation: sequence with insulation and floors, size every room, route pipes gently and choose finishes.
Cast iron radiators for a Victorian terrace: sizing for solid walls and high ceilings, bay and alcove positions, pipe routes, finishes and original radiators.
What size cast iron radiator does a period home need? Calculate heat loss in watts, correct for ΔT and count sections — with a worked Victorian example.
How to size cast iron radiators for a period room: heat loss, BS EN 442 outputs, section counts, heat pump correction factors and choosing a pattern.
How to size cast iron radiators for a heat pump in a listed or period home: ΔT correction factors, a worked example, consent and specification advice.
Cast iron guttering rarely fails without warning. Here are ten signs you can check from the ground this autumn, what each one means, what happens if it is left through the winter, and whether repair, replacement or a site survey is the right next step.
Traditional Express or LCC? Compare push-fit and caulked cast iron soil pipe for listed buildings: jointing, sizes, finishes and when to specify each.
A conservation guide to stone masonry on historic buildings — how different stones decay, why cement and impermeable coatings accelerate it, and choosing between repair,
A guide for architects, surveyors and owners — how to describe conservation work precisely enough that three contractors price the same thing, and disputes do
A guide to getting a survey that tells you what you actually need to know — what the different survey types cover, what to ask
A conservation guide to identifying the real cause of damp — and to recognising the treatments that are routinely sold and rarely needed. Building Restoration
A conservation guide to slate, tile, stone and lead roofs on historic buildings — diagnosing failure, repairing rather than stripping, and getting the details right
A conservation guide to brick and mortar on historic buildings — why cement pointing causes the damage it was meant to prevent, how to specify
A conservation guide to timber-framed buildings — understanding how the frame works, diagnosing decay and movement, and repairing without over-intervening. Building Restoration Index — Technical
A conservation guide to historic internal and external plaster — how it works, why it fails, when to repair, and why gypsum and cement repairs
A conservation guide to timber and metal windows and external doors — assessing condition, repairing rather than replacing, and improving performance without losing the original.
A conservation guide to preparation, coating selection, colour and maintenance on historic ironwork, railings, rainwater goods, gates and architectural castings. Building Restoration Index — Technical
A practical guide to the consent regime for owners, architects, surveyors and contractors — what is controlled, where the repair-and-alteration line sits, and how to
A conservation guide to gutters, downpipes, hoppers and outlets in lead, cast iron, copper, timber and stone — how they fail, when to repair, and
A conservation guide to identifying, assessing, repairing and replicating historic ironwork — and to commissioning the work without losing the original. Building Restoration Index —
A rooflight admits two to three times the daylight of a vertical window of the same size, which is why one well-placed unit can light
Water on the inside of a rooflight is the commonest complaint after installation, and most of it is not a leak. Condensation forms on a
From the outside a fixed and an opening conservation rooflight look the same. Inside, the choice decides whether the room can be aired, whether it
Two conservation rooflights with the same glass can be quoted with U-values half a point apart, and both figures can be honest. A rooflight U-value
Planning permission and listed building consent decide whether a rooflight may go in. The Building Regulations decide how. Almost every new or replacement conservation rooflight
Cast iron gutters, downpipes and hopper heads for listed and period buildings in Kent, matched to original profiles. Request a quote for your Kent project.
Cast iron gutters, downpipes and hoppers for listed buildings in Ceredigion, from Aberystwyth to Cardigan. Request a quote for your project.
A barn roof is often the building’s most important feature: a long, quiet plane of slate, stone or tile with almost nothing breaking it. Rooflights
The frame of a conservation rooflight gets most of the attention, but the glass does most of the work. This chapter explains what sits inside
Several trades discuss a rooflight on a historic roof, each with its own vocabulary. This glossary sets out conservation rooflight terminology in plain English, so
Rooflights are rarely the only work a traditional roof needs. If you are replacing gutters when installing rooflights, or even just inspecting them, the cheapest
A conservation rooflight is a small steel window set into one of the most exposed parts of the building. Conservation rooflight maintenance comes down to
Most problems with conservation rooflights start at the order, not on the roof. This chapter covers how to measure, when to choose a standard size
Forming an opening in a historic roof is the part of a rooflight project that cannot be undone. This is how the work is sequenced,