Writing a Conservation Specification That Gets Comparable Tenders

Three trial panels of lime mortar repointing in a brick wall with a sample board of mortar biscuits on a trestle

A guide for architects, surveyors and owners — how to describe conservation work precisely enough that three contractors price the same thing, and disputes do not start on site. Building Restoration Index — Technical Library. By Paul Stenning and Mike Walters, Historic Buildings Advisors, Tuscan Foundry Products. In summary Most disputes on conservation projects begin […]

Choosing a Heritage Rooflight: Materials, Sightlines and Thermal Performance Compared

A slim black steel heritage rooflight with a central glazing bar set into a slate roof beside a stone chimney.

Steel or aluminium-clad timber. Structural glazing bar or applied. Whole-unit U-value or centre-pane. A technical comparison of how heritage rooflights differ, and which differences a conservation officer will actually see. In summary Heritage rooflights divide into two broad constructions: purpose-made steel conservation rooflights, and volume roof windows with a timber core and aluminium cladding configured […]

Conservation Rooflights for Listed Buildings: The Complete Specification Guide

A small black steel conservation rooflight set flush into a weathered Welsh slate roof on a stone period building.

A conservation rooflight is not simply a small window in a roof. It is a piece of historically informed detailing that has to satisfy a conservation officer, a building control officer and the weather at the same time. This guide sets out how we specify them, and where specifications most often go wrong. In summary […]