Historic Gardens and External Features: Garden Buildings, Statuary, Walls and Glasshouses

A walled garden with a weathered stone statue on a plinth, a painted glasshouse against the brick wall, a gravel path and iron gates.

A conservation guide to the features of historic gardens and the spaces around old buildings: garden buildings and glasshouses, statues and urns, walls and ha-has, gates and railings, paths and steps, water features and street furniture. It covers how they deteriorate, how to maintain and repair them, and the protections that apply. Building Restoration Index […]

Decorative Interiors: Wall Paintings, Gilding, Panelling and Historic Finishes

A panelled historic room with a carved and gilded overmantel, a faded painted wall decoration of trees and shuttered windows.

A conservation guide to the decorative surfaces and fittings of historic interiors: wall paintings, historic paint and limewash, gilding, panelling, carving, plasterwork and furniture. It covers how they deteriorate, how to protect them during building work, and when to call a conservator. Building Restoration Index — Technical Library. By Paul Stenning and Mike Walters, Historic […]

Historic Floors, Tiles and Terracotta: Conservation, Repair and Cleaning

A Victorian entrance hall with an original encaustic and geometric tiled floor, a stained glass front door and a painted staircase.

A conservation guide to the floors of historic buildings: timber boards, stone flags, brick and pamments, encaustic and geometric tiles, terracotta and lime floors. It covers how they were built, why they fail, how to clean and repair them, and how to avoid the common mistakes that destroy them. Building Restoration Index — Technical Library. […]

Caring for Church Buildings: Inspection, Maintenance, Repair and Permissions

A stone parish church with a cast iron hopper and downpipe on the nave wall and a square tower behind.

A guide for churchwardens, parochial church councils, inspecting architects and contractors on looking after historic church buildings: inspection, planned maintenance, rainwater, roofs and towers, interiors, wildlife, churchyards, permissions and funding. Building Restoration Index — Technical Library. By Paul Stenning and Mike Walters, Historic Buildings Advisors, Tuscan Foundry Products. In summary Most damage to historic churches […]

Chimneys, Fireplaces and Flues in Historic Buildings: Repair, Relining and Safe Use

Brick chimney stacks with clay chimney pots, flaunching and stepped flashings on a slate roof.

A conservation guide to chimneys, fireplaces and flues in historic buildings: how they work, how to read their condition, how to repair stacks and relining flues safely, fitting stoves, keeping disused chimneys dry, and the consent and regulations involved. Building Restoration Index — Technical Library. By Paul Stenning and Mike Walters, Historic Buildings Advisors, Tuscan […]

Energy Efficiency and Heating in Historic Buildings: Insulation, Glazing and Heat Pumps

A cast iron column radiator beneath a Georgian sash window with folding timber shutters in a period room.

A conservation guide to making historic buildings warmer, cheaper to run and lower in carbon without damaging them: how traditional construction handles heat and moisture, which measures work, which carry risk, and how to plan heating, radiators and heat pumps for an old building. Building Restoration Index — Technical Library. By Paul Stenning and Mike […]

Stained Glass and Leaded Lights: Conservation, Repair and Protection

Interior view of a Victorian stained glass window with foliate and geometric patterns in lead cames, set in a stone traceried window with iron saddle bars.

A conservation guide to stained glass and leaded lights on historic buildings: how a leaded window works, what goes wrong, why repair usually beats releading, and how to protect, clean and maintain glass that may already be centuries old. Building Restoration Index — Technical Library. By Paul Stenning and Mike Walters, Historic Buildings Advisors, Tuscan […]