Building Surveying
A Guide to Buying a Listed Building
Buying a property is one of the most important decisions we make during our life and it may result stressful…
Building Failure in England and Scotland
Questions are being asked about why so many of the high-rise tower blocks in England, reclad over the past couple…
A Brief History of Fire and Building Fires
What the Public Inquiry will conclude following the dreadful fire catastrophe at Grenfell Tower remains to be seen but it…
What a Listed Building Is & What It Means For The Owner
Many buildings are of architectural or historical interest but, when Historic Environment Scotland consider a building for listing, this interest…
Owning a Listed Building And What to Expect
Having the opportunity of owning a listed building is, undoubtedly, a very rewarding experience, as they are special and usually…
Fire Suppression in Historic Buildings
For many years fire suppression systems have been distrusted. There is an assumed connection or association between sprinklers, the principal…
The Commercial Potential of Historic Buildings
Listed buildings may present challenges for owners but there is still scope for improving their commercial potential The commercial potential…
Where Roofs Fail
It's obvious really: roofs fail at junctions and intersections.
Another Look at Housing Maintenance Policy
Maintenance is the achilles heel of all housing policy. It is all too easy for politicians to make a short term gain at the expense of the maintenance budget. In the 1950s, 60s and 70s it was common for rent controls in both public and private sector housing to be funded, in effect, from the maintenance budget.
A Closer Look at Stained Glass Window Conservation
Before the art of creating larger panes of glass was perfected small pieces of glass connected together with lead strips was the best our forebears had. Subsequently leaded windows and stained glass have often been revived and they give an artistic feel to what might otherwise be a flat and lifeless plate glass window. As a consequence we often come across leaky, cracked, bowed and vandalised leaded windows and when we do we rely on the considerable skill of experts to bring them back to life. There are a few around.
Who Covers the Costs of a Building Surveyor and Home Report?
The compulsory Home Report, love it or hate it, has become an integral part of the Scottish residential property market and can help purchasers to decide whether or not to go for a property.
The unforgettable Professor Charles McKean
Professor Charles McKean (16 July 1946- 29 September 2013) first came to my attention in the 1980s when, as Director of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland he was quoted as making disparaging remarks about building surveyors who he described as an "English import".
