News
Flooding: We Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet
I've been banging on about climate change for years. I've even given a couple of talks to RICS conferences drawing attention to the connection between climate change and flooding, particularly as it affects surveyors and the land and buildings we advise on. Now flooding, flood damage and leaky buildings are subjects that are right up at the top of the agenda.
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.
How to refurbish a hotel on a budget
GLM Managing Director Ian McKee sat down with Hotel Business Magazine to share his top tips on approaching a hotel transformation project on a restricted 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.
Protecting Your Listed Building For The Winter
I am endlessly amazed at how many owners of old and listed properties I come across who don't have a clue about basic maintenance. At the risk of offending those who know perfectly well what to do here are a few suggestions...
Preventing Building Flood Damage
If you have had a flood and face the prospect of others in the future we can help. Let us design a solution to your flooding problem and then get the work done as competitively as possible.
How To Prevent Flooding From Rain
In 2011/2012 it seemed at times that we had rain every day for months. Certainly the ground was saturated and…
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".
Adaptive Reuse: Work on Heritage Constrained Buildings
The "preservation" of buildings can sometimes threaten their survival. The term "conservation" implies a more active process, one of breathing new life into old buildings.
The Problem With Scotch Slate On Buildings
Do you have a traditional building with a worn out Scotch slate roof laid to diminishing courses? Do you want to maintain the building's traditional character either because it is Listed and you have to, or because you do not wish to downgrade its appearance and ultimately its value? If you answer yes to these questions your options are limited and becoming ever more limited.
Gutters & Slatework
The brackets that hold up cast iron gutters, or rhones, are known as rhone hooks. In Scottish roofing practice they are fixed to the sarking boards which in turn are fixed to the rafters. In England they have to be fixed to the rafters. The rhone hooks are galvanised steel and should be fitted before the slates go on. They need to be strong enough to carry the gutters but soft enough to bend so as to align the gutters.
