Against the backdrop of rising living costs and following a global pandemic, the maintenance of buildings may seem like a low priority. However, adopting simple routine checks can help prevent your building falling into rapid and potentially costly disrepair.
Put simply, maintenance is routine work required to keep a building in good condition. Good maintenance is about understanding the approximate life cycle of a material, identifying problems before they become too serious and knowing the remedial action required to put things right.
Without routine maintenance a structure will deteriorate. In a report published in 2019, English Heritage confirmed that poor maintenance and repair results in an increased cost liability which is prone to rapid escalation. It identified that delaying repairs increased the cost liability significantly and it highlighted that roofs, rainwater goods and drainage are the primary cause of defects and consequential decay.
Although that particular report focused on churches, many of the findings are transferable to other traditionally constructed buildings. A client was served a stark reminder of this during a recent inspection of a traditional barn.
What had started off as a fairly innocuous displaced slate some four years ago now resulted in the need for roofing, joinery and structural stabilisation work. An acorn had found its way into the top of the wall which had become exposed by the slipped slate at eaves level. An oak tree then began to grow, dislodging additional slates and exposing the bearing of a roof truss and more of the wallhead which, in turn, led to the decay of the timber truss bearing.
The barn’s stone wall became destabilised as a result of driving rain entering the wallhead, allowing the tree’s root structure to force it apart. Timber decay also occurred in the floor below, with the elevation losing lateral restraint from the decayed truss and floor joist.
So while the proverb ‘mighty oaks from little acorns grow’ springs to mind, perhaps ‘mighty headaches from little acorns grow’ is more apt in this particular instance.
As we make our way through winter and battle the inclement weather, here’s a list of points to consider to better maintain your buildings.
- Develop a maintenance plan which accommodates both regular and ad hoc inspections. This should be proportionate to the size and complexity of your building and in a logical sequence.
- The maintenance plan should make provision for building services, both those that protect the building – such as fire detection systems and conservation heating – as well as those that pose a potential risk to building fabric such as electrical and plumbing installations.
- Look at getting roofs, gutters and rainwater disposal systems repaired and cleared, especially at this time of year.
- In the colder months, heating and ventilation is imperative to mitigate internal mould issues and reduce internal condensation.
- Remember, without routine maintenance a structure will deteriorate.
If in doubt, seek advice.
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