On stone tenements, asphalt roofs are found on: 'high backs' - raised backcourt areas above ground…
Check for loose or missing balusters and shakiness. See stairs.
Oriels are bays that start from the first floor. The oriel bay is supported on…
Your tenement may have a basement, sometimes used for living accommodation or sometimes used for…
Most short-lived of the flat roof covering materials, unlikely to last much more than 15…
Beams span large gaps and carry the weight of floors and walls above them. The…
Half-round gutters, originally made of cast iron, are often found on the backs of stone…
Typically found in Georgian tenements, such as those in Edinburgh, these roofs have central valley…
Chimneys easily suffer damage from exposure. The pointing often gets weathered and washed out at…
Thinner and built on lighter foundations than external walls, close (stair) walls may settle or the…
Heavily trafficked and likely to get worn, but a clean and well-repaired close floor will…
Cracks can occur in your building for a variety of reasons. Establish the likely cause…
Dormers need particular attention because they are exposed to the weather and have many junctions…
Stone walls are often built with architectural features that not only add to the visual…
Every flat owner should have a fire escape plan and know what to do in…
Flashings cover the joint between two different parts of the building - such as the…
With your flat front door, you need to achieve a balance between security from intruders,…
Flat roofs can be found on buildings of all ages. They can be covered in…
Noise coming through floors and ceilings can be a real issue for flat dwellers. Individual…
Front and back doors to your building provide security and help keep flats warm. These…
Gables are the end walls of your tenement. Sometimes the gable was originally intended to…
Commonly found on older tenement roofs, particularly steeply pitched mansard roofs, and above bay and…
Useful for upgrading an existing felt or asphalt roof. Liquid applied roofs are a resin material,…
A range of metal roofs can be used. They are more commonly used on modern…
Moulded gutters are made of cast iron, like half-round gutters, but sit on a stone…
Mutual chimneys will often carry flues from the neighbouring tenement, as well as from your own,…
Removing paint from stone can cause damage, so removal methods need to be carefully investigated…
Leaks in these 'secret' gutters often go unnoticed until rot is found in timbers. Parapets…
Cast iron may be found in many parts of older tenements, from drainpipes and gutters,…
Rear stonework tends to be much simpler than front ashlar stone. Cosmetic damage to the rougher…
Ridges protect the top layers of slate and tile. If the ridge capping is blown…
It's critical to keep the roof, gutters, and chimneys of your roof property or block…
Timber decay, through rot or wood-boring insect damage, can damage the structural strength of your…
Responsibility for the maintenance of gas, electricity, communal aerials etc., changes at different points from…
Skylights allow light and ventilation from above. There are a number of different types of…
Slate roofs were commonly used until the 1960s when concrete tiles became more popular. Scottish…
Stone deteriorates through the action of moisture and frost. Stone naturally absorbs water and then…
These gutters are simply a channel in a top cornice stone. The channel should be…
Tiled roofs can be found on buildings of all ages as tiles were commonly used…
Tall and exposed wallhead chimneys usually served bedroom fireplaces. The height was required to make the…
Laid much like lead, zinc roofs are laid in bays, typically with standing seam joints.…
Your tenement may have a basement, sometimes used for living accommodation or sometimes used for storage, cellars or wash-houses. These buildings will often also have a 'dunny' between the basement…
Adding insulation and draught-proofing can save money and the planet but in…
Recent research suggests that traditional solid stone or brick walls provide better…
Flat roofs can be found on buildings of all ages. They can…
On stone tenements, asphalt roofs are found on: 'high backs' - raised backcourt…
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