Find your building type to check out typical repair issues. Follow the links to detailed technical information you can use to better understand and check quotes from builders. Every building is different though, so get professional help for anything more than a simple problem.
Asbestos becomes a risk when it is disturbed through repairs and internal improvements. You have a legal duty to know where it is in your building, so that workers are…
A sunny balcony is a positive asset to a flat but they can be a source of cold and damp. Inset balconies Cantilevered balcony. The floor should have an asphalt…
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 a cantilevered stone that is called a corbel stone. Bay windows are built down to…
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…
Beams span large gaps and carry the weight of floors and walls above them. The ends rest on walls. They are part of the structure of your building. Often found…
Typically found in Georgian tenements, such as those in Edinburgh, these roofs have central valley flat roofs or gutters, and downpipes may run inside the flats. They are vulnerable to…
Chimneys easily suffer damage from exposure. The pointing often gets weathered and washed out at a greater rate than on the rest of your buildings walls. This, combined with the…
Thinner and built on lighter foundations than external walls, close (stair) walls may settle or the foundations may be washed away by leaking pipes, leading to subsidence and separation cracks. The walls…
Heavily trafficked and likely to get worn, but a clean and well-repaired close floor will make your building feel welcoming and safe. Problems Hollow sounding floors at ground level may indicate…
Cracks can occur in your building for a variety of reasons. Establish the likely cause for your crack and, if it might be serious, take professional advice. Cracks can occur…
Dormers need particular attention because they are exposed to the weather and have many junctions between materials that need checking regularly. How dormer windows are built Dormers may have flat…
Repairs to drainage pipes are a common or mutual responsibility. Pipes only become the responsibility of Scottish Water once they connect to the main drainage system, normally on the edge of…
Even if you live in a house rather than a flat, you may still have common responsibilities that apply to the housing estate around you. Problems may often occur on:…
Brick walls can be found in all ages of building. The brickwork may form the structure, holding up the roof, or it may be cladding, with a timber kit frame…
Stone walls are often built with architectural features that not only add to the visual appearance of the building, but also have the purpose of throwing water away from the…
Every flat owner should have a fire escape plan and know what to do in an emergency. You can also make sure your flat is as fire and smoke proof…
Flashings cover the joint between two different parts of the building - such as the join between the roof and the chimney. They sometimes act like gutters and carry a…
Flat roofs can be found on buildings of all ages. They can be covered in a variety of materials. Seldom flat, they should be laid with a gentle slope (fall)…
Noise coming through floors and ceilings can be a real issue for flat dwellers. Individual owners can do much to prevent this problem - and to make it worse. Understanding…
Front and back doors to your building provide security and help keep flats warm. These doors take a lot of use and abuse, so should be strongly constructed. If replacing or…
Gables are the end walls of your tenement. Sometimes the gable was originally intended to be a cross wall between two older stone tenements, but the next phase of building…
Gutters take the rain from your roof and channel it away from your walls and the timbers set into the walls that are prone to rot if they are damp…
A lintel supports the walls and floors above an opening, such as a window or a door. They are part of the structure of your building. The outer lintel is…
You may be able to detect roof problems from inside your loft. Do not attempt to get into your loft unless you have safe ladder access, crawlboards inside the loft…
The shortage of materials and the need for housing after both World Wars led to the use of non-traditional materials in building. Some four-in-a-block houses and social housing tenements were…
Removing paint from stone can cause damage, so removal methods need to be carefully investigated before you go ahead. Graffiti While you are often advised to remove graffiti as soon…
Leaks in these 'secret' gutters often go unnoticed until rot is found in timbers. Parapets will have a gutter behind them. This type of gutter is also found behind a…
In the 1960s and 1970s, the walls of multi and deck access blocks were formed from precast concrete panels and concrete floor slabs. The system was used in three and…
Cast iron may be found in many parts of older tenements, from drainpipes and gutters, skylights or air vents, through to structural columns. During the Second World War, people were…
Rear stonework tends to be much simpler than front ashlar stone. Cosmetic damage to the rougher rubble stone is less obvious and the walls themselves are often better protected from the…
Ridges protect the top layers of slate and tile. If the ridge capping is blown off, the top courses of slates or tiles can be quickly lost. The ridge protects…
Timber decay, through rot or wood-boring insect damage, can damage the structural strength of your building and be costly to deal with. Keeping timber dry and well-ventilated will not only…
Responsibility for the maintenance of gas, electricity, communal aerials etc., changes at different points from being the suppliers responsibility to a common responsibility, and then to an individual responsibility. But…
Skews finish the top of the party wall that protrudes above roof level. Skews are also found at gable ends. Skews divide one tenement roof from another and also act…
Skylights allow light and ventilation from above. There are a number of different types of skylight. Cupolas are skylights which are raised up, often found on flat roofs or in valleys. Lead flashings protect the joins…
Slate roofs were commonly used until the 1960s when concrete tiles became more popular. Scottish slate quarries closed at this time but it is still possible to source good second…
The staircase and surrounding walls form an important part of your building's structure. How stairs are built Stone stairs may be 'penchecked', with each step made from a separate piece of…
Stone deteriorates through the action of moisture and frost. Stone naturally absorbs water and then dries – a process generally referred to as 'breathing'. The use of cement mortar can…
Your building has a supporting skeleton of walls, joists, beams, and lintels which keep it standing. Any repairs required to this structure are important and need to be dealt with…
Tiled roofs can be found on buildings of all ages as tiles were commonly used to replace slate during tenement renovations from the 1960s onwards. Older concrete tiled roofs erected…
Timber kit buildings, built mainly after 1980, can be clad in many materials. Timber kit buildings have the advantage that the frames can be made off site in the dry, and…
While window frames and timber cills are an individual repair, if they aren't properly maintained, they can cause damage to the common structure of the building. Close windows, as well…
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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