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The Role of Home Inspection Services in Purchases

Purchasing a property, especially one with heritage or listed status, involves numerous complexities. The stakes are high, and the potential for unforeseen issues can significantly impact both the value and longevity of the investment. This is where pre-purchase inspections become indispensable. They provide a detailed understanding of the property's condition, helping to avoid costly surprises and ensuring informed decision-making. Understanding Pre-Purchase Inspections for

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4 days ago3 min read

The Importance of a Heritage Statement in Preservation Efforts

Before conservation works a heritage statement should support planning andhelps formthe recognition of a buildings significance Preserving historic sites and buildings requires more than just good intentions. It demands clear understanding, careful planning, and effective communication. A heritage statement plays a crucial role in this process. It provides a detailed explanation of a site's significance and guides decisions that affect its future. This post explores why havin

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4 days ago2 min read

A Building needing help!!!

This gorgeous victorian morturay chapel is in Petworth at a now closed cemetery. Erected in 1863 by Lord Leconfield it has completely slipped the net with no one claiming ownership. It has declined dramatically in the last 10 years and is now on the point of becoming quite dangerous. Apparently some money was raised by the local council, and Petworth estates to stabilise the building in 2010 but nothing came of it. The building isnt large approx 6m by 4m ish. Im thinking abou

Sussex Churches

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Oct 211 min read

Merdon Castle one of my favourite projects

Once one of Henry de Blois palaces, Merdon is a scheduled monument situated inside a Bronze Age hill fort! All that was left of the castle was core work, the facing stone having been robbed out. The company I worked for (TGP Ltd) specified the consolidation and conservation works including the soft capping. The univallate wall was in a poor state and for the sake of its structural stability was 90% refaced however we left apertures to view the core work. In addition we also c

Building Stone

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Oct 201 min read

Flint Galleting Grd II C19 Warehouse Chichester

Galleting

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Oct 170 min read

Boot Scrapers and Georgian Doors of Chichester (a welcome distraction while shopping)

Doors

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Oct 170 min read

Hellical Bar Repair

A few weeks agao i posted about a fantastic flint wall that had broken glas galleting. Walked passed it again today to find it had been repaired with helical bars. Unfortunately the pointing post repair leaves alot to be desired!

Building Conservation

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Oct 171 min read

Remnants of a smoke bay

Great find today while carrying out a survey, the remnants of a smoke bay behind the chimney. Lovely smoke blackened beams. The smoke blackening really showing off the hewing marks on one of the rafters. Notice in the fourth picture the wattle has gone leaving a very limey daub behind and the fantastic waney edged collars in picture 6.

Timber Frame Buildings

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Oct 151 min read

Ostwalds - Liesegang Space Super Saturation - Nucleation Deletion Cycle.

This occurs in limes that are rich in calcium or magnesium that has matured over a long period of time under water and is of extra purity. There are still disagreements over the mechanisms underlying this phenomenom. The smaller calcium hydroxide in long term aged putty enhances dissolution and increases the ion concentration while creating a large volume of pores. These small pores can sustain a high supersaturation ratio with respect to Calcium Carbonate resulting in higher

Lime, Plaster, Render

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Oct 141 min read

Ogee Oriel Window

This stuning window is in Chichester (North Street). According to Alan Green in his book The Building Of Georgian Chichester the window was probably added in 1760s in teh "Gothick" style (note the "K" meaning 18th C) in the style of a whimsical form popularised by Horace Walpole at his Strawberry Hill home.

Windows

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Oct 141 min read

Traditional Box Frame Window Details

Windows

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Oct 140 min read

Damage to 17th century wall painting

This Charles I crest in a local church is suffering damage caused by warm moist air rising form the heater and condensing on the thicker colder wall above. This has manifested as smudging on the "Christo Auspice Regno". This is compounded by two issues, flowers with water in the vase and the thinner wall of the blocked doorway being more susceptable to penetrating moisture. Its a convenient place for the heater but at what cost? As an aside, the painter has givene the unicorn

Wall Paintings

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Oct 131 min read