Graham + Sibbald (G+S) were instructed to produce a Planned Preventative Maintenance Programme (PPM) on a heritage Grade I Listed property in Bath.
The date of construction is believed to be circa 1808 and it has since been converted into five high-end apartments, one on each floor. Bronze plaques on the external wall confirm that King George III's wife, Queen Charlotte, stayed at the building in 1817. It is documented that she used a section of the first floor as a ballroom which features an impressive timber-framed glazed sun room.
The building also has many other interesting historical features, including; a cantilevered stone staircase, scrolled wrought iron railings, reeded architraves, double mahogany doors, neoclassical chimneypieces and exemplary limestone ashlar stonework.
APPROACH
The instruction was on behalf of a reputable Property Management company who were seeking advice on the maintenance requirements of the building over a period of 7 years. The report provided a detailed schedule of requirements of the building, prioritised between short-term, medium-term and long-term work. Budget costings were also clearly set out for each maintenance requirement and total anticipated costs for each year provided.
RESULTS
The advice provided by G+S gave the client an in depth understanding of the specific requirements of the building. The PPM will assist the client in taking a proactive approach to maintenance, to avoid unexpected maintenance costs arising or unplanned disturbance.
G+S's knowledge and understanding incorporated within the PPM, provided technically accurate and sound advice when maintaining the building and budget for future. G+S demonstrated their ability to draw upon their pool of third-party specialist consultants to ensure clients are fully advised of all potential risks and/or costs.
KEY CONSIDERATIONS
G+S conducted an extensive inspection of all areas of the building to advise on external and internal features of the building.
One key consideration where G+S were able to utilise a high understanding of requirements and life expectancy of materials was in their assessment of the variety of roof types present on the building. The different roof types included; pitched slate roofs, single-ply flat roof and a bituminous felt flat roof. The roof covering condition, system performance and life expectancy of materials was all taken into consideration for each roof type when preparing the maintenance programme.
G+S were able to rely on their in-house expertise and experience of historic buildings to recognise that the cantilevered stone staircase has inherent risks when improperly maintained/used by building users. G+S were able to introduce the client to a Structural Engineer who specialises in advising on the maintenance of cantilevered stone staircases to assist with the ongoing maintenance of the bespoke requirements of this specific building.
WHY G+S
If you are looking for a Building Surveying team who can help you take a proactive approach to maintenance, or for any other Building Surveying services, we would be more than happy to assist.
We work with a broad spectrum of clients, including leading names in the public and private sectors. We represent a wide spectrum of retained clients including Local Authorities, Inward Investors, Government Departments, Major Retailers and Industrialist, Licensed Trade Operators and Insurance Loss Adjusters amongst others.
Thanks to our expertise, experience and nationwide network of local offices we are able to deliver a professional, cost-effective service with a real personal touch. We place a high priority on expertise, good communications and building long-term client relationships based on trust.
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